“A Psalm of the sons of Korah. A Song.” Psalm 87 intro
“The sons of Korah” were a guild of Levite musicians who served and worshipped God. [1]
“His foundation is in the holy mountains.” Psalm 87:1
As the psalmists contemplated the glory of God’s house in Jerusalem, they were overwhelmed by its significance. [2] The house of the Lord is founded on holy mountains. Mountains set apart by God for meeting with Him and hearing from Him. God did not create the world and leave it behind as some have suggested. No, He is active and is calling out to people to meet with Him.
Likewise, the Church has a sure foundation with Christ as her Redeemer. The Son of God is her head and husband. His heavenly Jerusalem includes both Jewish and Gentile believers in Him. In Hebrews 11:10, the patriarch Abraham is described as looking forward to “the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God.” [3]
The foundation of God’s work is set upon the mountains. Mountains symbolize exaltation and stability. It is built high to be seen by many people. It is also built firmly, for mountains are rocky, and upon the Rock of Christ the Church stands. [4]
The world, by contrast, is founded upon the seas. In Psalm 24:1-2, we read, “The earth is the Lord’s, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein. For He has founded it upon the seas, and established it upon the floods.” The seas ebb and flow. They have weak and unstable foundations. The seas necessitate an embrace of the everlasting Rock, Christ. [5]
In Isaiah 54:10, we read, “For the mountains shall depart, and the hills be removed, but My kindness shall not depart from you, neither shall the covenant of My peace be removed, says the Lord that has mercy on you.”
“The Lord loves the gates of Zion more than all the dwellings of Jacob.” Psalm 87:2
The dwellings of Jacob speak of private worship. God delights in families who worship Him in their homes. Worship of God in our homes should never cease. [6]
The gates of Zion speak of congregational worship. God’s people congregate in a set location for worship and instruction. In Psalm 134:14, God had declared concerning Zion, “This is my rest forever. Here will I dwell. For I have desired it.” God met with His people, received their worship, and granted to them His grace at the gates of Zion. [7]
Zion also represents Christ. Christ gave His life for our salvation in Zion (Jerusalem). Jesus is the Way to the Father. He is the door to the sheepfold. In Him we are redeemed unto God.
“Glorious things are spoken of you, O city of God! Selah!” Psalms 87:3
We should judge persons and institutions not by the opinions of the world, but by the estimate placed upon them in Scripture. The enemies of God’s city spoke many contemptuous things against it in an effort to make it appear insignificant and despised. Yet God, whose judgment is always true, speaks glorious things concerning it. [8]
Of His house, God declared in 2 Chronicles 7:16, “My eyes and My heart shall be there perpetually” and “I have sanctified this house, that My Name may be there forever” [9]
In Psalm 48:2, Mount Zion is described as “beautiful for situation, the joy of the whole earth.”
Yet even greater things are spoken of the Gospel preaching Church. It is the bride of Christ, purchased by His blood. It is a chosen people, a holy nation, and a royal priesthood. Against it, the gates of hell shall never prevail. [10]
Let us never be ashamed of the Church of Christ even when it appears to be weak and despised. Let us not be ashamed of those who belong to it, nor deny our connection with it because of reproach or opposition. God has spoken such glorious things concerning His Church. [11]
“I will make mention of Rahab and Babylon to those who know Me. Behold, O Philistia and Tyre, with Ethiopia: ‘This one was born there.’” Psalm 87:4
Compared with other nations and places Zion is shown to be far superior. The Church of Christ possesses a glory and excellence that surpasses all the kingdoms of the earth. [12]
The psalmists acknowledge the greatness of other lands, saying, “I will make mention of Rahab” (that is, Egypt) “and Babylon to those who know Me. Behold Philistia, Tyre, and Ethiopia.” [13]
Among these nations one might find notable individuals—men distinguished by wisdom, virtue, or influence. Some might even have become worshipers of the true God. Every nation could point to a few remarkable people who brought honor to their homeland. [14]
Some understand this verse as a prophecy of the inclusion of Gentiles in the Church. In this view, God declares that Egypt, Babylon, Philistia, Tyre, and Ethiopia will be counted among those who know Him. Though once strangers to the covenant, they will be received as His people through faith in Christ. [15]
These Gentile believers will be regarded as having been born in Zion—born again by God’s grace and granted the privileges of God’s covenant people. As Paul wrote in Ephesians 2:19, those who were once strangers and foreigners became fellow citizens with the saints. A converted Gentile will stand on equal footing with a believing Jew. [16]
In Isaiah 19:23–25, God prophesied saying, "Blessed be Egypt My people, and Assyria the work of My hands, and Israel Mine inheritance."
“And of Zion it will be said, ‘This one and that one were born in her, and the Most High Himself shall establish her.’” Psalm 87:5
From Zion came prophets, kings, and faithful servants who enjoyed God’s special favor and became blessings to the world. The heroes of faith far surpass the celebrated figures of pagan nations, and their names endure in everlasting honor. [17]
Some understand the phrase, “one was born in her,” as a reference to Christ Himself—the Son of Man, who is fairer than the children of men. Though born in Bethlehem, near Zion, He became the supreme glory of Israel. According to Romans 9:5, the highest honor that was bestowed on the Jewish nation was that Christ came from them according to the flesh. [18]
This passage also points to the spread of the Gospel. The Word of the Lord went forth from Zion, and countless souls were born into God’s family. The Church is the birthplace of men and women distinguished not by worldly achievement, but by the gracious election of God. [19]
The strength and permanence of Zion do not depend upon human effort but upon God’s power. The converts from many nations will not weaken the Church, it will strengthen her. [20]
Since God Himself founded Zion upon an everlasting foundation, she will endure despite the upheavals of kingdoms and nations. Though heaven and earth may be shaken, God’s kingdom remains secure because it rests upon Him who cannot be moved. [21]
“The Lord will record when He registers the peoples: ‘This one was born there.’ Selah!” Psalm 87:6
God keeps a perfect record of His people. When He gathers His subjects and reviews His kingdom, He takes special notice of those who belong to Zion. All who have been born again by His Spirit are recorded in the Lamb’s Book of Life. [22]
“Both the singers and the players on instruments say, ‘All my springs are in You.’” Psalm 86:7
Zion is filled with joyful worship. Singers and players of instruments are there. One of Zion’s greatest honors is that God is worshiped there with gladness and praise. His service is not a burden but a delight. [23]
The psalm concludes with the declaration that “All my springs are in You [Lord].” From the Lord flow the streams that refresh and gladden the city of God. Believers find spiritual nourishment in God’s Word, prayer, worship, and in their love for one another. [24]
The springs of a worldly person’s joy are found in wealth, pleasure, and earthly success. The springs of a believer’s joy are found in God and in the means of grace He has provided. [25]
Christ is the source of every spiritual blessing. All our springs are in Him. From Him flow every stream of grace, comfort, strength, and joy. The Father has been pleased that all fullness should dwell in Christ, and all believers rejoice that it is so. [26]
[1] Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary, see also Numbers 16
[2-26] Some portions of these paragraphs are derived from Matthew Henry’s Commentary
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Wednesday, June 3, 2026
Tuesday, June 2, 2026
Resting In Hope – Psalm 86
“A Prayer of David.” Psalm 86 intro
While David did not sing all of his prayers, he often wove prayer into his songs.
The language of Psalm 86 is remarkably plain compared to some of David’s other writings. There are few poetic flourishes, reminding us that eloquence is not the chief ornament of prayer. [1]
“Bow down Your ear, O Lord, hear me, for I am poor and needy.” Psalm 86:1
The imagery of this passage is of David being small compared to God who is great. He needs God the Creator and Sustainer of the universe to come down to his level and listen to Him. This is how prophets see God. In Isaiah 42:5, Isaiah declared that God “created the heavens and stretched them out.” Similarly, in Jeremiah 32:17, Jeremiah acknowledged God’s greatness in his prayer, saying, “Ah Lord God! behold, You have made the heaven and the earth by Your great power and stretched out arm, and there is nothing too hard for You.”
God’s love for us is demonstrated in the fact that though He is the supreme and sovereign being over everything, He is still willing to listen to us when we call upon His Name.
David confessed his need of God, saying, “I am poor and needy.”
In the Gospels, we read of Jesus stopping by the waysides to help poor and needy people. For example, in Luke 7:11-17, seeing a grieving widow about to bury her only son, the heart of Jesus overflowed with compassion, and He brought the young man back to life. Which of us could do that for someone? Thus, we are poor and needy, but God is rich and powerful.
“Preserve my life, for I am holy. You are my God. Save Your servant who trusts in You!” Psalm 86:2
David wanted God to preserve his separated-life for God’s glory. A holy person is a witness for God in a world that needs to know Him. How many people have offered their lives to God to love and serve Him? The world needs more of such people not less.
“Be merciful to me, O Lord, for I cry to You all day long.” Psalm 86:3
In Mark 10:46-52, when Jesus came to Jericho, a blind beggar named Bartimaeus began to cry out, and say, “Jesus, son of David, have mercy on me.” Many told him to be quiet, but he kept on crying out, “Son of David, have mercy on me.” Jesus said to him, “Go your way. Your faith has made you whole.” “Immediately he received his sight, and followed Jesus in the way.”
Though David was a king, and lived in a palace, he too cried out persistently to God for mercy. He cried to the Lord all the day long. He did not wait until the Sabbath Day to pray. He prayed daily. In Psalm 55:17, David wrote, “Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud, and He [God] shall hear my voice.”
David set for us an example. We too can plead for God’s mercy at any time and at any place, and He will hear our voice.
“Rejoice the soul of Your servant, for to You, O Lord, I lift up my soul.” Psalm 86:4
When God fills our soul with His presence, we overflow with joy!
Prayer is one of the chief means by which God nourishes the joy of His people. [2]
David saw himself as God’s servant. He sang, “I am Your servant.” Paul introduced himself in his letters to people as God’s servant. For example, in Titus 1:1, he wrote, “Paul, a servant of God.”
“For You, Lord, are good, and ready to forgive, and abundant in mercy to all those who call upon You. Give ear, O Lord, to my prayer, and attend to the voice of my supplications.” Psalm 86:5-6
The Lord’s goodness includes a readiness to forgive sinners—more ready to forgive than we are to repent. [3] His enemies called Jesus a “friend of sinners.” What a friend we have in Jesus!
In Ephesians 2:4, Paul wrote that God is rich in mercy. In Acts 20:35, he remembered the words of the Lord Jesus, how Jesus said, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.”
“In the day of my trouble I will call upon You, for You will answer me.” Psalm 86:7
Unlike idols of stone and wood which cannot answer prayers, God answered David’s prayers. [4]
“Among the gods there is none like You, O Lord, nor are there any works like Your works.” Psalm 86:8
Among all the gods worshiped by the heathen, among angels, kings, and rulers, there is none like the Lord. No one can match His infinite wisdom. No one can fathom the depths of His love.
God works are works of love. He shares His power with us to heal our bodies. He shares His understanding with us to help us solve problems. He imparts wisdom to us to help us make wise decisions. He fills our hearts with love so we can love as He loves.
“All nations whom You have made shall come and worship before You, O Lord, and shall glorify Your Name. For You are great and do wondrous things. You alone are God.” Psalm 86:9-10
All nations derive their existence from God. Therefore, all peoples shall ultimately come and worship before Him and glorify His Name. This promise was partially fulfilled through those who embraced the worship of Israel’s God, but it finds its fullest accomplishment in the kingdom of Christ, when people from every nation are brought to worship the Lord (See Revelation 7:9). Since all things were created through Christ, it is Christ who gathers the nations to God. [5]
“Teach me Your way, O Lord. I will walk in Your truth. Unite my heart to fear Your Name.” Psalm 86:11
David’s life was well-founded on divine truth, yet he recognized his need for God’s continued guidance. [6] He wanted to walk in paths of righteousness for the Lord’s Name sake.
A hypocrite’s heart is divided. He acts as a servant of God but in his heart he is for himself. With our affections fixed on God, we bear fruit that brings glory to God and needed help to people.
“I will praise You, O Lord my God, with all my heart, and I will glorify Your Name forevermore. For great is Your mercy toward me, and You have delivered my soul from the depths of Sheol.” Psalm 86:12-13
David delighted in praising the Lord. He resolved to praise the Lord with all his heart and to glorify His Name forever. This determination sprang forth from his personal experience of God's mercy. He professed to God saying, “Great is Your mercy toward me.”
God's delivered David’s soul from “the lowest hell.” David understood that his sins deserved eternal condemnation, particularly after his grievous sin concerning Uriah. Yet God forgave him and spared him from destruction. [7]
Every believer owes his or her salvation not to personal merit but to God’s mercy. [8]
“O God, the proud have risen against me, and a mob of violent men have sought my life and have not set You before them.” Psalm 86:14
David lays before God the hostility of his enemies. They despise him. They seek to overpower him. His foes unite together to destroy him. They seek not only his downfall but his very life.
David’s enemies opposed those who served God. They lacked fear of God, and thus, did not restrain their evil intentions. However, in opposing God’s servant, they opposed God.
God’s sovereignty is absolute. His power is irresistible. His riches are inexhaustible. His dominion is unquestionable. His wondrous works demonstrate that He alone is God. All people should maintain lofty thoughts of God and a proper perspective of themselves before Him.
“But You, O Lord, are a God full of compassion, and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in mercy and truth.” Psalm 86:15
The words of Psalm 86:15 are similar to Exodus 34:6. As the Lord passed by Moses, He said to Moses, “The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth.” Those who know the Lord, know Him in this way.
“O, turn to me, and have mercy on me! Give Your strength to Your servant and save the son of Your maidservant.” Psalm 86:16
David asked for comforting mercy. When enemies attacked him and friends forsook him, David found comfort in knowing that God looked upon him with tender compassion. [9]
David asked God for His strength. Both he and his mother (God’s handmaid) served Him. [10]
“Show me a sign for good, that those who hate me may see it and be ashamed, because You, Lord, have helped me and comforted me.” Psalm 86:17
David desired some unmistakable evidence of God’s blessing, not merely for his own assurance but so that those who hated him would see it and be ashamed of themselves. [11]
When God openly helps and comforts His people, it becomes clear that opposing them is opposing God. The joy of God’s servants becomes the shame of those who persecute them.
Thus, Psalm 86 closes with David resting in hope with the God who helps, comforts, strengthens, and delivers Him. We too can rest in hope when we have a close relationship with the Lord.
[1] Edited material from Matthew Henry’s Commentary
[2] Ibid
[3] Ibid
[4] Ibid
[5] Ibid
[6] Ibid
[7] Ibid
[8] Ibid
[9] Ibid
[10] Ibid
[11] Ibid
While David did not sing all of his prayers, he often wove prayer into his songs.
