First United Methodist Church Richardson, Texas

Week 4: June 27 - July 3

Psalms 30 (Sun), 54, 56, 122 (Mon), 58, 59, 123 (Tue), 61, 124 (Wed), 63, 65, 125 (Thur), 67, 126 (Fri), 69, 70, 71, 127 (Sat)

Sunday

Psalm 30
I will extol you, O Lord, for you have drawn me up, and did not let my foes rejoice over me. O Lord my God, I cried to you for help, and you have healed me. O Lord, you brought up my soul from Sheol, restored me to life from among those gone down to the Pit.

Sing praises to the Lord, O you his faithful ones, and give thanks to his holy name. For his anger is but for a moment; his favor is for a lifetime. Weeping may linger for the night, but joy comes with the morning.

As for me, I said in my prosperity, “I shall never be moved.” By your favor, O Lord, you had established me as a strong mountain; you hid your face; I was dismayed. To you, O Lord, I cried, and to the Lord I made supplication: “What profit is there in my death, if I go down to the Pit? Will the dust praise you? Will it tell of your faithfulness? Hear, O Lord, and be gracious to me! O Lord, be my helper!”

You have turned my mourning into dancing; you have taken off my sackcloth and clothed me with joy, so that my soul may praise you and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give thanks to you forever.

Background
Notice in the superscription that Psalm 30 was used at the dedication of the Temple. The expression of thanksgiving and joy in Psalm 30 would have made it appropriate for use in celebrating Hanukkah. “I will extol you, O Lord,” means ‘to lift up.’ God has “lifted...out” the psalmist, “drawn me up.” God has “brought up” those who have “gone down” to Sheol (the Pit). To say “you have healed me” may suggest Psalm 30 originated as a prayer to celebrate deliverance from a serious illness. This new understanding of life motivates the psalmist to be a witness to others concerning the character of God. The psalmist was shaken by misfortune which led the psalmist to plea for the mercy of God. For the psalmist, to live is to praise God and to praise God is to live. The psalmist is committed to being thankful “forever.” The psalmist has arrived at a new awareness of God’s presence, even amid suffering, when God appears to be absent.

Reflection
The psalmist discovers that suffering need not be an indication of the absence of God. Think about your most recent dealings with suffering and how you might have struggled with wondering about God’s presence.

Can you imagine your whole life being ‘praise’? How can we move to embrace life as a God-given gift, no matter the circumstances?
Given the transformation of the psalmist emerging from suffering, examine your own times of suffering. For the psalmist, suffering led to a commitment of lifetime praise, which is a difficult task. For you, how did your life change?
Monday

Psalm 54
Save me, O God, by your name, and vindicate me by your might. Hear my prayer, O God; give ear to the words of my mouth.

For the insolent have risen against me, the ruthless seek my life; they do not set God before them. Selah

But surely, God is my helper; the Lord is the upholder of my life. He will repay my enemies for their evil. In your faithfulness, put an end to them.

With a freewill offering I will sacrifice to you; I will give thanks to your name, O Lord, for it is good. For he has delivered me from every trouble, and my eye has looked in triumph on my enemies.

Background
Psalm 54 is a prayer for help from an individual. It is unclear whether the psalmist has already been delivered. V7 may indicate deliverance has occurred, “for he has delivered me from every trouble,.....” It may allude to past deliverance or it may indicate the psalmist is sure of an anticipated deliverance. The central theological assertion is: “God is my helper.” To appeal to God “by your name” is an appeal to God’s fundamental character (v 1), which includes both “might” and “faithfulness”. The psalmist trusts that the power and purpose of God are greater than the power and purposes of the enemy. Thus, the psalmist asks God to hear and to give ear, a request linked to God’s faithfulness. The psalmist’s life depends upon God. The issue is not revenge as much as it is justice, to give life and set things right. It is clear the psalmist trusts the future to God.

Reflection
There is not much room between revenge and justice. When you seek God’s help, as is the psalmist, which term seems to fit your goal?

As with many of the psalms, we find the psalmist expressing a relationship with God that is between “already” and “not yet.” Can we be as trustful of God as the psalmist in the midst of current suffering?

The psalmist suggests, if we trust God both now and into the future, that we hand over the issue of justice to God and grow in grace and knowledge of the Lord. That means praying that God will change evil into good, but will also strengthen us, in patience. Can we do this?

Psalm 56
Be gracious to me, O God, for people trample on me; all day long foes oppress me; my enemies trample on me all day long, for many fight against me. O Most High, when I am afraid, I put my trust in you. In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I am not afraid; what can flesh do to me?

All day long they seek to injure my cause; all their thoughts are against me for evil. They stir up strife, they lurk, they watch my steps. As they hoped to have my life, so repay them for their crime; in wrath cast down the peoples, O God!

You have kept count of my tossings; put my tears in your bottle. Are they not in your record? Then my enemies will retreat in the day when I call. This I know, that God is for me. In God, whose word I praise, in the Lord, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I am not afraid. What can a mere mortal do to me?

My vows to you I must perform, O God; I will render thank offerings to you. For you have delivered my soul from death, and my feet from falling, so that I may walk before God in the light of life.

Background
Expressions of trust dominate Psalm 56. There are sections of petition and complaint, but it concludes with the promise to make a thank offering n response to deliverance. It is unclear whether the psalmist is facing military opposition or something like socioeconomic abuse (“oppress”). The opposition evokes fear in the psalmist. The movement of the psalm is from fear to trust in God. The psalmist professes that true security is a divine gift rather than a human achievement. The psalmist has been transformed by trust, not only in the present, but into the future. Thus, in the face of every threat, the psalmist will be able to live with gratitude.

Reflection
The enemies of the psalmist trust in themselves, while the psalmist clearly trusts in God. It’s a common theme in the psalms. The key is, in the midst of opposition, the faithful can say, “I am not afraid.” Examine your life and faith currently to see if you can say that.

What the psalmist realizes is that trust in God in the midst of constant opposition grants us a sense of peace. Is this a ‘peace’ that you experience, or at least strive for?

The phrase, “In God, whose word I praise,” appears twice in Psalm 56 (vs 4 and 10). This is the psalmist’s statement of trust in God. If we hold similar trust in God, regardless of opposition in life, can we be as confident in our ‘praise’ of God?

Psalm 122
I was glad when they said to me, “Let us go to the house of the Lord!” Our feet are standing within your gates, O Jerusalem.

Jerusalem—built as a city that is bound firmly together. To it the tribes go up, the tribes of the Lord, as was decreed for Israel, to give thanks to the name of the Lord. For there the thrones for judgment were set up, the thrones of the house of David.

Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: “May they prosper who love you. Peace be within your walls, and security within your towers.” For the sake of my relatives and friends I will say, “Peace be within you.” For the sake of the house of the Lord our God, I will seek your good.

Background
Psalm 122 is the third of the Songs of Ascents, a pilgrimage song. It focuses the reader’s attention squarely on Jerusalem. It appears the ascent to Jerusalem is the Temple, God’s house. Notice the use of both terms, ‘the house of the Lord’ (v 1) and ‘the house of David’ (v 5). Jerusalem was known both as the city of God and the city of David. The power of the Davidic house comes from the Lord. It may be this psalm is not so much about Jerusalem’s architecture as it is the ability of Jerusalem’s ability to bring people together. “Justice”, which the Davidic house was to enact in accordance with God’s reign, was to result in shalom, “peace”. For the psalmist, to enter Jerusalem really does mean to enter a new world. To live for God’s sake and for the sake of others is to experience and to extend the justice that God intends as ruler of the world. While the psalmist articulates in verse 1 the benefit Jerusalem can have on the self, the focus in verses 8-9 is on what the psalmist can do for the benefit of others and of God.

Reflection
Given the turmoil in the middle east, the message of Psalm 122 is contemporary. When you think of Jerusalem, is it a place that brings people together? Is it a place of peace and of God’s reign?

Israel’s history speaks of places that ‘capture’ the presence of God, whether it be Mount Sinai, the ark of the covenant or Jerusalem. Certainly Christianity has sacred places, but probably does not postulate ‘places’ of God’s residence as do Jews. How do you respond to your understanding of God’s presence?

The Seder Meal includes the phrase, “Next Year in Jerusalem”. Can this ‘journey’ image of the Hebrew faith give instruction to the faith journey of Christians?
Tuesday

Psalm 58
Do you indeed decree what is right, you gods? Do you judge people fairly? No, in your hearts you devise wrongs; your hands deal out violence on earth.

The wicked go astray from the womb; they err from their birth, speaking lies. They have venom like the venom of a serpent, like the deaf adder that stops its ear, so that it does not hear the voice of charmers or of the cunning enchanter.

O God, break the teeth in their mouths; tear out the fangs of the young lions, O Lord! Let them vanish like water that runs away; like grass let them be trodden down and wither. Let them be like the snail that dissolves into slime; like the untimely birth that never sees the sun. Sooner than your pots can feel the heat of thorns, whether green or ablaze, may he sweep them away!

The righteous will rejoice when they see vengeance done; they will bathe their feet in the blood of the wicked. People will say, “Surely there is a reward for the righteous; surely there is a God who judges on earth.”