The language of Psalm 86 is remarkably plain compared to some of David’s other writings. There are few poetic flourishes, reminding us that eloquence is not the chief ornament of prayer. [1]
“Bow down Your ear, O Lord, hear me, for I am poor and needy.” Psalm 86:1
The imagery of this passage is of David being small compared to God who is great. He needs God the Creator and Sustainer of the universe to come down to his level and listen to Him. This is how prophets see God. In Isaiah 42:5, Isaiah declared that God “created the heavens and stretched them out.” Similarly, in Jeremiah 32:17, Jeremiah acknowledged God’s greatness in his prayer, saying, “Ah Lord God! behold, You have made the heaven and the earth by Your great power and stretched out arm, and there is nothing too hard for You.”
God’s love for us is demonstrated in the fact that though He is the supreme and sovereign being over everything, He is still willing to listen to us when we call upon His Name.
David confessed his need of God, saying, “I am poor and needy.”
In the Gospels, we read of Jesus stopping by the waysides to help poor and needy people. For example, in Luke 7:11-17, seeing a grieving widow about to bury her only son, the heart of Jesus overflowed with compassion, and He brought the young man back to life. Which of us could do that for someone? Thus, we are poor and needy, but God is rich and powerful.
“Preserve my life, for I am holy. You are my God. Save Your servant who trusts in You!” Psalm 86:2
David wanted God to preserve his separated-life for God’s glory. A holy person is a witness for God in a world that needs to know Him. How many people have offered their lives to God to love and serve Him? The world needs more of such people not less.
“Be merciful to me, O Lord, for I cry to You all day long.” Psalm 86:3
In Mark 10:46-52, when Jesus came to Jericho, a blind beggar named Bartimaeus began to cry out, and say, “Jesus, son of David, have mercy on me.” Many told him to be quiet, but he kept on crying out, “Son of David, have mercy on me.” Jesus said to him, “Go your way. Your faith has made you whole.” “Immediately he received his sight, and followed Jesus in the way.”
Though David was a king, and lived in a palace, he too cried out persistently to God for mercy. He cried to the Lord all the day long. He did not wait until the Sabbath Day to pray. He prayed daily. In Psalm 55:17, David wrote, “Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud, and He [God] shall hear my voice.”
David set for us an example. We too can plead for God’s mercy at any time and at any place, and He will hear our voice.
“Rejoice the soul of Your servant, for to You, O Lord, I lift up my soul.” Psalm 86:4
When God fills our soul with His presence, we overflow with joy!
Prayer is one of the chief means by which God nourishes the joy of His people. [2]
David saw himself as God’s servant. He sang, “I am Your servant.” Paul introduced himself in his letters to people as God’s servant. For example, in Titus 1:1, he wrote, “Paul, a servant of God.”
“For You, Lord, are good, and ready to forgive, and abundant in mercy to all those who call upon You. Give ear, O Lord, to my prayer, and attend to the voice of my supplications.” Psalm 86:5-6
The Lord’s goodness includes a readiness to forgive sinners—more ready to forgive than we are to repent. [3] His enemies called Jesus a “friend of sinners.” What a friend we have in Jesus!
In Ephesians 2:4, Paul wrote that God is rich in mercy. In Acts 20:35, he remembered the words of the Lord Jesus, how Jesus said, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.”
“In the day of my trouble I will call upon You, for You will answer me.” Psalm 86:7
Unlike idols of stone and wood which cannot answer prayers, God answered David’s prayers. [4]
“Among the gods there is none like You, O Lord, nor are there any works like Your works.” Psalm 86:8
Among all the gods worshiped by the heathen, among angels, kings, and rulers, there is none like the Lord. No one can match His infinite wisdom. No one can fathom the depths of His love.
God works are works of love. He shares His power with us to heal our bodies. He shares His understanding with us to help us solve problems. He imparts wisdom to us to help us make wise decisions. He fills our hearts with love so we can love as He loves.
“All nations whom You have made shall come and worship before You, O Lord, and shall glorify Your Name. For You are great and do wondrous things. You alone are God.” Psalm 86:9-10
All nations derive their existence from God. Therefore, all peoples shall ultimately come and worship before Him and glorify His Name. This promise was partially fulfilled through those who embraced the worship of Israel’s God, but it finds its fullest accomplishment in the kingdom of Christ, when people from every nation are brought to worship the Lord (See Revelation 7:9). Since all things were created through Christ, it is Christ who gathers the nations to God. [5]
“Teach me Your way, O Lord. I will walk in Your truth. Unite my heart to fear Your Name.” Psalm 86:11
David’s life was well-founded on divine truth, yet he recognized his need for God’s continued guidance. [6] He wanted to walk in paths of righteousness for the Lord’s Name sake.
A hypocrite’s heart is divided. He acts as a servant of God but in his heart he is for himself. With our affections fixed on God, we bear fruit that brings glory to God and needed help to people.
“I will praise You, O Lord my God, with all my heart, and I will glorify Your Name forevermore. For great is Your mercy toward me, and You have delivered my soul from the depths of Sheol.” Psalm 86:12-13
David delighted in praising the Lord. He resolved to praise the Lord with all his heart and to glorify His Name forever. This determination sprang forth from his personal experience of God's mercy. He professed to God saying, “Great is Your mercy toward me.”
God's delivered David’s soul from “the lowest hell.” David understood that his sins deserved eternal condemnation, particularly after his grievous sin concerning Uriah. Yet God forgave him and spared him from destruction. [7]
Every believer owes his or her salvation not to personal merit but to God’s mercy. [8]
“O God, the proud have risen against me, and a mob of violent men have sought my life and have not set You before them.” Psalm 86:14
David lays before God the hostility of his enemies. They despise him. They seek to overpower him. His foes unite together to destroy him. They seek not only his downfall but his very life.
David’s enemies opposed those who served God. They lacked fear of God, and thus, did not restrain their evil intentions. However, in opposing God’s servant, they opposed God.
God’s sovereignty is absolute. His power is irresistible. His riches are inexhaustible. His dominion is unquestionable. His wondrous works demonstrate that He alone is God. All people should maintain lofty thoughts of God and a proper perspective of themselves before Him.
“But You, O Lord, are a God full of compassion, and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in mercy and truth.” Psalm 86:15
The words of Psalm 86:15 are similar to Exodus 34:6. As the Lord passed by Moses, He said to Moses, “The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth.” Those who know the Lord, know Him in this way.
“O, turn to me, and have mercy on me! Give Your strength to Your servant and save the son of Your maidservant.” Psalm 86:16
David asked for comforting mercy. When enemies attacked him and friends forsook him, David found comfort in knowing that God looked upon him with tender compassion. [9]
David asked God for His strength. Both he and his mother (God’s handmaid) served Him. [10]
“Show me a sign for good, that those who hate me may see it and be ashamed, because You, Lord, have helped me and comforted me.” Psalm 86:17
David desired some unmistakable evidence of God’s blessing, not merely for his own assurance but so that those who hated him would see it and be ashamed of themselves. [11]
When God openly helps and comforts His people, it becomes clear that opposing them is opposing God. The joy of God’s servants becomes the shame of those who persecute them.
Thus, Psalm 86 closes with David resting in hope with the God who helps, comforts, strengthens, and delivers Him. We too can rest in hope when we have a close relationship with the Lord.
[1] Edited material from Matthew Henry’s Commentary
[2] Ibid
[3] Ibid
[4] Ibid
[5] Ibid
[6] Ibid
[7] Ibid
[8] Ibid
[9] Ibid
[10] Ibid
[11] Ibid
Monday, June 1, 2026
Rejoicing in God Revived – Psalm 85
“To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of the sons of Korah.” Psalm 85 intro
“The sons of Korah” were a guild of Levite musicians who served and worshipped God. Psalm 85 was sent to the chief musician to be set to music. [1]
“Lord, You have been favorable to Your land. You have brought back the captivity of Jacob. You have forgiven the iniquity of Your people. You have covered all their sin. Selah! You have taken away all Your wrath. You have turned from the fierceness of Your anger.” Psalm 85:1-3
God’s favor is manifested to us as He sets us free from our various vices.
For example, in the past, being number one in whatever I did was a motivating factor for me. But the Lord was gracious to me and revealed to me what I could not see. I was foolish. I was sinful. My self-serving gains were actually losses, for by them, I was not like Christ to others.
In 2 Corinthians 8:9, we read, “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich.”
In Mark 9:35, Jesus sat down with His twelve disciples and said to them, “If anyone desires to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all.”
Sin distances us from God. The only back to Him is via repentance.
In Acts 3:19-20, Peter urged his listeners to repent and be converted, so that their sins would be blotted out, and that they would receive times of refreshing from the presence of the Lord. In Acts 3:26, he added, “God raised up His Servant Jesus to bless you by turning away every one of you from your iniquities.”
“Restore us, O God of our salvation, and cause Your anger toward us to cease. Will You be angry with us forever? Will You prolong Your anger to all generations? Will You not revive us again, that Your people may rejoice in You? Show us Your mercy, Lord, and grant us Your salvation.” Psalm 85:4-7
The singers of this song believed in God’s restorative grace.
In Matthew 13:12-14, Jesus asked His listeners, “What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them goes astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine and go to the mountains to seek the one that is straying? And if he should find it, assuredly, I say to you, he rejoices more over that sheep than over the ninety-nine that did not go astray. Even so it is not the will of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish.”
The one sheep that went astray put himself and ninety-nine others at risk. The Good Shepherd was compelled by mercy and love to rescue the straying sheep from harm. He brought the prodigal back into the sheep fold, and He rejoiced to have him back again among His flock.
The singers of Psalm 85 wanted God’s wrath against Israel to end, and His saving work to begin.
They looked to the Lord for salvation. They had tried to come to God by their own efforts and failed. Apart from God’s mercy, they had no hope that their appetite for sin would end and their appetite for God would begin and grow.
In Hebrews 7:25, we read, “He [Jesus Christ] is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.”
The singers of Psalm 85 wanted a revival of rejoicing in God.
“I will hear what God the Lord will speak, for He will speak peace to His people and to His saints, but let them not turn back to folly.” Psalm 85:8
Revival begins when people become desperate to hear and heed what God speaks.
God refers to people who seek and serve Him as being saints. They no longer seek to please the world. They seek to please God and bring Him glory.
In Romans 12:1-2, Paul wrote, “I beseech you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”
God’s peace comes to us as we are transformed and conformed to His image.
“Let them not turn again to folly.” All sin is folly. Sin is a departure from Him who loves us most.
“Surely His salvation is near to those who fear Him, that glory may dwell in our land.” Psalm 85:9
God demonstrates His respect for us who respect Him by saving us from all the works of the evil one. His deliverances yield from us praise, honor and glory to His Name.
In 2 Timothy 4:18, Paul wrote, “The Lord will deliver me from every evil work and preserve me for His heavenly kingdom. To Him be glory forever and ever. Amen!”
“Mercy and truth have met together. Righteousness and peace have kissed. Truth shall spring out of the earth, and righteousness shall look down from heaven. Yes, the Lord will give what is good, and our land will yield its increase. Righteousness will go before Him and shall make His footsteps our pathway.” Psalm 85:10-13
In James 3:18, we read, “The fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.”
In Hebrews 12:11, the Lord empathizes with us and encourages us by saying, “No chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.”
In Ephesians 5:9, Paul wrote, “The fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth.”
It is in Christ that mercy and truth come together. Righteousness and peace are from Him. In Christ, God shows mercy to sinners without compromising His holiness, truth, or justice. God remains righteous while justifying those who believe in Jesus.
“The Lord gives what is good.” In James 1:17, we read that “every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.”
In Matthew 6:33, Jesus said, “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things [daily provisions] shall be added to you.”
“Righteousness shall go before Him.” God’s faithful promises and His sanctifying work in His people prepare the way for His blessings. Righteousness both encourages our hope and guides our conduct. It goes before us as a guide, directing us into the path of God’s steps so that we may walk in fellowship with Him and meet Him gladly when He comes in mercy. [2]
Christ, the Son of Righteousness, leads us to God and places us in the path that leads to life.
Righteousness is a sure guide both in approaching God and in walking with Him.
In Psalm 85:6-7, the singers asked God, “Will You not revive us again, that Your people may rejoice in You? Show us Your mercy, Lord, and grant us Your salvation.” Rejoicing in God is a fruit of a revived soul. “Heavenly Father, please show us this mercy and grant us this salvation. For we desire this from You in the Name of Your Son Jesus Christ. Amen.”
[1] Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary, see also Numbers 16
[2] Edited material from Matthew Henry’s Commentary
“The sons of Korah” were a guild of Levite musicians who served and worshipped God. Psalm 85 was sent to the chief musician to be set to music. [1]
“Lord, You have been favorable to Your land. You have brought back the captivity of Jacob. You have forgiven the iniquity of Your people. You have covered all their sin. Selah! You have taken away all Your wrath. You have turned from the fierceness of Your anger.” Psalm 85:1-3
God’s favor is manifested to us as He sets us free from our various vices.
For example, in the past, being number one in whatever I did was a motivating factor for me. But the Lord was gracious to me and revealed to me what I could not see. I was foolish. I was sinful. My self-serving gains were actually losses, for by them, I was not like Christ to others.
In 2 Corinthians 8:9, we read, “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich.”
In Mark 9:35, Jesus sat down with His twelve disciples and said to them, “If anyone desires to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all.”
Sin distances us from God. The only back to Him is via repentance.
In Acts 3:19-20, Peter urged his listeners to repent and be converted, so that their sins would be blotted out, and that they would receive times of refreshing from the presence of the Lord. In Acts 3:26, he added, “God raised up His Servant Jesus to bless you by turning away every one of you from your iniquities.”
“Restore us, O God of our salvation, and cause Your anger toward us to cease. Will You be angry with us forever? Will You prolong Your anger to all generations? Will You not revive us again, that Your people may rejoice in You? Show us Your mercy, Lord, and grant us Your salvation.” Psalm 85:4-7
The singers of this song believed in God’s restorative grace.
In Matthew 13:12-14, Jesus asked His listeners, “What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them goes astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine and go to the mountains to seek the one that is straying? And if he should find it, assuredly, I say to you, he rejoices more over that sheep than over the ninety-nine that did not go astray. Even so it is not the will of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish.”
The one sheep that went astray put himself and ninety-nine others at risk. The Good Shepherd was compelled by mercy and love to rescue the straying sheep from harm. He brought the prodigal back into the sheep fold, and He rejoiced to have him back again among His flock.