Background
Psalm 58 expresses the conviction that God ultimately rules the world and that God’s purposes will prevail. Verses 6 - 9 are a prayer for justice, and vs 10-11 articulate the assurance that justice will be done. The Hebrew word translated ‘gods’ could also mean ‘mighty ones’, humans. In spite of wickedness, the psalmist stakes his or her life and future on the reality of God’s rule, the affirmation of which concludes in vs 10 -11, with a recurrence of the concepts of righteousness and justice. The wicked have never known God and are born liars. The prayer in v 6 is not a request for revenge but a petition for protection. It is a prayer for justice and righteousness. The real issue is who rules the world, and v 11 asserts God’s rule.

Reflection
For the psalmist, justice belongs to God. Right makes might. How difficult is it to trust God’s justice and that the wicked will be punished?

If wickedness in the psalms is understood essentially as self-centeredness and self-sufficiency, are we in danger of standing among the wicked? At the very least, do we not live in a similarly corrupt world?

While this psalm seeks the judgement of God toward the unrighteous, it reminds us of the Sermon on the Mount and it’s declaration against judging. How easy is it for us to allow judgement to be in the hands of God?

Psalm 59
Deliver me from my enemies, O my God; protect me from those who rise up against me. Deliver me from those who work evil; from the bloodthirsty save me.

Even now they lie in wait for my life; the mighty stir up strife against me. For no transgression or sin of mine, O Lord, for no fault of mine, they run and make ready.

Rouse yourself, come to my help and see! You, Lord God of hosts, are God of Israel. Awake to punish all the nations; spare none of those who treacherously plot evil. Selah

Each evening they come back, howling like dogs and prowling about the city. There they are, bellowing with their mouths, with sharp words on their lips— for “Who,” they think, “will hear us?”

But you laugh at them, O Lord; you hold all the nations in derision. O my strength, I will watch for you; for you, O God, are my fortress. My God in his steadfast love will meet me; my God will let me look in triumph on my enemies.

Do not kill them, or my people may forget; make them totter by your power, and bring them down, O Lord, our shield. For the sin of their mouths, the words of their lips, let them be trapped in their pride. For the cursing and lies that they utter, consume them in wrath; consume them until they are no more. Then it will be known to the ends of the earth that God rules over Jacob. Selah

Each evening they come back, howling like dogs and prowling about the city. They roam about for food, and growl if they do not get their fill.

But I will sing of your might; I will sing aloud of your steadfast love in the morning. For you have been a fortress for me and a refuge in the day of my distress. O my strength, I will sing praises to you, for you, O God, are my fortress, the God who shows me steadfast love.

Background
The persistence of threat is emphasized, as is the psalmist’s living in dependence upon God’s steadfast love in the midst of distress. The psalm begins with a fourfold petition, emphatic by virtue of the repetition of ‘deliver’ in verses 1 and 2. The psalmist emphatically affirms innocence. “Come to my help and see!” (V 4) God’s seeing will put all other seeing and watching in proper perspective. God hears, and God responds. The wicked do not go away, but the psalmist lives under God’s reign and, in the face of opposition, celebrates God’s strength and steadfast love.

Reflection
Psalm 59 describes a picture of disgusting, self-seeking, hateful activity.” This description could well apply to what we might call good business and political necessity. This psalm reminds us of the evil with which we live. So, do we, like the psalmist, seek God’s help? Or, do we allow ourselves to be caught up in it?

The psalmist finds another world, driven by the power of love. In this dog-eat-dog world, can we find a fortress in God and spend our lives in grateful praise (vs 1 - 17)?

There is a sense, in the midst of seeking God’s help in times of trouble, the psalmist is hoping that God’s justice is a verdict on the psalmist’s own cause as well. Have you ever been hesitant about whether God’s justice will be for your own cause?

Psalm 123
To you I lift up my eyes, O you who are enthroned in the heavens! As the eyes of servants look to the hand of their master, as the eyes of a maid to the hand of her mistress, so our eyes look to the Lord our God, until he has mercy upon us.

Have mercy upon us, O Lord, have mercy upon us, for we have had more than enough of contempt. Our soul has had more than its fill of the scorn of those who are at ease, of the contempt of the proud.

Background
This is the fourth among the Songs of Ascents. Psalm 123 is categorized as a communal lament. The fist thing these sojourners do once in Jerusalem is to turn their “eyes to the Lord our God,” (v 2) and then ask for help. (vs 3 - 4) To lift one’s eyes is a reference to God as cosmic sovereign. The repetition of ‘eyes’ in each of the four lines in vs 1-2 characterizes the step-like pattern in the Songs of Ascents. The double petition of ‘have mercy upon us,’ is an indication the psalmist and the faithful depend on God for life itself.

Reflection
Psalm 123 calls the church to live in humble servanthood that is in utter dependence on God, and that will likely be a suffering servanthood. Paradoxically, only at that point will we know the contempt of the world that this psalmist apparently feels. Are we courageous disciples, willing to be held in contempt for the gospel?

The psalmist is calling us to keep our eyes open for God’s merciful deliverance from the contempt of this world. How difficult is it to remain focused on the coming mercy of God rather than the contempt we receive?

Can you envision this prayer being said in our worship services? It is a communal prayer, a prayer of the people of God in every generation. “Have mercy upon us, O Lord.” Can we pray this prayer for others?
Wednesday

Psalm 61
Hear my cry, O God; listen to my prayer. From the end of the earth I call to you, when my heart is faint.

Lead me to the rock that is higher than I; for you are my refuge, a strong tower against the enemy.

Let me abide in your tent forever, find refuge under the shelter of your wings. Selah
For you, O God, have heard my vows; you have given me the heritage of those who fear your name.

Prolong the life of the king; may his years endure to all generations! May he be enthroned forever before God; appoint steadfast love and faithfulness to watch over him!

So I will always sing praises to your name, as I pay my vows day after day.

Background
Psalm 61 is a prayer for help, an individual lament. The pervasiveness of petition suggests that the psalmist will live constantly under some kind of threat, yet the affirmations in vs 3 and 5 indicate that the psalmist already experiences God as a present and enduring source of security. It could be that the king is praying, or it could be the psalmist is simply offering a prayer for the king. The psalmist understands that their resources are insufficient. Verse 4 is a reference to the Temple, “your tent”, and “your wings”. The repetition suggests that the continuing life of the king/people/psalmist will be lived joyfully. The psalm invites every generation to the faith and joy that derives from the conviction that life is sustained and secured by God’s loving and faithful presence.

Reflection
You may individually, but we do corporately offer prayers for our leaders. This is a good time to think about your prayer concerns for our leaders.

“Lead me to the rock that is higher than I” is the prayer of the psalmist. It at least recognizes the need for resources we do not possess. The rock image may indicate that God provides a much more solid basis. Use the ‘rock’ image and pray for stability in your faith life.

We likely can understand the existential situation of the psalmist, the edge of an ‘abyss’ where we live. We can probably relate to that feeling. Can we, as the psalmist, know that we are always in the presence of a loving and faithful higher power?

Psalm 124
If it had not been the Lord who was on our side—let Israel now say—if it had not been the Lord who was on our side, when our enemies attacked us, then they would have swallowed us up alive, when their anger was kindled against us; then the flood would have swept us away, the torrent would have gone over us; then over us would have gone the raging waters.

Blessed be the Lord, who has not given us as prey to their teeth. We have escaped like a bird from the snare of the fowlers; the snare is broken, and we have escaped. Our help is in the name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth.

Background
Psalm 124 is the fifth of the Songs of Ascents. Psalm 124 reports deliverance from enemies and publicly proclaims that help comes from the Lord. Verses 1 and 2 can be translated more literally as, “If God had not been for us.” These two verses set up a contrast between the power of God and the power of humans. The real issue is “help”. Whose help is ultimately effective? “Our help is in the name of the Lord,...” (v 8) This is the cosmic God who made heaven and the earth.

Reflection
The imagery of having “escaped like a bird from the snare” (v 7) is powerful. Consider those times when you have felt your life was entangled, and you were ‘in a snare’.

This psalm again includes the acknowledgment that disciples are completely dependent on God for their survival. Is there any part of our relationship with God when God gives us the ability to live? What does it mean to be “completely” dependent upon God? Do you agree with the psalmist?

We have seen images of ‘raging waters’ before, in one of the creation stories in Genesis. If you have ever been involved with a flood, or even sailed the seas, you likely have some idea of the magnitude of the danger the psalmist experienced. From this, came the realization that it was good to have God on their side. Think about a time when you were similarly overwhelmed by danger (especially water) that it led you to turn to God.
Thursday

Psalm 63
O God, you are my God, I seek you, my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water. So I have looked upon you in the sanctuary, beholding your power and glory. Because your steadfast love is better than life, my lips will praise you. So I will bless you as long as I live; I will lift up my hands and call on your name.

My soul is satisfied as with a rich feast, and my mouth praises you with joyful lips when I think of you on my bed, and meditate on you in the watches of the night; for you have been my help, and in the shadow of your wings I sing for joy.

My soul clings to you; your right hand upholds me. But those who seek to destroy my life shall go down into the depths of the earth; they shall be given over to the power of the sword, they shall be prey for jackals. But the king shall rejoice in God; all who swear by him shall exult, for the mouths of liars will be stopped.