The singers of Psalm 85 wanted God’s wrath against Israel to end, and His saving work to begin.
They looked to the Lord for salvation. They had tried to come to God by their own efforts and failed. Apart from God’s mercy, they had no hope that their appetite for sin would end and their appetite for God would begin and grow.
In Hebrews 7:25, we read, “He [Jesus Christ] is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.”
The singers of Psalm 85 wanted a revival of rejoicing in God.
“I will hear what God the Lord will speak, for He will speak peace to His people and to His saints, but let them not turn back to folly.” Psalm 85:8
Revival begins when people become desperate to hear and heed what God speaks.
God refers to people who seek and serve Him as being saints. They no longer seek to please the world. They seek to please God and bring Him glory.
In Romans 12:1-2, Paul wrote, “I beseech you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”
God’s peace comes to us as we are transformed and conformed to His image.
“Let them not turn again to folly.” All sin is folly. Sin is a departure from Him who loves us most.
“Surely His salvation is near to those who fear Him, that glory may dwell in our land.” Psalm 85:9
God demonstrates His respect for us who respect Him by saving us from all the works of the evil one. His deliverances yield from us praise, honor and glory to His Name.
In 2 Timothy 4:18, Paul wrote, “The Lord will deliver me from every evil work and preserve me for His heavenly kingdom. To Him be glory forever and ever. Amen!”
“Mercy and truth have met together. Righteousness and peace have kissed. Truth shall spring out of the earth, and righteousness shall look down from heaven. Yes, the Lord will give what is good, and our land will yield its increase. Righteousness will go before Him and shall make His footsteps our pathway.” Psalm 85:10-13
In James 3:18, we read, “The fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.”
In Hebrews 12:11, the Lord empathizes with us and encourages us by saying, “No chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.”
In Ephesians 5:9, Paul wrote, “The fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth.”
It is in Christ that mercy and truth come together. Righteousness and peace are from Him. In Christ, God shows mercy to sinners without compromising His holiness, truth, or justice. God remains righteous while justifying those who believe in Jesus.
“The Lord gives what is good.” In James 1:17, we read that “every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.”
In Matthew 6:33, Jesus said, “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things [daily provisions] shall be added to you.”
“Righteousness shall go before Him.” God’s faithful promises and His sanctifying work in His people prepare the way for His blessings. Righteousness both encourages our hope and guides our conduct. It goes before us as a guide, directing us into the path of God’s steps so that we may walk in fellowship with Him and meet Him gladly when He comes in mercy. [2]
Christ, the Son of Righteousness, leads us to God and places us in the path that leads to life.
Righteousness is a sure guide both in approaching God and in walking with Him.
In Psalm 85:6-7, the singers asked God, “Will You not revive us again, that Your people may rejoice in You? Show us Your mercy, Lord, and grant us Your salvation.” Rejoicing in God is a fruit of a revived soul. “Heavenly Father, please show us this mercy and grant us this salvation. For we desire this from You in the Name of Your Son Jesus Christ. Amen.”
[1] Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary, see also Numbers 16
[2] Edited material from Matthew Henry’s Commentary
Sunday, May 31, 2026
Blessed with Nearness to God – Psalm 84
“To the Chief Musician. On an instrument of Gath. A Psalm of the sons of Korah.” Psalm 84 intro
“The sons of Korah” were a guild of Levite musicians who served God as worshippers and doorkeepers rather than following their ancestor Korah’s fatal rebellion. Psalm 84 was sent to the chief musician to be set to music. [1]
“How lovely is Your tabernacle, O Lord of hosts! My soul longs, yes, even faints for the courts of the Lord. My heart and my flesh cry out for the living God.” Psalm 84:1-2
The “tabernacle” refers to the place of God’s presence, including the various courts and holy places associated with worship. Though outwardly simple, the sanctuary possessed spiritual beauty because God’s presence was there. To the faithful soul, holiness and communion with God are exceedingly precious. [2]
Praise be to God for placing within our souls an intense longing for Him.
While I was at Elitch Amusement Park this week with my grandchildren, the thought crossed my mind, “Is this a judgment against me and those in this park that we are here and not serving Christ on mission fields where lost souls need to hear the Gospel?” While I enjoyed the rides and seeing my grandchildren happy, I also thought of better times in my past, when God’s Spirit helped me to die to self and live for Christ as His ambassador to China. Possessions-wise my family was poor back then, but spiritually speaking, we were rich in Christ. Thankfully, the Lord also gave to me moments of spiritual blessings with my grandchildren this week,
I like what Paul said while being tried in a court of law for his faith. In Acts 26:28-29, King Agrippa said to Paul, “You almost persuade me to become a Christian.” Then, Paul replied, “I would to God that not only you, but also all who hear me today, might become both almost and altogether such as I am, except for these chains.”
Being a witness for Christ was a wonderful experience for Paul. He gladly wore chains to magnify his love for Jesus, but his greatest hope for his listeners was that they, too, would believe in Christ and receive His salvation.
“Even the sparrow has found a home, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young—even Your altars, O Lord of hosts, my King, and my God.” Psalm 84:3
The psalmist is happy for the small birds who dwell near God’s altars. Their nests beside the sanctuary symbolize nearness, rest, and belonging in God’s presence. He would rather dwell humbly near God than live comfortably far away from Him.
The birds didn’t pass by God’s altars. They nested there. O that all of us would so desire not to merely to visit with God occasionally, but to dwell in His presence continually. The mention of the birds raising their young near the altar also suggests the godly desire for one’s children to know and love the Lord. [3]
The two altars in the tabernacle—the altar of sacrifice and the altar of incense—point spiritually to both atonement and intercession, fulfilled ultimately in Christ. [4]
“Blessed are those who dwell in Your house, they will still be praising You. Selah!” Psalm 84:4
“Those continually engaged in God’s service are called blessed because their lives are filled with praise. The psalmist envies the priests and Levites who minister daily before God. Continual praise is portrayed as a foretaste of heaven itself, where redeemed saints and angels worship without ceasing.” [5]
“Blessed is the man whose strength is in You, whose heart is set on pilgrimage. As they pass through the Valley of Baca, they make it a spring. The rain also covers it with pools. They go from strength to strength. Each one appears before God in Zion.” Psalm 84:5-7
The truly blessed person finds strength in God and delights in the ways that lead to Him. The pilgrim journey to Zion represents the believer’s spiritual journey toward God. [6]
The “Valley of Baca” symbolizes hardship, dryness, and sorrow. Yet faithful pilgrims transform it into a place of springs because God refreshes those who seek Him. Difficulties do not stop them from worship. No, instead, trials deepen their dependence upon God’s grace. [7]
“They go from strength to strength” describes continual spiritual growth. Rather than becoming weary, believers are renewed as they draw nearer to God. [8]
In 2 Corinthians 4:16-17, Paul wrote, “Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.”
Worship of God was never meant to be a legal obligation or drain on us. No, true worship of God yields renewed joy, peace, and energy for our souls.
“O Lord God of hosts, hear my prayer! Give ear, O God of Jacob! Selah!” Psalm 84:8
The Lord God is over the hosts. The word for “hosts” in Hebrews is “צָבָא” which means a mass of people or things gathered for war. [9] The Psalmist wants the Lord God to employ His armies against that which would keep him from being close to God.
“The God of Jacob” is mindful of the covenant that He made with Jacob and by extension to his descendants. The singer of this psalm wants the Lord to be with him as He was with Jacob.
“O God, behold our shield, and look upon the face of Your anointed.” Psalm 84:9
In Genesis 15:1, God said to Abraham: “Fear not, Abraham, I am your shield.”
The names Christ and Messiah mean Anointed One. We ask God to look at us through face of Christ. It is in Messiah that we find mercy. It is in Christ that we have victory over all the works of darkness. In Luke 10:17, seventy disciples returned to the Lord, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your Name.”
Though the singer of this song was far from a place where people worshipped God, God still remained with him, and gave him messianic blessings, and protection.
The singer of this psalm sees a Mediator. The words, “Look upon the face of Your anointed,” ultimately point to the Messiah. It is in Messiah that we come boldly to the throne of God’s grace to receive help in time of need. By faith we look to the Anointed One, and through Him God graciously looks upon us.
“For a day in Your courts is better than a thousand elsewhere. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of wickedness.” Psalm 84:10
Compared to days, years, or even ages spent in worldly pleasure, a single day devoted to God surpasses them all. One day in God’s presence is sweeter than long years consumed by worldly business or entertainment. Even the tabernacle, though only curtains outwardly, became more glorious than a palace because God’s presence dwelt there. [10]
Unlike the Pharisees who sought the chief seats in the synagogue, the Psalmist cared nothing for prominence or recognition. He learned by experience that though the Lord is high and lofty, and though He inhabits eternity, He also dwells with him who has a contrite and humble spirit. [11] In Isaiah 66:2, the Lord says, “On this one will I look: On him who is poor and of a contrite spirit, and who trembles at My Word.”
Some associate the phrase “I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of wickedness” with Exodus 21:5-6. In Exodus 21:5-6, the Lord said to Moses, “If a servant plainly says, ‘I love my master, my wife, and my children. I will not go out free,’ then his master shall bring him to the judges. He shall also bring him to the door, or to the doorpost, and his master shall pierce his ear with an awl, and he shall serve him forever.” [12]
The singer of this psalm desires a life filled with devotion to God. He or she prefers permanent service unto God over the greatest freedom to sin. Such communion with God is a delight. [13]
“For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord will give grace and glory. No good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly. O Lord of hosts blessed is the man who trusts in You!” Psalm 84:11-12
What is God to His people? As a sun, God enlightens, guides, and gives life in a dark world. As a shield, He protects His people from danger and surrounds them with His favor. Those who walk in His light and remain under His protection will have His provisions. [14]
What does God give to His people? “The Lord will give grace and glory.” Grace includes both God’s favor toward us and His work within us. Glory includes both the honor He gives His children now and the eternal inheritance awaiting them. Grace prepares believers for glory, and glory perfects grace. Both are free gifts from God. Wherever He gives true grace, He will give glory. No one will receive glory who has rejected His grace. [15]
The Lord withholds no good thing from upright walkers. As we freely give to God offerings of upright living, He freely gives to us blessings that only He can bestow upon us.
Blessed are all who place their trust in God. Though access to public worship is a great privilege, even those deprived of it are not excluded from God’s blessings. If we cannot physically enter the house of the Lord, we may still go by faith to the Lord of the house. In Him we find true happiness, security, and peace. [16] Praise the Lord!
[1] Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary, see also Numbers 16
[2] Edited content from Matthew Henry’s Commentary
[3] Ibid
[4] Ibid
[5] Ibid
[6] Ibid
[7] Ibid
[8] Ibid
[9] Strong's (Hebrew & Chaldee Dictionary of the Old Testament)
[10] Edited content from Matthew Henry’s Commentary
[11] Isaiah 57:15
[12] Edited content from Matthew Henry’s Commentary
[13] Ibid
[14] Ibid
[15] Ibid
[16] Ibid
“The sons of Korah” were a guild of Levite musicians who served God as worshippers and doorkeepers rather than following their ancestor Korah’s fatal rebellion. Psalm 84 was sent to the chief musician to be set to music. [1]
“How lovely is Your tabernacle, O Lord of hosts! My soul longs, yes, even faints for the courts of the Lord. My heart and my flesh cry out for the living God.” Psalm 84:1-2
The “tabernacle” refers to the place of God’s presence, including the various courts and holy places associated with worship. Though outwardly simple, the sanctuary possessed spiritual beauty because God’s presence was there. To the faithful soul, holiness and communion with God are exceedingly precious. [2]
Praise be to God for placing within our souls an intense longing for Him.
While I was at Elitch Amusement Park this week with my grandchildren, the thought crossed my mind, “Is this a judgment against me and those in this park that we are here and not serving Christ on mission fields where lost souls need to hear the Gospel?” While I enjoyed the rides and seeing my grandchildren happy, I also thought of better times in my past, when God’s Spirit helped me to die to self and live for Christ as His ambassador to China. Possessions-wise my family was poor back then, but spiritually speaking, we were rich in Christ. Thankfully, the Lord also gave to me moments of spiritual blessings with my grandchildren this week,
I like what Paul said while being tried in a court of law for his faith. In Acts 26:28-29, King Agrippa said to Paul, “You almost persuade me to become a Christian.” Then, Paul replied, “I would to God that not only you, but also all who hear me today, might become both almost and altogether such as I am, except for these chains.”
Being a witness for Christ was a wonderful experience for Paul. He gladly wore chains to magnify his love for Jesus, but his greatest hope for his listeners was that they, too, would believe in Christ and receive His salvation.
“Even the sparrow has found a home, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young—even Your altars, O Lord of hosts, my King, and my God.” Psalm 84:3
The psalmist is happy for the small birds who dwell near God’s altars. Their nests beside the sanctuary symbolize nearness, rest, and belonging in God’s presence. He would rather dwell humbly near God than live comfortably far away from Him.
The birds didn’t pass by God’s altars. They nested there. O that all of us would so desire not to merely to visit with God occasionally, but to dwell in His presence continually. The mention of the birds raising their young near the altar also suggests the godly desire for one’s children to know and love the Lord. [3]
The two altars in the tabernacle—the altar of sacrifice and the altar of incense—point spiritually to both atonement and intercession, fulfilled ultimately in Christ. [4]
“Blessed are those who dwell in Your house, they will still be praising You. Selah!” Psalm 84:4
“Those continually engaged in God’s service are called blessed because their lives are filled with praise. The psalmist envies the priests and Levites who minister daily before God. Continual praise is portrayed as a foretaste of heaven itself, where redeemed saints and angels worship without ceasing.” [5]
“Blessed is the man whose strength is in You, whose heart is set on pilgrimage. As they pass through the Valley of Baca, they make it a spring. The rain also covers it with pools. They go from strength to strength. Each one appears before God in Zion.” Psalm 84:5-7
The truly blessed person finds strength in God and delights in the ways that lead to Him. The pilgrim journey to Zion represents the believer’s spiritual journey toward God. [6]
The “Valley of Baca” symbolizes hardship, dryness, and sorrow. Yet faithful pilgrims transform it into a place of springs because God refreshes those who seek Him. Difficulties do not stop them from worship. No, instead, trials deepen their dependence upon God’s grace. [7]
“They go from strength to strength” describes continual spiritual growth. Rather than becoming weary, believers are renewed as they draw nearer to God. [8]
In 2 Corinthians 4:16-17, Paul wrote, “Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.”
Worship of God was never meant to be a legal obligation or drain on us. No, true worship of God yields renewed joy, peace, and energy for our souls.