Background
The psalmist clearly has sought an experience of God’s presence. It may be like spending hours in the Temple praying. The psalmist claims that their life depends upon God. Thanks to God, the psalmist is at peace within. Psalm 63 is fundamentally about life and its true source. The key word in this psalm is ‘soul’ or ‘life’. When the psalmist says “my soul thirsts for you;” it is one of the most desperate needs of a human. It is the same when one thirsts for God. The psalmist recognizes that human life depends ultimately on God’s faithfulness. The appropriate response is praise. The needs are cared for and the psalmist’s whole being is satisfied. There is an immediacy and intimacy of he psalmist’s relatedness to God. There is a contrast between the destiny of the psalmist, who is satisfied, and their enemies who are taken “down into the depths.” (v 9)

Reflection
Notice the contrasting use of the image of ‘mouth.’ In v 5, the mouth praises God. It also thirsts for God, hungers for God, and prays to God. Meanwhile, the enemies mouth is closed. Spend a moment to thank God for your ability to speak, and be satisfied.

After a night of compete silence, the liturgy for morning prayer begins with this sung verse: “O God, open our lips, and we shall declare your praise.” Spend some time in silence, and then sing or say this phrase to express your gratitude to God. If you sing it, the tune will stick with you for a long time.

Meditation on the love of God and what God brings to satisfy our very needs. Spend a few moments to consider the blessings of God, and the satisfaction of your needs.

Psalm 65
Praise is due to you, O God, in Zion; and to you shall vows be performed, O you who answer prayer! To you all flesh shall come. When deeds of iniquity overwhelm us, you forgive our transgressions. Happy are those whom you choose and bring near to live in your courts. We shall be satisfied with the goodness of your house, your holy temple.

By awesome deeds you answer us with deliverance, O God of our salvation; you are the hope of all the ends of the earth and of the farthest seas. By your strength you established the mountains; you are girded with might. You silence the roaring of the seas, the roaring of their waves, the tumult of the peoples. Those who live at earth’s farthest bounds are awed by your signs; you make the gateways of the morning and the evening shout for joy.

You visit the earth and water it, you greatly enrich it; the river of God is full of water; you provide the people with grain, for so you have prepared it. You water its furrows abundantly, settling its ridges, softening it with showers, and blessing its growth. You crown the year with your bounty; your wagon tracks overflow with richness. The pastures of the wilderness overflow, the hills gird themselves with joy, the meadows clothe themselves with flocks, the valleys deck themselves with grain, they shout and sing together for joy.

Background
God is addressed directly throughout Psalm 65 and each section describes in a different way the reasons why God deserves to be praised. In spite of their ‘transgressions’ (v 3), God has heard their prayers and responded favorably. God’s influence and power extend to “the ends of the earth.” (v 5) And the ‘awesome deeds’ refer to the exodus. All creation joins in praising God (v 8). Psalm 65 is another affirmation of the theological heart of the psalter: God reigns! It is also a reminder to us that we praise God, as also we live, in partnership with heaven and earth and all creation.

Reflection
This psalm is a thanksgiving for God’s spiritual and physical blessings, possibly used during a fall festival. Sometimes we take for granted the bounty of our land. If you have been involved in agriculture you understand what a blessing it is. Think about what you have for food, clothing, etc. and spend a few moments giving thanks for this bounty.

“O you who answer prayer!” (v 2) displays a strong confidence in God by the psalmist. Do we display the same confidence, or just hope?

In a half serious vain it is said that a farmer is never satisfied. Too much rain. Not enough rain. In truth, it likely can be said about all of us. We are never satisfied. However, spend a few moment thinking about the absolute miracle of balance in nature, and all that God provides for our sustenance.

Psalm 125
Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion, which cannot be moved, but abides forever. As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the Lord surrounds his people, from this time on and forevermore. For the scepter of wickedness shall not rest on the land allotted to the righteous, so that the righteous might not stretch out their hands to do wrong. Do good, O Lord, to those who are good, and to those who are upright in their hearts. But those who turn aside to their own crooked ways the Lord will lead away with evildoers. Peace be upon Israel!

Background
Psalm 125 is the sixth of the Songs of Ascents. Psalm 125 focuses on Jerusalem and concludes with petition aimed at the establishment of peace. It is a communal lament or prayer for help. One can picture the pilgrims in Jerusalem looking out toward the surrounding mountains and interpreting this panoramic view as a metaphor for God’s eternal protection. Verse 3 implies that the wicked do wield authority in the land and that their persistent influence tempts the righteous to adopt their ways. The real issue is this: Who rules the world? While it appears that the wicked rule, the psalmist’s conviction is that God reigns.

Reflection
Faith is inseparable from hope. The people of God always live eschatologically, proclaiming God’s rule in the face of wickedness. Can you recall a time when you lost hope and thought the ‘reigning’ wickedness would win?

The dynamic of evil seems to have a subtle way of luring the righteous. The psalmist is battling against this, “for the scepter of wickedness shall not rest on the land allotted to the righteous.” (v 3) Have you witnessed, or maybe experienced personally, how evil can lure the righteous?

“Peace be upon Israel!” as the psalm concludes. Israel feels safe in the physical context of Jerusalem. Think about times you were simply in awe about the presence of God you felt inside a church, in nature, etc.
Friday

Psalm 67
May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face to shine upon us, Selah

that your way may be known upon earth, your saving power among all nations. Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you.

Let the nations be glad and sing for joy, for you judge the peoples with equity and guide the nations upon earth. Selah
Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you.

The earth has yielded its increase; God, our God, has blessed us. May God continue to bless us; let all the ends of the earth revere him.

Background
Note the repetition of ‘earth’ in vs 2 and 6 - 7. The structure has the effect of surrounding the assertion of God’s sovereignty (v 4) with the acclamation of “all the peoples (vs 3, 5). Verse 1 introduces the thematic concept of blessing. God’s blessing is inseparable from God’s presence. While Israel is the primary object of God’s blessing, it is clear that God intends the blessing somehow to be shared by “all” (vs 2, 3, 5, 7). This central profession of God’s sovereignty underlies the request for a blessing that will have worldwide effects.

Reflection
The theme of blessing and the universal perspective in this psalm recalls the covenant with Abraham in Genesis. Israel is to be blessed, so they may be a blessing. The Hebrew scriptures indicate it was difficult for Jews to follow through with the ‘blessing for others.” Examine your own understanding of blessing. Is it universal?

This psalm reminds us that God loves the whole world. But Abraham’s covenant begins with a blessing for him and his nation. How do you understand your responsibility of universal covenant in a world that has such extremes in poverty and wealth, justice and injustice?
For Christians, the message of Psalm 67 may be one of evangelism, how we share the love of God with others. Think about how we share God’s love with those who do not know it, or may be within other faith traditions. How difficult is that for you?

Psalm 126
When the Lord restored the fortunes of Zion, we were like those who dream. Then our mouth was filled with laughter, and our tongue with shouts of joy; then it was said among the nations, “The Lord has done great things for them.” The Lord has done great things for us, and we rejoiced.

Restore our fortunes, O Lord, like the watercourses in the Negeb. May those who sow in tears reap with shouts of joy. Those who go out weeping, bearing the seed for sowing, shall come home with shouts of joy, carrying their sheaves.

Background
Psalm 126 is the seventh of the Song of Ascents. The people have experienced God’s deliverance in the past, but now confronted with another crisis in the present, they petition God for help. The return to Jerusalem from Babylon was a source of great joy and joy becomes the dominant note of this psalm. The joyful tone is reinforced by the mention of “laughter” (v 2), and by “rejoice” (v 3). The image of the “watercourses in the Negeb” refer to the often dry beds of the river which during seasonal rains can create torrents. The image is of the people’s current dryness but also their expectation of the life-giving deliverance of God. When the imagery shifts to sowing and reaping it again is a similar belief in future deliverance. It is always an act of anticipation and hope. Just as the people’s need is real, so also is their hope real. The repetition of “songs of joy” in vs 5-6 is emphatic; there will be a joyful harvest.

Reflection
Do we relate to the message of Psalm 126 today? Of course, like the people of Israel, we remember God’s acts of deliverance in the past, and live with hope for the future. Our hope may rest in deliverance from sin, economic well being, justice, etc. What is your hope?

Psalm 126 rests strongly on our sense of joy in the Lord. Much of that comes from our remembrance of God’s past acts. In our current situation, how difficult is it for us to be as joyful at the psalmist as we ‘hope’ for the future?

The agricultural images are interesting. Many of us can likely relate. If you were to create a similar psalm using images of hope in God’s deliverance, what images would you use?
Saturday

Psalm 69
Save me, O God, for the waters have come up to my neck. I sink in deep mire, where there is no foothold; I have come into deep waters, and the flood sweeps over me. I am weary with my crying; my throat is parched. My eyes grow dim with waiting for my God.

More in number than the hairs of my head are those who hate me without cause; many are those who would destroy me, my enemies who accuse me falsely. What I did not steal must I now restore? O God, you know my folly; the wrongs I have done are not hidden from you.

Do not let those who hope in you be put to shame because of me, O Lord God of hosts; do not let those who seek you be dishonored because of me, O God of Israel. It is for your sake that I have borne reproach, that shame has covered my face. I have become a stranger to my kindred, an alien to my mother’s children.