“O Lord God of hosts, hear my prayer! Give ear, O God of Jacob! Selah!” Psalm 84:8
The Lord God is over the hosts. The word for “hosts” in Hebrews is “צָבָא” which means a mass of people or things gathered for war. [9] The Psalmist wants the Lord God to employ His armies against that which would keep him from being close to God.
“The God of Jacob” is mindful of the covenant that He made with Jacob and by extension to his descendants. The singer of this psalm wants the Lord to be with him as He was with Jacob.
“O God, behold our shield, and look upon the face of Your anointed.” Psalm 84:9
In Genesis 15:1, God said to Abraham: “Fear not, Abraham, I am your shield.”
The names Christ and Messiah mean Anointed One. We ask God to look at us through face of Christ. It is in Messiah that we find mercy. It is in Christ that we have victory over all the works of darkness. In Luke 10:17, seventy disciples returned to the Lord, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your Name.”
Though the singer of this song was far from a place where people worshipped God, God still remained with him, and gave him messianic blessings, and protection.
The singer of this psalm sees a Mediator. The words, “Look upon the face of Your anointed,” ultimately point to the Messiah. It is in Messiah that we come boldly to the throne of God’s grace to receive help in time of need. By faith we look to the Anointed One, and through Him God graciously looks upon us.
“For a day in Your courts is better than a thousand elsewhere. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of wickedness.” Psalm 84:10
Compared to days, years, or even ages spent in worldly pleasure, a single day devoted to God surpasses them all. One day in God’s presence is sweeter than long years consumed by worldly business or entertainment. Even the tabernacle, though only curtains outwardly, became more glorious than a palace because God’s presence dwelt there. [10]
Unlike the Pharisees who sought the chief seats in the synagogue, the Psalmist cared nothing for prominence or recognition. He learned by experience that though the Lord is high and lofty, and though He inhabits eternity, He also dwells with him who has a contrite and humble spirit. [11] In Isaiah 66:2, the Lord says, “On this one will I look: On him who is poor and of a contrite spirit, and who trembles at My Word.”
Some associate the phrase “I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of wickedness” with Exodus 21:5-6. In Exodus 21:5-6, the Lord said to Moses, “If a servant plainly says, ‘I love my master, my wife, and my children. I will not go out free,’ then his master shall bring him to the judges. He shall also bring him to the door, or to the doorpost, and his master shall pierce his ear with an awl, and he shall serve him forever.” [12]
The singer of this psalm desires a life filled with devotion to God. He or she prefers permanent service unto God over the greatest freedom to sin. Such communion with God is a delight. [13]
“For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord will give grace and glory. No good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly. O Lord of hosts blessed is the man who trusts in You!” Psalm 84:11-12
What is God to His people? As a sun, God enlightens, guides, and gives life in a dark world. As a shield, He protects His people from danger and surrounds them with His favor. Those who walk in His light and remain under His protection will have His provisions. [14]
What does God give to His people? “The Lord will give grace and glory.” Grace includes both God’s favor toward us and His work within us. Glory includes both the honor He gives His children now and the eternal inheritance awaiting them. Grace prepares believers for glory, and glory perfects grace. Both are free gifts from God. Wherever He gives true grace, He will give glory. No one will receive glory who has rejected His grace. [15]
The Lord withholds no good thing from upright walkers. As we freely give to God offerings of upright living, He freely gives to us blessings that only He can bestow upon us.
Blessed are all who place their trust in God. Though access to public worship is a great privilege, even those deprived of it are not excluded from God’s blessings. If we cannot physically enter the house of the Lord, we may still go by faith to the Lord of the house. In Him we find true happiness, security, and peace. [16] Praise the Lord!
[1] Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary, see also Numbers 16
[2] Edited content from Matthew Henry’s Commentary
[3] Ibid
[4] Ibid
[5] Ibid
[6] Ibid
[7] Ibid
[8] Ibid
[9] Strong's (Hebrew & Chaldee Dictionary of the Old Testament)
[10] Edited content from Matthew Henry’s Commentary
[11] Isaiah 57:15
[12] Edited content from Matthew Henry’s Commentary
[13] Ibid
[14] Ibid
[15] Ibid
[16] Ibid
Saturday, May 30, 2026
Saved From Hell – Psalm 83
Have you ever been attacked physically and/or verbally due to your faith in God? In Psalm 83, Asaph asks God to preserve His witnesses from being destroyed by their enemies.
“A Song. A Psalm of Asaph. Do not keep silent, O God! Do not hold Your peace, and do not be still, O God! For behold, Your enemies make a tumult, and those who hate You have lifted up their head. They have taken crafty counsel against Your people and consulted together against Your sheltered one’s. They have said, ‘Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation, that the name of Israel may be remembered no more.’ For they have consulted together with one consent. They form a confederacy against You: the tents of Edom and the Ishmaelites; Moab and the Hagrites; Gebal, Ammon, and Amalek; Philistia with the inhabitants of Tyre; Assyria also has joined with them. They have helped the children of Lot. Selah!” Psalm 83:1-8
Psalm 83 of Asaph is a song in which he pleas for God to intervene on behalf of His glory. His people Israel are those who make His glory known. The challenge for Israel was that Satan, the hateful one, stirred up Israel’s neighbors to hate God, and to devise plans to completely destroy them from being God’s witnesses. And as if that were not enough, once Israel ceased to exist, they wanted to erase the memory of Israel from the minds of all people.
In his song to God, Asaph lists the names of those who are participants in the devil’s scheme.
The children of Lot spear-headed the attack while other nations happily helped them.
In Psalm 83:6-8, Lot was the patriarch of the Moabite and Ammonite nations. Their nations were located to the east of Israel.
In Psalm 83:6, Esau, the son of Isaac, was the patriarch of the Edomites. Ishmael, son of Abraham, was the patriarch of the Ishmaelites. The Edomites and Ishmaelites dwelt to the southeast of Israel. The Hagrites were likely descendants of Hagar (Ishmael’s mother). [1]
These nations were related to the nation of Israel by ancestry, but worshipped different gods.
Of the remaining people groups: Gebal, meaning “mountain” or “boundary,” is commonly equated with the Phoenician city of Byblos, modern Jubayl in Lebanon. [2] Philistia was to the south of Israel, Tyre to the north, and Assyria was to the far northeast. These regions are located in modern day Jordan, Lebanon, the Palestinian Territories, Syria, and parts of Iraq and Saudi Arabia. [3]
The failure of this evil coalition to destroy tiny Israel magnified God’s preserving power. God kept Israel’s lamp shining forth. He ensured that their witness for Him continued.
Asaph described to God the problem that Israel needed resolved, and trusted God to solve it.
“Deal with them as with Midian, as with Sisera, as with Jabin at the Brook Kishon, who perished at En Dor, who became as refuse on the earth. Make their nobles like Oreb and like Zeeb, yes, all their princes like Zebah and Zalmunna, who said, ‘Let us take for ourselves the pastures of God for a possession.’” Psalm 83:9-12
Jabin was the captain of King Sisera’s Midianite army. In Judges 4:15–5:21, God gave Israel the victory over the Midianites via the prophetess Deborah’s faith in God. She encouraged Israel’s general Barak to trust the Lord and after hearing God’s Word, he went forward into battle.
In Judges 7:25 and 8:12–21, God gave Gideon the victory over the nobles (Oreb and Zeeb) and over the princes (Zebah and Zalmunna) of Midian.
Asaph believes the testimonies recorded in God’s Word concerning Israel’s past victories over the Midianites. He believes God will continue to faithfully give Israel victory over their foes.
“O my God, make them like the whirling dust, like the chaff before the wind!” Psalm 83:13
Asaph asks God to make Israel’s enemies like restless and unstable dust and chaff. Some scholars interpret this imagery as a threshing wheel that crushes grain, symbolizing God’s judgment breaking the wicked apart. [4]
Proverbs 20:26 says, “A wise king sifts out the wicked, and brings the threshing wheel over them.”
“As the fire burns the woods, and as the flame sets the mountains on fire, so pursue them with Your tempest, and frighten them with Your storm.” Psalm 83:14-15
Asaph asked God to frighten Israel’s enemies with fiery storms.
I probably would not be here today if I had not been warned about a fiery eternal hell. I remember driving my car at its maximum speed as a teenager and suddenly, the Holy Spirit reminded me of hell, and I immediately slowed down. I remember telling a so-called “friend” who tempted me to do wrong, “I don’t want to go to hell.” These are just two of many incidents, where the fear of ending up in the lake of fire, frightened me from going against God.
In Luke 16:19-31, Mark 9:43-48, Matthew 13:42; 25:30, Jesus described hell as a place of eternal torment from which you cannot return to warn your loved ones, a place of unquenchable fire where the worm does not die, a place where people gnash their teeth in anguish and regret, and a place of outer darkness. In Matthew 10:28, Jesus compared hell to ‘Gehenna’ which was a place where rubbish was burned and maggots abounded.
Jesus talked about hell because He loves people deeply.
In Romans 6:23, God says that the wages of sin is death. What is sin? Sin is any activity that is not of Jesus because Jesus is the standard by which we are to live. He is the expressed image of God. Thus, every person needs the merits of Christ applied to their account with God or else they will come up short of His glory, and be eternally lost.
You and I, and everyone else needs the atoning blood of Christ applied to our sins to wash them away. We need God to forgive us our sins and give to us His Holy Spirit. Romans 8:9 says, “Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His.” God gives His Spirit to those who repent of sin and profess faith in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.
“Fill their faces with shame, that they may seek Your Name, O Lord.” Psalm 83:16
I am so glad that the Holy Spirit makes me ashamed of sinning. Before I came to know of God’s love for me, I used to think it was unfair that I felt so ashamed of myself when I sinned while others seemed to have no problem with it. The Holy Spirit used painful memories of past shame to restrain me from sinning.
“Let them be confounded and dismayed forever. Yes, let them be put to shame and perish, that they may know that You, whose Name alone is the Lord, are the Most High over all the earth.” Psalm 83:17-18
O that all people would fear the Lord and turn to Jesus Christ, and be saved.
Asaph prays that the enemies of God would perish “that they may know You.” How many enemies of God have been converted to Him on their death beds? Suddenly, they realize how wrong they have been about God, and they ask Him to forgive them.
According to Luke 23:33-39, during Jesus’ crucifixion, two thieves were crucified beside Him. Initially, both mocked and blasphemed Him, as did many spectators. However, one of the thieves was graciously granted the gift of repentance before he died.
In Luke 23:40-42, the repentant thief rebuked the other one, saying, “Do you not even fear God, seeing you are under the same condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward of our deeds, but this Man has done nothing wrong.” “Then he said to Jesus, ‘Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.’”
What did Jesus say to the repentant thief? In Luke 23:43, He said, “Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.”
“Yes, Lord, please grant to those who hate and oppose You, a heart of repentance as You did to this unnamed thief. I would rather see them believe in You than to perish forever in their sin.”
[1] www.genz.bible/Psalms/83
[2] Ibid
[3] www.ucg.org/good-news/good-news-magazine-march-april-2013/biblical-prophecy-arab-confederation
[4] Matthew Henry’s Commentary
“A Song. A Psalm of Asaph. Do not keep silent, O God! Do not hold Your peace, and do not be still, O God! For behold, Your enemies make a tumult, and those who hate You have lifted up their head. They have taken crafty counsel against Your people and consulted together against Your sheltered one’s. They have said, ‘Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation, that the name of Israel may be remembered no more.’ For they have consulted together with one consent. They form a confederacy against You: the tents of Edom and the Ishmaelites; Moab and the Hagrites; Gebal, Ammon, and Amalek; Philistia with the inhabitants of Tyre; Assyria also has joined with them. They have helped the children of Lot. Selah!” Psalm 83:1-8
Psalm 83 of Asaph is a song in which he pleas for God to intervene on behalf of His glory. His people Israel are those who make His glory known. The challenge for Israel was that Satan, the hateful one, stirred up Israel’s neighbors to hate God, and to devise plans to completely destroy them from being God’s witnesses. And as if that were not enough, once Israel ceased to exist, they wanted to erase the memory of Israel from the minds of all people.
In his song to God, Asaph lists the names of those who are participants in the devil’s scheme.
The children of Lot spear-headed the attack while other nations happily helped them.
In Psalm 83:6-8, Lot was the patriarch of the Moabite and Ammonite nations. Their nations were located to the east of Israel.
In Psalm 83:6, Esau, the son of Isaac, was the patriarch of the Edomites. Ishmael, son of Abraham, was the patriarch of the Ishmaelites. The Edomites and Ishmaelites dwelt to the southeast of Israel. The Hagrites were likely descendants of Hagar (Ishmael’s mother). [1]
These nations were related to the nation of Israel by ancestry, but worshipped different gods.
Of the remaining people groups: Gebal, meaning “mountain” or “boundary,” is commonly equated with the Phoenician city of Byblos, modern Jubayl in Lebanon. [2] Philistia was to the south of Israel, Tyre to the north, and Assyria was to the far northeast. These regions are located in modern day Jordan, Lebanon, the Palestinian Territories, Syria, and parts of Iraq and Saudi Arabia. [3]
The failure of this evil coalition to destroy tiny Israel magnified God’s preserving power. God kept Israel’s lamp shining forth. He ensured that their witness for Him continued.
Asaph described to God the problem that Israel needed resolved, and trusted God to solve it.
“Deal with them as with Midian, as with Sisera, as with Jabin at the Brook Kishon, who perished at En Dor, who became as refuse on the earth. Make their nobles like Oreb and like Zeeb, yes, all their princes like Zebah and Zalmunna, who said, ‘Let us take for ourselves the pastures of God for a possession.’” Psalm 83:9-12
Jabin was the captain of King Sisera’s Midianite army. In Judges 4:15–5:21, God gave Israel the victory over the Midianites via the prophetess Deborah’s faith in God. She encouraged Israel’s general Barak to trust the Lord and after hearing God’s Word, he went forward into battle.
In Judges 7:25 and 8:12–21, God gave Gideon the victory over the nobles (Oreb and Zeeb) and over the princes (Zebah and Zalmunna) of Midian.
Asaph believes the testimonies recorded in God’s Word concerning Israel’s past victories over the Midianites. He believes God will continue to faithfully give Israel victory over their foes.
“O my God, make them like the whirling dust, like the chaff before the wind!” Psalm 83:13
Asaph asks God to make Israel’s enemies like restless and unstable dust and chaff. Some scholars interpret this imagery as a threshing wheel that crushes grain, symbolizing God’s judgment breaking the wicked apart. [4]
Proverbs 20:26 says, “A wise king sifts out the wicked, and brings the threshing wheel over them.”