It is zeal for your house that has consumed me; the insults of those who insult you have fallen on me. When I humbled my soul with fasting, they insulted me for doing so. When I made sackcloth my clothing, I became a byword to them. I am the subject of gossip for those who sit in the gate, and the drunkards make songs about me.

But as for me, my prayer is to you, O Lord. At an acceptable time, O God, in the abundance of your steadfast love, answer me. With your faithful help rescue me from sinking in the mire; let me be delivered from my enemies and from the deep waters. Do not let the flood sweep over me, or the deep swallow me up, or the Pit close its mouth over me.

Answer me, O Lord, for your steadfast love is good; according to your abundant mercy, turn to me. Do not hide your face from your servant, for I am in distress—make haste to answer me. Draw near to me, redeem me, set me free because of my enemies.

You know the insults I receive, and my shame and dishonor; my foes are all known to you. Insults have broken my heart, so that I am in despair. I looked for pity, but there was none; and for comforters, but I found none. They gave me poison for food, and for my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.

Let their table be a trap for them, a snare for their allies. Let their eyes be darkened so that they cannot see, and make their loins tremble continually. Pour out your indignation upon them, and let your burning anger overtake them. May their camp be a desolation; let no one live in their tents. For they persecute those whom you have struck down, and those whom you have wounded, they attack still more. Add guilt to their guilt; may they have no acquittal from you. Let them be blotted out of the book of the living; let them not be enrolled among the righteous. But I am lowly and in pain; let your salvation, O God, protect me.

I will praise the name of God with a song; I will magnify him with thanksgiving. This will please the Lord more than an ox or a bull with horns and hoofs. Let the oppressed see it and be glad; you who seek God, let your hearts revive. For the Lord hears the needy, and does not despise his own that are in bonds.

Let heaven and earth praise him, the seas and everything that moves in them. For God will save Zion and rebuild the cities of Judah; and his servants shall live there and possess it; the children of his servants shall inherit it, and those who love his name shall live in it.

Background
Psalm 69 is one of the longest of the prayers for help or individual laments. Suffering is intimately related to God, even caused by God so that the further suffering inflicted by others is for God’s sake. To be saved means to live, as the psalmist appears to be headed toward death. The psalmist is about to be swept away. All they can do is appeal to God and wait but time is rapidly running out. The point is that God knows the psalmist’s shortcomings, and the psalmist is willing to rest the case with a loving and merciful God. The problem is that other people condemn the psalmist. The psalmist suffers insults of others not because they are unfaithful but precisely because they are faithful. The psalmist stands firm, looking to God in prayer. Just as God knows the psalmist’s shortcomings, so also God knows all that the enemies have inflicted upon the psalmist. Insults have broken the psalmist’s heart and have led to despair. The psalmist simply asks for the opponents to experience what they have inflicted on others. The psalmist offers their life as a witness to God’s character, and God’s steadfast love. God’s grace is extended to others too.

Reflection
There is a direct foreshadowing of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection, as Jesus was persecuted not for being faithless but for being faithful. So, it’s a question for us as well. How do we handle being insulted and taunted for being faithful?

Suffering and glory, pain and joy, crucifixion and resurrection are ultimately inseparable realities for God’s people. God’s sovereignty is ultimately the power of love and compassion. Reflect upon a time of suffering for you and whether or not you experienced God’s compassion and love.

Has there been a time when you have received similar insults and humiliation from friends and family? How did you handle it?

Psalm 70
Be pleased, O God, to deliver me. O Lord, make haste to help me! Let those be put to shame and confusion who seek my life. Let those be turned back and brought to dishonor who desire to hurt me. Let those who say, “Aha, Aha!” turn back because of their shame.

Let all who seek you rejoice and be glad in you. Let those who love your salvation say evermore, “God is great!” But I am poor and needy; hasten to me, O God! You are my help and my deliverer; O Lord, do not delay!

Background
Psalm 70 is almost identical to Psalm 40: 13 - 17. (See June 23rd) Psalm 70 and Psalm 71 were likely originally one poem, or at least they were intended to be read as companions.

Psalm 71
In you, O Lord, I take refuge; let me never be put to shame. In your righteousness deliver me and rescue me; incline your ear to me and save me. Be to me a rock of refuge, a strong fortress, to save me, for you are my rock and my fortress.

Rescue me, O my God, from the hand of the wicked, from the grasp of the unjust and cruel. For you, O Lord, are my hope, my trust, O Lord, from my youth. Upon you I have leaned from my birth; it was you who took me from my mother’s womb. My praise is continually of you.