“As the fire burns the woods, and as the flame sets the mountains on fire, so pursue them with Your tempest, and frighten them with Your storm.” Psalm 83:14-15
Asaph asked God to frighten Israel’s enemies with fiery storms.
I probably would not be here today if I had not been warned about a fiery eternal hell. I remember driving my car at its maximum speed as a teenager and suddenly, the Holy Spirit reminded me of hell, and I immediately slowed down. I remember telling a so-called “friend” who tempted me to do wrong, “I don’t want to go to hell.” These are just two of many incidents, where the fear of ending up in the lake of fire, frightened me from going against God.
In Luke 16:19-31, Mark 9:43-48, Matthew 13:42; 25:30, Jesus described hell as a place of eternal torment from which you cannot return to warn your loved ones, a place of unquenchable fire where the worm does not die, a place where people gnash their teeth in anguish and regret, and a place of outer darkness. In Matthew 10:28, Jesus compared hell to ‘Gehenna’ which was a place where rubbish was burned and maggots abounded.
Jesus talked about hell because He loves people deeply.
In Romans 6:23, God says that the wages of sin is death. What is sin? Sin is any activity that is not of Jesus because Jesus is the standard by which we are to live. He is the expressed image of God. Thus, every person needs the merits of Christ applied to their account with God or else they will come up short of His glory, and be eternally lost.
You and I, and everyone else needs the atoning blood of Christ applied to our sins to wash them away. We need God to forgive us our sins and give to us His Holy Spirit. Romans 8:9 says, “Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His.” God gives His Spirit to those who repent of sin and profess faith in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.
“Fill their faces with shame, that they may seek Your Name, O Lord.” Psalm 83:16
I am so glad that the Holy Spirit makes me ashamed of sinning. Before I came to know of God’s love for me, I used to think it was unfair that I felt so ashamed of myself when I sinned while others seemed to have no problem with it. The Holy Spirit used painful memories of past shame to restrain me from sinning.
“Let them be confounded and dismayed forever. Yes, let them be put to shame and perish, that they may know that You, whose Name alone is the Lord, are the Most High over all the earth.” Psalm 83:17-18
O that all people would fear the Lord and turn to Jesus Christ, and be saved.
Asaph prays that the enemies of God would perish “that they may know You.” How many enemies of God have been converted to Him on their death beds? Suddenly, they realize how wrong they have been about God, and they ask Him to forgive them.
According to Luke 23:33-39, during Jesus’ crucifixion, two thieves were crucified beside Him. Initially, both mocked and blasphemed Him, as did many spectators. However, one of the thieves was graciously granted the gift of repentance before he died.
In Luke 23:40-42, the repentant thief rebuked the other one, saying, “Do you not even fear God, seeing you are under the same condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward of our deeds, but this Man has done nothing wrong.” “Then he said to Jesus, ‘Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.’”
What did Jesus say to the repentant thief? In Luke 23:43, He said, “Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.”
“Yes, Lord, please grant to those who hate and oppose You, a heart of repentance as You did to this unnamed thief. I would rather see them believe in You than to perish forever in their sin.”
[1] www.genz.bible/Psalms/83
[2] Ibid
[3] www.ucg.org/good-news/good-news-magazine-march-april-2013/biblical-prophecy-arab-confederation
[4] Matthew Henry’s Commentary
Friday, May 29, 2026
Hallelujah, the Lord God Almighty Reigns – Psalm 82
“A Psalm of Asaph. God stands in the congregation of the godly. He judges among the gods.” Psalm 82:1
The Lord refers to leaders as the “godly” (אֵל - ‘el) for that is how they thought of themselves. He is judging these “gods” (Elohim). They are coming up short.
“How long will you judge unjustly, and show partiality to the wicked? Selah! Defend the poor and fatherless. Do justice to the afflicted and needy. Deliver the poor and needy. Free them from the hand of the wicked. They do not know, nor do they understand. They walk about in darkness. All the foundations of the earth are unstable.” Psalm 82:1-5
The self-assumed “gods” of Psalm 82:1 judged unjustly. They took sides with those the Lord condemned. They were a criminal enterprise. The poor, afflicted, and needy were pawns for advancing their agendas. There was no light of God in them. Those who based their hopes on their promises were greatly disappointed.
“I said, ‘You are gods, and all of you are children of the Most High. But you shall die like men and fall like one of the princes.’” Psalm 82:6-7
In John 10:34-38, Jesus quoted Psalm 82:6 to the religious leaders who accused Him of blasphemy. He said to them, “Is it not written in your law, ‘I said, you are gods?’ If He called them gods, to whom the Word of God came (and the Scripture cannot be broken), do you say of Him whom the Father sanctified and sent into the world, ‘You are blaspheming,’ because I said, ‘I am the Son of God?’ If I do not do the works of My Father, do not believe Me, but if I do, though you do not believe Me, believe the works, that you may know and believe that the Father is in Me, and I in Him.”
The Pharisees thought of themselves as gods to the people. Jesus acknowledge their inflated opinions of themselves, but wondered why they were accusing Him of blasphemy when He actually was doing the works of the Messianic Son of God. Jesus freely healed the afflicted, fed the poor and provided edifying teaching for the needy.
God says to evil rulers, “You shall die like men.” Those who abuse their power will not escape God’s judgment. Though honored among men, they remain mortal before God. Their status will not shield them from divine justice. [1]
When rulers become proud and imagine themselves to be above accountability, as the kings of Babylon and Tyre did, God brings them down to everlasting shame. [2]
“Arise, O God, judge the earth, for You shall inherit all nations.” Psalm 82:8
God maintains His authority over nations and rulers. Though evil men may appear dominant, God still governs the world and overrules human wickedness according to His purposes. [3]
According to Psalm 2:8, the nations belong to God’s Son. He shall inherit them. He will rule them with perfect justice. Upon His return, Jesus will replace injustice with righteousness, and cruel abuse with tender loving care.
Soon, all who trust in Christ shall be with Him and sing hallelujah’s to Him. In Revelation 19:6, the victorious in Christ say, “Hallelujah, the Lord God Almighty reigns.”
[1] Matthew Henry’s Commentary
[2] Based on comments from Matthew Henry’s Commentary
[3] Ibid
The Lord refers to leaders as the “godly” (אֵל - ‘el) for that is how they thought of themselves. He is judging these “gods” (Elohim). They are coming up short.
“How long will you judge unjustly, and show partiality to the wicked? Selah! Defend the poor and fatherless. Do justice to the afflicted and needy. Deliver the poor and needy. Free them from the hand of the wicked. They do not know, nor do they understand. They walk about in darkness. All the foundations of the earth are unstable.” Psalm 82:1-5
The self-assumed “gods” of Psalm 82:1 judged unjustly. They took sides with those the Lord condemned. They were a criminal enterprise. The poor, afflicted, and needy were pawns for advancing their agendas. There was no light of God in them. Those who based their hopes on their promises were greatly disappointed.
“I said, ‘You are gods, and all of you are children of the Most High. But you shall die like men and fall like one of the princes.’” Psalm 82:6-7
In John 10:34-38, Jesus quoted Psalm 82:6 to the religious leaders who accused Him of blasphemy. He said to them, “Is it not written in your law, ‘I said, you are gods?’ If He called them gods, to whom the Word of God came (and the Scripture cannot be broken), do you say of Him whom the Father sanctified and sent into the world, ‘You are blaspheming,’ because I said, ‘I am the Son of God?’ If I do not do the works of My Father, do not believe Me, but if I do, though you do not believe Me, believe the works, that you may know and believe that the Father is in Me, and I in Him.”
The Pharisees thought of themselves as gods to the people. Jesus acknowledge their inflated opinions of themselves, but wondered why they were accusing Him of blasphemy when He actually was doing the works of the Messianic Son of God. Jesus freely healed the afflicted, fed the poor and provided edifying teaching for the needy.
God says to evil rulers, “You shall die like men.” Those who abuse their power will not escape God’s judgment. Though honored among men, they remain mortal before God. Their status will not shield them from divine justice. [1]
When rulers become proud and imagine themselves to be above accountability, as the kings of Babylon and Tyre did, God brings them down to everlasting shame. [2]
In Isaiah 14:14, the king of Babylon said, “I will ascend above the heights of the clouds. I will make myself like the Most High.” In Isaiah 14:15, God said to him, “You shall be brought down to Sheol, to the lowest depths of the pit.”
In Ezekiel 28:6-8, the Lord God said to the prince of Tyre, “Because you have set your heart as the heart of a god, behold, therefore, I will bring strangers against you, the most terrible of the nations, and they shall draw their swords against the beauty of your wisdom, and defile your splendor. They shall throw you down into the Pit, and you shall die the death of the slain in the midst of the seas.”
God maintains His authority over nations and rulers. Though evil men may appear dominant, God still governs the world and overrules human wickedness according to His purposes. [3]
According to Psalm 2:8, the nations belong to God’s Son. He shall inherit them. He will rule them with perfect justice. Upon His return, Jesus will replace injustice with righteousness, and cruel abuse with tender loving care.
Soon, all who trust in Christ shall be with Him and sing hallelujah’s to Him. In Revelation 19:6, the victorious in Christ say, “Hallelujah, the Lord God Almighty reigns.”
[1] Matthew Henry’s Commentary
[2] Based on comments from Matthew Henry’s Commentary
[3] Ibid
Thursday, May 28, 2026
Souls Satisfied in Christ – Psalm 81
“To the Chief Musician. On an instrument of Gath. A Psalm of Asaph. Sing aloud to God our strength. Make a joyful shout to the God of Jacob. Raise a song and strike the timbrel, the pleasant harp with the lute. Blow the trumpet at the time of the new moon, at the full moon, on our solemn feast day.” Psalm 81:1-3
In verse one, the congregation does the loud singing and joyful shouting. In verse two, Levite singers and musicians play the songs with tambourines, harps and lutes. In verse three, priests sound shofars (ram’s horns). [1] The purpose of the ram’s horns were to call God’s people to the solemn feast day during the New Moon. [2]
“On the September new moon, the first day of the seventh month, was kept a great festival, called the ‘feast of trumpets’ (See Leviticus 23:24 and Numbers 29:1). The tenth day of the seventh month was the great day of atonement. The fifteenth day of the seventh month was the feast of tabernacles.” [3]
In Numbers 10:10, we read, “Also in the day of your gladness, in your appointed feasts, and at the beginning of your months, you shall blow the trumpets over your burnt offerings and over the sacrifices of your peace offerings, and they shall be a memorial for you before your God: I am the Lord your God.”
During New Moon worship services, Israel burned meat and incense to God. They filled the air with fragrant smoke and with the sound of horns. They feasted and fellowshipped together.
New Moon worship services symbolized new beginnings. These gatherings offered worshippers an opportunity to rededicate themselves to God. During these services, they sought God’s guidance for the month ahead. The moon represented light overcoming darkness. [4]
During these feasts, Israel celebrated God by recounting His mighty acts on their behalf, and by playing music and singing to Him.
“For this is a statute for Israel, a Law of the God of Jacob. This He established in Joseph as a testimony, when He went throughout the land of Egypt, where I heard a language, I did not understand. I removed his shoulder from the burden. His hands were freed from the baskets. You called in trouble, and I delivered you. I answered you in the secret place of thunder. I tested you at the waters of Meribah. Selah!” Psalm 81:4-7
A key theme of the Old Testament is God’s deliverance of Israel from Egypt. Their deliverance from slavery foreshadowed a greater deliverance, namely, God delivering them from sin and its horrific consequences through faith in His Son Jesus Christ.
The old covenant was called the Law of Moses. The new covenant is about the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ.
In John 1:17, we read, “The Law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.”
In Hebrews 3:3, we read, “Jesus has been found worthy of greater honor than Moses, just as the builder of a house has greater honor than the house itself.” Jesus is greater than Moses as a son is greater than a servant.
In John 5:45-46, Jesus said to the religious leaders, “Do not think that I shall accuse you to the Father. There is one who accuses you—Moses, in whom you trust. For if you believed Moses, you would believe Me; for he wrote about Me.”
In Matthew 17:2-8, Jesus was transfigured before Peter, James and John. His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became white as light. Moses and Elijah appeared with Jesus. Then, they disappeared. A voice from a cloud, said, “This [Jesus] is My beloved Son with whom I am well pleased. Listen to Him.” Moses and Elijah appeared and disappeared, but Jesus remained. [5]
The Father told Peter, James and John that Jesus was the One that they should heed. Moses and Elijah were God’s faithful servants, but Jesus Messiah is God’s Son, and our Savior from sin.
“Hear, O My people, and I will admonish you! O, Israel if you will listen to Me! There shall be no foreign god among you; nor shall you worship any foreign god.” Psalm 81:8-9
Don’t make a person, organization, denomination or a thing your god! In Matthew 17:5, God spoke from heaven and told Peter, James and John to listen to His beloved Son.
In John 10:30 and 14:9, Jesus claimed to be God’s Son. His execution as a blasphemer by Jewish authorities made it appear that His claims were false, but His resurrection confirmed His claim.
In Romans 1:4, Paul wrote that Jesus was “declared to be the Son of God with power... by the resurrection from the dead.” His resurrection serves as proof that His death was the perfect sacrifice for sin. If Jesus had remained dead, His teachings would have been discredited. [6]
“I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt. Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it.” Psalm 81:10
Charles Spurgeon wrote, “When the mother-bird brings food she never has to ask the little ones to open their mouths wide. Her only difficulty is to fill the great width which they are quite sure to present to her. Appetite and eagerness are never lacking.”
“We open our mouths wide when we understand the greatness of the God we pray to. We open our mouths wide when we pray on Jesus’ merits, not our own.” [7]
“But My people would not heed My voice, and Israel would have none of Me. So I gave them over to their own stubborn heart, to walk in their own counsels. ‘O, that My people would listen to Me, that Israel would walk in My ways! I would soon subdue their enemies and turn My hand against their adversaries.” Psalm 81:11-14
God’s judgments included withdrawing His grace so Israel was left with sinful desires.
Asaph’s lament over Ephraim compares with Christ’s weeping over Jerusalem. In Matthew 23:37, Jesus lamented, “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing!”
“The haters of the Lord would pretend submission to Him, but their fate would endure forever.” Psalm 81:15
God’s enemies yield to Him because they fear His power, not because they desire a relationship with Him. The judgment of those who oppose or reject God is eternal. [8]
In Revelation 20:15, we read, “Anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire.”
“He would have fed them also with the finest of wheat, and with honey from the rock. I would have satisfied you.” Psalm 81:16
Jesus Christ is the Bread of Life. When we receive Him, He satisfies our souls.
Jesus Christ is the Rock of our Salvation. He is the surest foundation to build our lives upon.
The words of Jesus Christ are honey to our souls. In Psalm 19:10, we read that God’s laws and commands are “sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb.” In Psalm 119:103, we read, “How sweet are Your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!”
Asaph began Psalm 81 by remembering the days when Israel worshipped the Lord with loud singing and joyful shouts. He longed to see great crowds gather in worship to the Lord again.
In Matthew 13:2, we read that great crowds gathered to hear Jesus speak. Asaph’s longing was fulfilled in Christ.
In Revelation 7:9-11, John the Apostle saw “a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb.” “They cried out in a loud voice: ‘Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.’” Angels, elders and four living creatures worshiped God as well, saying, “Amen! Praise and glory and wisdom and thanks and honor and power and strength be to our God for ever and ever. Amen!” Asaph would have been in that crowd worshipping as well.
In Psalm 42:1-2, the Psalmist wrote, “As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, my God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God?”
Yes, the human soul pants and thirsts for God. It wants to be with Him.
The Holy Spirit of Christ satisfies our souls with His presence while we wait for our redemption.
The days and years, we served selfish ambitions, God can and will forgive when we seek His forgiveness. But what about today, tomorrow and the next day?
“Heavenly Father, please grant to us a hunger and thirst for You that will exceed other desires. Please satisfy our souls with Your presence. Please fill our souls with Your Holy Spirit until our souls overflow with professions of faith in Jesus Christ, and love for all people. In Jesus’ Name, I pray, amen.”
[1] Commentary on Psalms by C.F. Keil & Franz Delitzsch (Authors)
[2] Psalms 73-150 by Derek Kidner, Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries
[3] A Commentary on the Book of Psalms by George Horne
[4] Matthew Henry’s Commentary (edited)
[5] twojourneys.org/sermons/series/hebrews/jesus-is-greater-than-moses-hebrews-sermon
[6] billygraham.org/decision-magazine/articles/john-stott-the-cross-and-the-resurrection
[7] Enduring Word Commentary
[8] The Bible Hub
In verse one, the congregation does the loud singing and joyful shouting. In verse two, Levite singers and musicians play the songs with tambourines, harps and lutes. In verse three, priests sound shofars (ram’s horns). [1] The purpose of the ram’s horns were to call God’s people to the solemn feast day during the New Moon. [2]
“On the September new moon, the first day of the seventh month, was kept a great festival, called the ‘feast of trumpets’ (See Leviticus 23:24 and Numbers 29:1). The tenth day of the seventh month was the great day of atonement. The fifteenth day of the seventh month was the feast of tabernacles.” [3]
In Numbers 10:10, we read, “Also in the day of your gladness, in your appointed feasts, and at the beginning of your months, you shall blow the trumpets over your burnt offerings and over the sacrifices of your peace offerings, and they shall be a memorial for you before your God: I am the Lord your God.”
During New Moon worship services, Israel burned meat and incense to God. They filled the air with fragrant smoke and with the sound of horns. They feasted and fellowshipped together.
New Moon worship services symbolized new beginnings. These gatherings offered worshippers an opportunity to rededicate themselves to God. During these services, they sought God’s guidance for the month ahead. The moon represented light overcoming darkness. [4]
During these feasts, Israel celebrated God by recounting His mighty acts on their behalf, and by playing music and singing to Him.
“For this is a statute for Israel, a Law of the God of Jacob. This He established in Joseph as a testimony, when He went throughout the land of Egypt, where I heard a language, I did not understand. I removed his shoulder from the burden. His hands were freed from the baskets. You called in trouble, and I delivered you. I answered you in the secret place of thunder. I tested you at the waters of Meribah. Selah!” Psalm 81:4-7
A key theme of the Old Testament is God’s deliverance of Israel from Egypt. Their deliverance from slavery foreshadowed a greater deliverance, namely, God delivering them from sin and its horrific consequences through faith in His Son Jesus Christ.
The old covenant was called the Law of Moses. The new covenant is about the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ.
In John 1:17, we read, “The Law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.”
In Hebrews 3:3, we read, “Jesus has been found worthy of greater honor than Moses, just as the builder of a house has greater honor than the house itself.” Jesus is greater than Moses as a son is greater than a servant.
In John 5:45-46, Jesus said to the religious leaders, “Do not think that I shall accuse you to the Father. There is one who accuses you—Moses, in whom you trust. For if you believed Moses, you would believe Me; for he wrote about Me.”
In Matthew 17:2-8, Jesus was transfigured before Peter, James and John. His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became white as light. Moses and Elijah appeared with Jesus. Then, they disappeared. A voice from a cloud, said, “This [Jesus] is My beloved Son with whom I am well pleased. Listen to Him.” Moses and Elijah appeared and disappeared, but Jesus remained. [5]
The Father told Peter, James and John that Jesus was the One that they should heed. Moses and Elijah were God’s faithful servants, but Jesus Messiah is God’s Son, and our Savior from sin.
“Hear, O My people, and I will admonish you! O, Israel if you will listen to Me! There shall be no foreign god among you; nor shall you worship any foreign god.” Psalm 81:8-9
Don’t make a person, organization, denomination or a thing your god! In Matthew 17:5, God spoke from heaven and told Peter, James and John to listen to His beloved Son.
In John 10:30 and 14:9, Jesus claimed to be God’s Son. His execution as a blasphemer by Jewish authorities made it appear that His claims were false, but His resurrection confirmed His claim.
In Romans 1:4, Paul wrote that Jesus was “declared to be the Son of God with power... by the resurrection from the dead.” His resurrection serves as proof that His death was the perfect sacrifice for sin. If Jesus had remained dead, His teachings would have been discredited. [6]
“I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt. Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it.” Psalm 81:10
Charles Spurgeon wrote, “When the mother-bird brings food she never has to ask the little ones to open their mouths wide. Her only difficulty is to fill the great width which they are quite sure to present to her. Appetite and eagerness are never lacking.”
“We open our mouths wide when we understand the greatness of the God we pray to. We open our mouths wide when we pray on Jesus’ merits, not our own.” [7]
“But My people would not heed My voice, and Israel would have none of Me. So I gave them over to their own stubborn heart, to walk in their own counsels. ‘O, that My people would listen to Me, that Israel would walk in My ways! I would soon subdue their enemies and turn My hand against their adversaries.” Psalm 81:11-14
God’s judgments included withdrawing His grace so Israel was left with sinful desires.
Asaph’s lament over Ephraim compares with Christ’s weeping over Jerusalem. In Matthew 23:37, Jesus lamented, “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing!”
“The haters of the Lord would pretend submission to Him, but their fate would endure forever.” Psalm 81:15
God’s enemies yield to Him because they fear His power, not because they desire a relationship with Him. The judgment of those who oppose or reject God is eternal. [8]
In Revelation 20:15, we read, “Anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire.”
“He would have fed them also with the finest of wheat, and with honey from the rock. I would have satisfied you.” Psalm 81:16
Jesus Christ is the Bread of Life. When we receive Him, He satisfies our souls.
Jesus Christ is the Rock of our Salvation. He is the surest foundation to build our lives upon.
The words of Jesus Christ are honey to our souls. In Psalm 19:10, we read that God’s laws and commands are “sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb.” In Psalm 119:103, we read, “How sweet are Your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!”
Asaph began Psalm 81 by remembering the days when Israel worshipped the Lord with loud singing and joyful shouts. He longed to see great crowds gather in worship to the Lord again.
In Matthew 13:2, we read that great crowds gathered to hear Jesus speak. Asaph’s longing was fulfilled in Christ.
In Revelation 7:9-11, John the Apostle saw “a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb.” “They cried out in a loud voice: ‘Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.’” Angels, elders and four living creatures worshiped God as well, saying, “Amen! Praise and glory and wisdom and thanks and honor and power and strength be to our God for ever and ever. Amen!” Asaph would have been in that crowd worshipping as well.
In Psalm 42:1-2, the Psalmist wrote, “As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, my God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God?”
Yes, the human soul pants and thirsts for God. It wants to be with Him.
The Holy Spirit of Christ satisfies our souls with His presence while we wait for our redemption.
The days and years, we served selfish ambitions, God can and will forgive when we seek His forgiveness. But what about today, tomorrow and the next day?
“Heavenly Father, please grant to us a hunger and thirst for You that will exceed other desires. Please satisfy our souls with Your presence. Please fill our souls with Your Holy Spirit until our souls overflow with professions of faith in Jesus Christ, and love for all people. In Jesus’ Name, I pray, amen.”
[1] Commentary on Psalms by C.F. Keil & Franz Delitzsch (Authors)
[2] Psalms 73-150 by Derek Kidner, Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries
[3] A Commentary on the Book of Psalms by George Horne
[4] Matthew Henry’s Commentary (edited)
[5] twojourneys.org/sermons/series/hebrews/jesus-is-greater-than-moses-hebrews-sermon
[6] billygraham.org/decision-magazine/articles/john-stott-the-cross-and-the-resurrection
[7] Enduring Word Commentary
[8] The Bible Hub
Wednesday, May 27, 2026
The Man at God’s Right Hand – Psalm 80
“To the Chief Musician. Set to ‘The Lilies.’ A Testimony of Asaph. A Psalm.” Psalm 80:1
“The phrase, ‘set to The Lilies’ may refer to general beauty of the composition, to the tune, or even to a six-stringed instrument known as the Shoshannim (Hebrew).” [1]
“Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel. You who lead Joseph like a flock. You who dwell between the cherubim, shine forth! Before Ephraim, Benjamin, and Manasseh, stir up Your strength, and come and save us!” Psalm 80:1-2
Asaph calls on the God who dwells between the cherubim (angels) to listen and lead His sheep with strength and saving grace. He mentions the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh. These are the names of Joseph’s two sons. Ephraim and Manasseh came to be known as the two half tribes. He also mentions the tribe of Benjamin. Joseph and Benjamin were the two sons Jacob via his wife Rachel. In the allotment of the Promised Land, these tribes occupied adjacent territories in the central hill country. Ephraim was nestled directly between Manasseh (to the north) and Benjamin (to the south). In fact, the boundaries were so closely intertwined that they often contained shared enclaves of cities within one another’s territories. [2]
Christ is the great and good Shepherd. He leads His followers like a flock of sheep to the best pastures, and out of the way of danger. [3]
Jesus dwells between the cherubim, where He is ready to receive petitions and to give directions. The Mercy-Seat was between the cherubim atop of the Ark of Covenant.
The Old Testament Mercy-Seat is a type of Christ. [4] In1 John 2:2, we read, “He Himself is the Mercy-Seat for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world.”
Perhaps the tribes of Ephraim, Benjamin, and Manasseh are named because they were the tribes which formed that squadron of the camp of Israel that in their march through the wilderness followed next after the tabernacle; so that before them the Ark of God's strength rose to scatter their enemies. [5]
“Turn us, O God. Cause Your face to shine, and we shall be saved!” Psalm 80:3
The word for “Turn” in Hebrew (שׁוּב) means to turn from one thing to another. The implied meaning here is to turn from opposing to embracing God. The word for “shine” in Hebrew (אוֹר) means light. The word in Hebrew for “saved” (יָשַׁע) is the word from which Jesus’ Name is made.
The words of Psalm 80:3 are repeated word for word in verses 7 and 19 of Psalm 80.
In Acts 26:17-18, Jesus clarified the meaning of Psalm 80 when He called Paul to open the eyes of the Gentiles in order to TURN them FROM darkness TO light, and FROM the power of Satan TO God. When anyone turns from the darkness of Satan to the light of Jesus, God saves them.
In Mark 1:14-15, Jesus preached, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the Gospel.” The word for “repent” means to change one’s mind. The change that is needed is a TURN FROM sin TO Jesus Christ for salvation and sanctification.
In Proverbs 1:23, the Lord says, “Turn at My rebuke. Surely I will pour out My Spirit on you. I will make My words known to you.” The word for “rebuke” in Hebrew (תּוֹכֵחָה) implies a well-deserved conviction or correction. In Hebrews 4:7-8, we read, “As the Holy Spirit says: ‘Today, if you will hear His voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion.’”
In Psalm 80, Asaph prays for divine conversions. We too should pray for souls to be converted.
“O Lord God of hosts, how long will You be angry against the prayer of Your people?” Psalm 80:4
Was God angry against their prayers because of their sins? In Psalm 66:18, David wrote, “If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear.”
Was God angry against their prayers because husbands were mistreating their wives? 1 Peter 1:7 says, “Husbands, likewise, dwell with them [your wives] with understanding, giving honor to the wife, as to the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life, that your prayers may not be hindered.”
Was God angry against their prayers because they asked amiss? James 4:3 says, “You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures.”
Was God angry against their prayers because of their lack of faith? Hebrews 11:6 says, “Without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.”
Was God angry against their prayers because they lacked persistence? In Matthew 15:22-28, a woman of Canaan pleaded with Jesus to set her daughter free from a demon. He did not answer her a word. His disciples urged Jesus to send her away. Jesus told her, “I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” She worshiped Jesus. She pleaded, “Lord, help me!” She was persistent in prayer. Jesus told her, “It is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the little dogs.” She replied, “Yes, Lord, yet even the little dogs eat the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table.” Finally, Jesus answered her prayer and said to her, “O woman, great is your faith! Let it be to you as you desire.” Her daughter was healed from that very hour.
Could it be that revival tarries due to one or all of the above reasons?
“You have fed them with the bread of tears and given them tears to drink in great measure. You have made us a strife to our neighbors, and our enemies laugh among themselves.” Psalm 80:5-6
Israel’s sorrow was not occasional or light. While Israel’s daily menu consisted of tears for food and drink, their enemies were laughing with delight.
“Turn us, O God of hosts. Cause Your face to shine, and we shall be saved!” Psalm 80:7
Asaph looked to the Lord for salvation.
“You have brought a vine out of Egypt. You have cast out the nations and planted it. You prepared room for it, and caused it to take deep root, and it filled the land. The hills were covered with its shadow, and the mighty cedars with its boughs. She sent out her boughs to the Sea, and her branches to the River.” Psalm 80:8-11
A vine appears weak and dependent compared to mighty trees. Yet it spreads widely and bears valuable fruit. It’s worth is not in outward strength, but in the fruit it produces. [6]
Christ is the Vine from which Israel’s branches drew life. The “Vine” was planted in the Promised Land after God cleared the Canaanites out. The Vine spread as the land became full of people. Israel’s influence reached “to the Sea” and “to the River” symbolizing growth and dominion.