I have been like a portent to many, but you are my strong refuge. My mouth is filled with your praise, and with your glory all day long. Do not cast me off in the time of old age; do not forsake me when my strength is spent. For my enemies speak concerning me, and those who watch for my life consult together. They say, “Pursue and seize that person whom God has forsaken, for there is no one to deliver.”

O God, do not be far from me; O my God, make haste to help me! Let my accusers be put to shame and consumed; let those who seek to hurt me be covered with scorn and disgrace. But I will hope continually, and will praise you yet more and more. My mouth will tell of your righteous acts, of your deeds of salvation all day long, though their number is past my knowledge. I will come praising the mighty deeds of the Lord God, I will praise your righteousness, yours alone.

O God, from my youth you have taught me, and I still proclaim your wondrous deeds. So even to old age and gray hairs, O God, do not forsake me, until I proclaim your might to all the generations to come. Your power and your righteousness, O God, reach the high heavens.

You who have done great things, O God, who is like you? You who have made me see many troubles and calamities will revive me again; from the depths of the earth you will bring me up again. You will increase my honor, and comfort me once again.

I will also praise you with the harp for your faithfulness, O my God; I will sing praises to you with the lyre, O Holy One of Israel. My lips will shout for joy when I sing praises to you; my soul also, which you have rescued. All day long my tongue will talk of your righteous help, for those who tried to do me harm have been put to shame, and disgraced.

Background
Psalm 71 contains the typical elements of a prayer for help or an individual lament. There are several links to Psalm 70, and as mentioned for Psalm 70, these two psalms were likely a single psalm. The psalmist’s life depends on God, indicated by the use of “refuge.” The psalmist’s assurance and appeal rest on the foundation of God’s righteousness. The word “righteousness” designates what God wills and enacts as ruler of the world, and it involves justice and equitable treatment for the oppressed. As a victim of injustice and cruelty the psalmist trusts that God will set things right by shaming those who seek to shame the psalmist. In short, the psalmist trusts that God – not the wicked – rules the world. The psalmist intends to be a public witness to God’s reign by praising God and testifying to God’s “glory” (v 8). At the heart of the psalmist’s faith is the conviction that, despite appearances, God ultimately rules the world. God’s rule is so pervasive that the psalmist cannot help attributing his or her suffering to God, but does so in the confidence that God finally wills life and wholeness.

Reflection
Praise for this psalmist is not the celebration of the powerful and the prosperous, but the language and life-style of those who know at all times and in every circumstance that their lives belong to God and that their futures depend on God. Praise of God may be difficult at times. How do you respond to this perspective?

In our contemporary world, to remember our baptism (a liturgy we probably do during a celebration of the baptism of Jesus), we profess to the world that God claims us at birth and always. Isn’t this a remarkable statement in a world that seems so self-centered?

The psalmist is likely older. “So even to old age and gray hairs, O God, do not forsake me.” (v 18) As you grow older (and wiser) is it easier or harder to maintain faith and joy in the Lord?

Psalm 127
Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain. Unless the Lord guards the city, the guard keeps watch in vain. It is in vain that you rise up early and go late to rest, eating the bread of anxious toil; for he gives sleep to his beloved.

Sons are indeed a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the sons of one’s youth. Happy is the man who has his quiver full of them. He shall not be put to shame when he speaks with his enemies in the gate.

Background
Psalm 127 is the eighth of the Songs of Ascents. This psalm continues to articulate the importance of trusting God and living in dependence upon God, but it also introduces the possibility of happiness. Some commentaries see two independent wisdom sayings (vs 1 - 2; and vs 3 - 5). More recently scholarship has detected a unity between the two parts on a structural basis. For instance, the verb “build(s)” in verse 1 begins with the same two Hebrew letters that form the word “sons” in vs 3 - 4. Also, to build a house can refer to the physical construction of an edifice and also figuratively to the establishment of a family. When God builds a house, the reference is to the establishment of a priestly or royal dynasty. Even if building a house is not heard in the sense of establishing a family, there is connection between vs 1 -2 and vs 3 -5. All the activities cited are ordinary necessities of life, securing a home, establishing a safe neighborhood, and having children. Each activity can, of course, be approached simply in terms of human effort and accomplishment, but the psalmist insists that each be viewed in relation to God. In the case of children, they are God’s gift. Note that the promise to Abraham involved children.

Reflection
This psalm could be a reminder that God cares about the more routine matters of life. Pause for a moment and thank God for these things, especially the gift of children.

There is a possibility that these matters of life (such as a nice house) could be seen as self achievements. Think about what you have and have accomplished and again, consider these gifts in relationship to God. They can become idolatrous. “Unless the Lord builds the house (or church), those who build it labor in vain.” (v 1)

Work should be an endeavor of trust, not anxiety or arrogance. How often do you stop your ‘work’ and thank God for the opportunity?