“Why have You broken down her hedges, so that all who pass by the way pluck her fruit? The boar out of the woods uproots it, and the wild beast of the field devours it. Return, we beseech You, O God of hosts look down from heaven and see and visit this vine and the vineyard which Your right hand has planted, and the branch that You made strong for Yourself. It is burned with fire. It is cut down. They perish at the rebuke of Your countenance.” Psalm 80:12-16
Why did God allow His Vineyard to be ravaged, uprooted and devoured?
In Hosea 10:1, God described Israel as “an empty vine” due to her worship of other images. In Isaiah 5:4, God described Israel as producing “wild grapes” due to her perverse ways. In Ezekiel 15:5-8, God described Israel as a useless vine due to their unfaithfulness.
In John 15:4, Jesus taught us that we must abide in Him to bear good fruit.
God removed His divine protection from Israel due to their sin. Once He withdrew it, enemies invaded, plundered and destroyed them. The wild boars, beasts, and passersby stripping the vine, represent hostile nations attacking God’s people. [7]
Israel’s enemies could do nothing to them until God allowed them, just as Satan could not touch Job until God permitted it.
In Romans 8:28, we read, “We know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” In the case of Job, his faith in God has inspired people for many generations. In James 5:11, we read, “Indeed we count them blessed who endure. You have heard of the perseverance of Job and seen the end intended by the Lord—that the Lord is very compassionate and merciful.”
In the case of Israel, they suffered losses due to their idolatry and perverse lifestyles. However, after their captivity in Babylon, Israel did not set up temples to idols again.
Israel’s deepest tragedy was not military defeat. It was God’s displeasure. His frown, His rebuke, and the withdraw of His presence from them.
During Israel’s setbacks, Asaph turned to the Lord and prayed...
“Let Your hand be upon the Man of Your right hand, upon the Son of Man whom You made strong for Yourself. Then we will not turn back from You. Revive us, and we will call upon Your Name. Restore us, O Lord God of hosts. Cause Your face to shine, and we shall be saved!” Psalm 80:17-19
Asaph’s appeal for salvation is based on the Man at God’s right hand, that is, the Son of Man whom He made strong for Himself... a clear reference to Jesus Christ. The “branch” or “son” is linked to the coming Messiah in the Books of Zechariah, Isaiah and the Gospel of John.
The message of Psalm 80 agrees with the words of the prophets, apostles and Jesus in other books of the Bible. They all warn us about tribulation due to Satan and sin in the world, but also encourage us with promises of future blessings from God. In Revelation, the great tribulation is followed by Christ’s return, and the reveal of a new heaven and new earth wherein dwells righteousness, peace, joy and love. At that point, there will never again be a falling away. We will be with God forever and ever world without end.
[1] Enduringword.com/bible-commentary
[2] Matthew Henry’s Commentary and Googles sources
[3] Matthew Henry’s Commentary
[4] Ibid
[5] Ibid
[6] Ibid
[7] Ibid
“The phrase, ‘set to The Lilies’ may refer to general beauty of the composition, to the tune, or even to a six-stringed instrument known as the Shoshannim (Hebrew).” [1]
“Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel. You who lead Joseph like a flock. You who dwell between the cherubim, shine forth! Before Ephraim, Benjamin, and Manasseh, stir up Your strength, and come and save us!” Psalm 80:1-2
Asaph calls on the God who dwells between the cherubim (angels) to listen and lead His sheep with strength and saving grace. He mentions the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh. These are the names of Joseph’s two sons. Ephraim and Manasseh came to be known as the two half tribes. He also mentions the tribe of Benjamin. Joseph and Benjamin were the two sons Jacob via his wife Rachel. In the allotment of the Promised Land, these tribes occupied adjacent territories in the central hill country. Ephraim was nestled directly between Manasseh (to the north) and Benjamin (to the south). In fact, the boundaries were so closely intertwined that they often contained shared enclaves of cities within one another’s territories. [2]
Christ is the great and good Shepherd. He leads His followers like a flock of sheep to the best pastures, and out of the way of danger. [3]
Jesus dwells between the cherubim, where He is ready to receive petitions and to give directions. The Mercy-Seat was between the cherubim atop of the Ark of Covenant.
The Old Testament Mercy-Seat is a type of Christ. [4] In1 John 2:2, we read, “He Himself is the Mercy-Seat for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world.”
Perhaps the tribes of Ephraim, Benjamin, and Manasseh are named because they were the tribes which formed that squadron of the camp of Israel that in their march through the wilderness followed next after the tabernacle; so that before them the Ark of God's strength rose to scatter their enemies. [5]
“Turn us, O God. Cause Your face to shine, and we shall be saved!” Psalm 80:3
The word for “Turn” in Hebrew (שׁוּב) means to turn from one thing to another. The implied meaning here is to turn from opposing to embracing God. The word for “shine” in Hebrew (אוֹר) means light. The word in Hebrew for “saved” (יָשַׁע) is the word from which Jesus’ Name is made.
The words of Psalm 80:3 are repeated word for word in verses 7 and 19 of Psalm 80.
In Acts 26:17-18, Jesus clarified the meaning of Psalm 80 when He called Paul to open the eyes of the Gentiles in order to TURN them FROM darkness TO light, and FROM the power of Satan TO God. When anyone turns from the darkness of Satan to the light of Jesus, God saves them.
In Mark 1:14-15, Jesus preached, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the Gospel.” The word for “repent” means to change one’s mind. The change that is needed is a TURN FROM sin TO Jesus Christ for salvation and sanctification.
In Proverbs 1:23, the Lord says, “Turn at My rebuke. Surely I will pour out My Spirit on you. I will make My words known to you.” The word for “rebuke” in Hebrew (תּוֹכֵחָה) implies a well-deserved conviction or correction. In Hebrews 4:7-8, we read, “As the Holy Spirit says: ‘Today, if you will hear His voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion.’”
In Psalm 80, Asaph prays for divine conversions. We too should pray for souls to be converted.
“O Lord God of hosts, how long will You be angry against the prayer of Your people?” Psalm 80:4
Was God angry against their prayers because of their sins? In Psalm 66:18, David wrote, “If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear.”
Was God angry against their prayers because husbands were mistreating their wives? 1 Peter 1:7 says, “Husbands, likewise, dwell with them [your wives] with understanding, giving honor to the wife, as to the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life, that your prayers may not be hindered.”
Was God angry against their prayers because they asked amiss? James 4:3 says, “You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures.”
Was God angry against their prayers because of their lack of faith? Hebrews 11:6 says, “Without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.”
Was God angry against their prayers because they lacked persistence? In Matthew 15:22-28, a woman of Canaan pleaded with Jesus to set her daughter free from a demon. He did not answer her a word. His disciples urged Jesus to send her away. Jesus told her, “I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” She worshiped Jesus. She pleaded, “Lord, help me!” She was persistent in prayer. Jesus told her, “It is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the little dogs.” She replied, “Yes, Lord, yet even the little dogs eat the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table.” Finally, Jesus answered her prayer and said to her, “O woman, great is your faith! Let it be to you as you desire.” Her daughter was healed from that very hour.
Could it be that revival tarries due to one or all of the above reasons?
“You have fed them with the bread of tears and given them tears to drink in great measure. You have made us a strife to our neighbors, and our enemies laugh among themselves.” Psalm 80:5-6
Israel’s sorrow was not occasional or light. While Israel’s daily menu consisted of tears for food and drink, their enemies were laughing with delight.
“Turn us, O God of hosts. Cause Your face to shine, and we shall be saved!” Psalm 80:7
Asaph looked to the Lord for salvation.
“You have brought a vine out of Egypt. You have cast out the nations and planted it. You prepared room for it, and caused it to take deep root, and it filled the land. The hills were covered with its shadow, and the mighty cedars with its boughs. She sent out her boughs to the Sea, and her branches to the River.” Psalm 80:8-11
A vine appears weak and dependent compared to mighty trees. Yet it spreads widely and bears valuable fruit. It’s worth is not in outward strength, but in the fruit it produces. [6]
Christ is the Vine from which Israel’s branches drew life. The “Vine” was planted in the Promised Land after God cleared the Canaanites out. The Vine spread as the land became full of people. Israel’s influence reached “to the Sea” and “to the River” symbolizing growth and dominion.
“Why have You broken down her hedges, so that all who pass by the way pluck her fruit? The boar out of the woods uproots it, and the wild beast of the field devours it. Return, we beseech You, O God of hosts look down from heaven and see and visit this vine and the vineyard which Your right hand has planted, and the branch that You made strong for Yourself. It is burned with fire. It is cut down. They perish at the rebuke of Your countenance.” Psalm 80:12-16
Why did God allow His Vineyard to be ravaged, uprooted and devoured?
In Hosea 10:1, God described Israel as “an empty vine” due to her worship of other images. In Isaiah 5:4, God described Israel as producing “wild grapes” due to her perverse ways. In Ezekiel 15:5-8, God described Israel as a useless vine due to their unfaithfulness.
In John 15:4, Jesus taught us that we must abide in Him to bear good fruit.
God removed His divine protection from Israel due to their sin. Once He withdrew it, enemies invaded, plundered and destroyed them. The wild boars, beasts, and passersby stripping the vine, represent hostile nations attacking God’s people. [7]
Israel’s enemies could do nothing to them until God allowed them, just as Satan could not touch Job until God permitted it.
In Romans 8:28, we read, “We know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” In the case of Job, his faith in God has inspired people for many generations. In James 5:11, we read, “Indeed we count them blessed who endure. You have heard of the perseverance of Job and seen the end intended by the Lord—that the Lord is very compassionate and merciful.”
In the case of Israel, they suffered losses due to their idolatry and perverse lifestyles. However, after their captivity in Babylon, Israel did not set up temples to idols again.
Israel’s deepest tragedy was not military defeat. It was God’s displeasure. His frown, His rebuke, and the withdraw of His presence from them.
During Israel’s setbacks, Asaph turned to the Lord and prayed...
“Let Your hand be upon the Man of Your right hand, upon the Son of Man whom You made strong for Yourself. Then we will not turn back from You. Revive us, and we will call upon Your Name. Restore us, O Lord God of hosts. Cause Your face to shine, and we shall be saved!” Psalm 80:17-19
Asaph’s appeal for salvation is based on the Man at God’s right hand, that is, the Son of Man whom He made strong for Himself... a clear reference to Jesus Christ. The “branch” or “son” is linked to the coming Messiah in the Books of Zechariah, Isaiah and the Gospel of John.
The message of Psalm 80 agrees with the words of the prophets, apostles and Jesus in other books of the Bible. They all warn us about tribulation due to Satan and sin in the world, but also encourage us with promises of future blessings from God. In Revelation, the great tribulation is followed by Christ’s return, and the reveal of a new heaven and new earth wherein dwells righteousness, peace, joy and love. At that point, there will never again be a falling away. We will be with God forever and ever world without end.
[1] Enduringword.com/bible-commentary
[2] Matthew Henry’s Commentary and Googles sources
[3] Matthew Henry’s Commentary
[4] Ibid
[5] Ibid
[6] Ibid
[7] Ibid
Tuesday, May 26, 2026
Prayers For Enemies – Psalm 79
“A Psalm of Asaph.” Psalm 79:1
Asaph was a sweet singer of Israel. In 2 Chronicles 29:30, he is referred to as “Asaph the seer,” indicating his role in receiving and conveying divine messages. He is credited with writing Psalms 12, 50, 73-83. He calls people to give ear to God’s Law.
In Revelation 2-3, Jesus said, “Let him that has an ear thus hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”
“O God, the nations have come into Your inheritance. Your holy temple they have defiled. They have laid Jerusalem in heaps.” Psalm 79:1
The enemy led his captives to defile God’s temple. Have you noticed that? Those who are into Satanic stuff like witchcraft, mind-altering drugs, and godless visions from movie studios and internet images want you to participate in their sins. After, the serpent got Eve to partake of the forbidden fruit, she turned to Adam and offered it to him.
I have seen this scenario play out too often. For example, as I grew up, “friends” suggested to me which rock and roll records to buy, which movies I needed to see and which beer I needed to drink. “Friends” also introduced me to other vices. Christ had to set me free from those vices. Except for the grace of God, the devil would have had my soul.
After Satan defiled my temple, his goal was to reduce me to rubble, just as he did to Asaph’s city. He almost succeeded. After I sinned against God... after I exposed my soul to ungodly activity... I did not want to live anymore. My guilt and shame were too great for me to bear.
Our Lord Jesus Christ stopped Satan from destroying me. He forgave my sin. He took my guilt and shame away. He gave to me His Holy Spirit. He helped me say no to sin. On the day I was born again, I stopped drinking alcohol. 47 years have passed since that day! I trashed my ungodly music and literature. Praise God! Jesus gave me a zeal to purge my temple of defiling influences. He made me brand new. This is what He does. Jesus saves sinners.
“The dead bodies of Your servants they have given as food for the birds of the heavens, the flesh of Your saints to the beasts of the earth. Their blood they have shed like water all around Jerusalem, and there was no one to bury them.” Psalm 79:2-3
I spiritualized Psalm 79:1 to apply to people who have been devastated by sin. However, in Asaph’s city, dead bodies actually littered the ground. Birds were pecking and beasts were tearing at their flesh. Blood streamed from raised areas to lower areas. Blood pooled in spots that had previously only experienced water puddles.
“We have become a reproach to our neighbors, a scorn and derision to those who are around us. How long, Lord? Will You be angry forever? Will Your jealousy burn like fire?” Psalm 79:4-5
How did Jerusalem’s neighbors respond to their downfall? They derided them. The verb “deride” means to speak with contempt. The Jerusalemites needed neighbors who knew how to comfort brokenhearted people, but no such neighbor came to comfort them.
On YouTube, there is a video entitled, “Stolen By The Reich: The Lost Children Of Post-War Europe.” [1] The video tells the story of children who were left orphaned, homeless and hungry after WW2 ended. Many Jewish child survivors continued to be derided after the war was over.
“Pour out Your wrath on the nations that do not know You, and on the kingdoms that do not call on Your Name.” Psalm 79:6
This prayer is in effect a prophecy. As Romans 1:18 says, “The wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness.” They suppress the truth because they do not want to hear it. Thus, Romans 1:21 says, “They became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened.”
In 2 Thessalonians 2:9-10, Paul indicates that the lawless one (the antichrist) will “deceive those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved.” He adds in 2 Thessalonians 2:11-12, “And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.”
“For they have devoured Jacob and laid waste his dwelling place.” Psalm 79:7
The descendants of Jacob had to fight off devourers of people and plunderers of property. In 2 Samuel 8 and 1 Chronicles 18, David had to fight the Philistines, the Moabites, the Ammonites, the Amalekites, the Edomites, the Arameans and the Syrians.
After David’s time, the empires of Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Greece and Rome attacked Israel.
Gentile nations have committed pogroms against Jews for many generations. Pogrom is a Russian word meaning to demolish violently. Historically, the term refers to violent attacks by Gentiles on Jews in the Russian Empire and in other countries. [2]
“Major historical waves and notable instances of pogroms include: The Crusades (1096 onwards) in which crusaders destroyed hundreds of Jewish communities across Europe. The Black Death (1348–1349): False conspiracies that Jews caused the plague resulted in the destruction of hundreds of communities. Spanish Massacres (1391): Catholic mobs massacred thousands of Jews. [3]
Russian Empire Waves (1881–1906): Triggered by the assassination of Tsar Alexander II, over 200 organized attacks swept through Russia. Russian Civil War Pogroms (1918–1921): An estimated 1,200 to 1,500 pogroms were perpetrated across Ukraine and Belarus by various armies and local peasants. This wave killed between 100,000 and 250,000 Jews and left hundreds of thousands of orphans. [4]
The Kristallnacht (1938): Instigated by the Nazis, mobs destroyed over 1,400 synagogues and countless Jewish businesses, killing approximately 1,500 people and sending thousands of Jewish men to concentration camps. Eastern Europe (1941): Towns across Poland, Romania, and the Baltics launched brutal pogroms against their Jewish neighbors. [5]
I cannot imagine how it feels to be a Jew in lieu of these pogroms. I am glad that the Jews have a homeland now. In Zechariah 2:8, God reassured the people of Israel that whoever touches them touches the apple of His eye. May God continue to protect Israel.
“Oh, do not remember former iniquities against us! Let Your tender mercies come speedily to meet us, for we have been brought very low. Help us, O God of our salvation, for the glory of Your Name, and deliver us, and provide atonement for our sins, for Your Name’s sake!” Psalm 79:8-9
Walter Brueggemann observed, “Without grief there is no newness.” Until a person clearly sees and knows that sin is destroying him, he will not change. John Sung observed that “without repentance there is no reaping.”
Asaph wanted the memory of Israel’s sins removed from God’s mind and replaced with thoughts of tender mercies toward them. Asaph confessed that Israel needed God’s mercy, His help, and His salvation. He asked God to atone for their sins to bring about glory unto His Name.
When God pardons sin, He blots it out and remembers it no more.
In Micah 7:19, the prophet Micah comforted Israel saying, “He [God] will again have compassion on us, and will subdue our iniquities. You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea.”
In Jeremiah 31:34, the Lord said to Israel, “I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more.”
In Colossians 2:14, Paul wrote that Christ wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. He has taken it [the indictment] out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.”
God granted forgiveness to Israel and to us because He loves us and He is gracious.
John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”
Matthew Henry wrote, “They plead no merit of theirs, but help us for the glory of Your Name. Pardon us for Your Name’s sake.” In Luke 7:47, Jesus said that those who are forgiven much love much. At this point, Israel was very low, thus, they responded to God’s forgiveness with worship.
“Why should the nations say, ‘Where is their God?’ Let there be known among the nations in our sight the avenging of the blood of Your servants which has been shed.” Psalm 79:10
In Genesis 9:6, the Lord says, “Whoever sheds man’s blood, by man his blood shall be shed. For in the image of God He made man.” Asaph wanted God to make it obvious to the world that no one can shed the blood of those who bear His image, and escape divine wrath for it.
God’s wrath on those who slay His servants is a theme in the Book of Revelation.
In Revelation 6:9-11, the souls of those slain for the Word of God cry out from beneath the altar, asking how long until God will “judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth.”
In Revelation 15:2-4, “those who have the victory over the beast, over his image and over his mark and over the number of his name,” play harps and worship the Lord.
Revelation 16:5-7 connects the plagues of blood to the shedding of blood. An angel says, “They have shed the blood of saints and prophets, and You have given them blood to drink, for it is their just due. Even so, Lord God Almighty, true and righteous are Your judgments.”
“Let the groaning of the prisoner come before You. According to the greatness of Your power preserve those who are appointed to die, and return to our neighbors sevenfold into their bosom their reproach with which they have reproached You, O Lord.” Psalm 79:11-12
In Acts 12:5-10, when Peter was imprisoned due to his witness for Christ, constant prayer was offered to God for him by a church. In Acts 12:11, Peter testified, “The Lord has sent His angel, and has delivered me from the hand of Herod and from all the expectation of the Jewish people.” And what happened to Herod? In Acts 12:23, the angel of the Lord struck him dead.
“So we, Your people, and sheep of Your pasture, will give You thanks forever. We will show forth Your praise to all generations.” Psalm 79:11-13
What did Israel have to offer the Lord in return for His goodness to them? They were to give Him thanks and praise. In John 4:23, Jesus said, “True worshipers will worship the Father in Spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such to worship Him.”
Asaph asked God to judge those who shed the blood of His servants. His prayer agrees with other prayers that are in the Bible. Thus, we know that it is Scriptural to pray these kind of prayers. But how should we pray for people who are about to slay us due to our witness for Christ?
In Jeremiah 26:15, Jeremiah told those who planned to execute him, “Know for certain that if you put me to death, you will surely bring innocent blood on yourselves, on this city, and on its inhabitants; for truly the Lord has sent me to you to speak all these words in your hearing.”
In Acts 25:11, Paul said to those who wanted to condemn him, “If I am an offender, or have committed anything deserving of death, I do not object to dying; but if there is nothing in these things of which these men accuse me, no one can deliver me to them. I appeal to Caesar.” His appeal to Caesar helped him to avoid execution.
In Luke 23:34, Jesus prayed for those who crucified Him, saying, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do.”
In Acts 7:60, Stephen prayed for his executioners, “Lord, do not charge them with this sin.”
Prayers for forgiveness concern both love for God and love for neighbor. We need to forgive those who sin against us to be forgiven by God. In Matthew 6:14-15, Jesus taught, “For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.”
In Psalm 103:10, we read that the Lord “has not dealt with us according to our sins, nor punished us according to our iniquities.”
In Proverbs 10:12, we read, “Love covers all sins.”
In Romans 12:17, we read, “Repay no one evil for evil.”
In Matthew 5:44-45, Jesus said, “Love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.”
So, on the one hand, we ask God to deliver His servants from executioners, and for Him to deal with those who shed the blood of His people. On the other hand, let us pray for ourselves that if we must suffer death for the Gospel’s sake that we will love our enemies, forgive them, and pray for their salvation.
[1] The video is from the History Hit Network: enquiries@littledotstudios.com
[2] encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/article/pogroms
[3] Ibid; historic-uk.com/HistoryUK/HistoryofEngland/Pogroms-1189-1190
[4] home.uncg.edu/~jwjones/russia/378readings/1905pogroms
[5] en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pogrom
Asaph was a sweet singer of Israel. In 2 Chronicles 29:30, he is referred to as “Asaph the seer,” indicating his role in receiving and conveying divine messages. He is credited with writing Psalms 12, 50, 73-83. He calls people to give ear to God’s Law.
In Revelation 2-3, Jesus said, “Let him that has an ear thus hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”
“O God, the nations have come into Your inheritance. Your holy temple they have defiled. They have laid Jerusalem in heaps.” Psalm 79:1
The enemy led his captives to defile God’s temple. Have you noticed that? Those who are into Satanic stuff like witchcraft, mind-altering drugs, and godless visions from movie studios and internet images want you to participate in their sins. After, the serpent got Eve to partake of the forbidden fruit, she turned to Adam and offered it to him.
I have seen this scenario play out too often. For example, as I grew up, “friends” suggested to me which rock and roll records to buy, which movies I needed to see and which beer I needed to drink. “Friends” also introduced me to other vices. Christ had to set me free from those vices. Except for the grace of God, the devil would have had my soul.
After Satan defiled my temple, his goal was to reduce me to rubble, just as he did to Asaph’s city. He almost succeeded. After I sinned against God... after I exposed my soul to ungodly activity... I did not want to live anymore. My guilt and shame were too great for me to bear.
Our Lord Jesus Christ stopped Satan from destroying me. He forgave my sin. He took my guilt and shame away. He gave to me His Holy Spirit. He helped me say no to sin. On the day I was born again, I stopped drinking alcohol. 47 years have passed since that day! I trashed my ungodly music and literature. Praise God! Jesus gave me a zeal to purge my temple of defiling influences. He made me brand new. This is what He does. Jesus saves sinners.
“The dead bodies of Your servants they have given as food for the birds of the heavens, the flesh of Your saints to the beasts of the earth. Their blood they have shed like water all around Jerusalem, and there was no one to bury them.” Psalm 79:2-3
I spiritualized Psalm 79:1 to apply to people who have been devastated by sin. However, in Asaph’s city, dead bodies actually littered the ground. Birds were pecking and beasts were tearing at their flesh. Blood streamed from raised areas to lower areas. Blood pooled in spots that had previously only experienced water puddles.
“We have become a reproach to our neighbors, a scorn and derision to those who are around us. How long, Lord? Will You be angry forever? Will Your jealousy burn like fire?” Psalm 79:4-5
How did Jerusalem’s neighbors respond to their downfall? They derided them. The verb “deride” means to speak with contempt. The Jerusalemites needed neighbors who knew how to comfort brokenhearted people, but no such neighbor came to comfort them.
On YouTube, there is a video entitled, “Stolen By The Reich: The Lost Children Of Post-War Europe.” [1] The video tells the story of children who were left orphaned, homeless and hungry after WW2 ended. Many Jewish child survivors continued to be derided after the war was over.
“Pour out Your wrath on the nations that do not know You, and on the kingdoms that do not call on Your Name.” Psalm 79:6
This prayer is in effect a prophecy. As Romans 1:18 says, “The wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness.” They suppress the truth because they do not want to hear it. Thus, Romans 1:21 says, “They became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened.”
In 2 Thessalonians 2:9-10, Paul indicates that the lawless one (the antichrist) will “deceive those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved.” He adds in 2 Thessalonians 2:11-12, “And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.”
“For they have devoured Jacob and laid waste his dwelling place.” Psalm 79:7
The descendants of Jacob had to fight off devourers of people and plunderers of property. In 2 Samuel 8 and 1 Chronicles 18, David had to fight the Philistines, the Moabites, the Ammonites, the Amalekites, the Edomites, the Arameans and the Syrians.
After David’s time, the empires of Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Greece and Rome attacked Israel.
Gentile nations have committed pogroms against Jews for many generations. Pogrom is a Russian word meaning to demolish violently. Historically, the term refers to violent attacks by Gentiles on Jews in the Russian Empire and in other countries. [2]
“Major historical waves and notable instances of pogroms include: The Crusades (1096 onwards) in which crusaders destroyed hundreds of Jewish communities across Europe. The Black Death (1348–1349): False conspiracies that Jews caused the plague resulted in the destruction of hundreds of communities. Spanish Massacres (1391): Catholic mobs massacred thousands of Jews. [3]
Russian Empire Waves (1881–1906): Triggered by the assassination of Tsar Alexander II, over 200 organized attacks swept through Russia. Russian Civil War Pogroms (1918–1921): An estimated 1,200 to 1,500 pogroms were perpetrated across Ukraine and Belarus by various armies and local peasants. This wave killed between 100,000 and 250,000 Jews and left hundreds of thousands of orphans. [4]
The Kristallnacht (1938): Instigated by the Nazis, mobs destroyed over 1,400 synagogues and countless Jewish businesses, killing approximately 1,500 people and sending thousands of Jewish men to concentration camps. Eastern Europe (1941): Towns across Poland, Romania, and the Baltics launched brutal pogroms against their Jewish neighbors. [5]
I cannot imagine how it feels to be a Jew in lieu of these pogroms. I am glad that the Jews have a homeland now. In Zechariah 2:8, God reassured the people of Israel that whoever touches them touches the apple of His eye. May God continue to protect Israel.
“Oh, do not remember former iniquities against us! Let Your tender mercies come speedily to meet us, for we have been brought very low. Help us, O God of our salvation, for the glory of Your Name, and deliver us, and provide atonement for our sins, for Your Name’s sake!” Psalm 79:8-9
Walter Brueggemann observed, “Without grief there is no newness.” Until a person clearly sees and knows that sin is destroying him, he will not change. John Sung observed that “without repentance there is no reaping.”
Asaph wanted the memory of Israel’s sins removed from God’s mind and replaced with thoughts of tender mercies toward them. Asaph confessed that Israel needed God’s mercy, His help, and His salvation. He asked God to atone for their sins to bring about glory unto His Name.
When God pardons sin, He blots it out and remembers it no more.
In Micah 7:19, the prophet Micah comforted Israel saying, “He [God] will again have compassion on us, and will subdue our iniquities. You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea.”
In Jeremiah 31:34, the Lord said to Israel, “I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more.”
In Colossians 2:14, Paul wrote that Christ wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. He has taken it [the indictment] out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.”
God granted forgiveness to Israel and to us because He loves us and He is gracious.
John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”
Matthew Henry wrote, “They plead no merit of theirs, but help us for the glory of Your Name. Pardon us for Your Name’s sake.” In Luke 7:47, Jesus said that those who are forgiven much love much. At this point, Israel was very low, thus, they responded to God’s forgiveness with worship.
“Why should the nations say, ‘Where is their God?’ Let there be known among the nations in our sight the avenging of the blood of Your servants which has been shed.” Psalm 79:10
In Genesis 9:6, the Lord says, “Whoever sheds man’s blood, by man his blood shall be shed. For in the image of God He made man.” Asaph wanted God to make it obvious to the world that no one can shed the blood of those who bear His image, and escape divine wrath for it.
God’s wrath on those who slay His servants is a theme in the Book of Revelation.
In Revelation 6:9-11, the souls of those slain for the Word of God cry out from beneath the altar, asking how long until God will “judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth.”
In Revelation 15:2-4, “those who have the victory over the beast, over his image and over his mark and over the number of his name,” play harps and worship the Lord.
Revelation 16:5-7 connects the plagues of blood to the shedding of blood. An angel says, “They have shed the blood of saints and prophets, and You have given them blood to drink, for it is their just due. Even so, Lord God Almighty, true and righteous are Your judgments.”
“Let the groaning of the prisoner come before You. According to the greatness of Your power preserve those who are appointed to die, and return to our neighbors sevenfold into their bosom their reproach with which they have reproached You, O Lord.” Psalm 79:11-12
In Acts 12:5-10, when Peter was imprisoned due to his witness for Christ, constant prayer was offered to God for him by a church. In Acts 12:11, Peter testified, “The Lord has sent His angel, and has delivered me from the hand of Herod and from all the expectation of the Jewish people.” And what happened to Herod? In Acts 12:23, the angel of the Lord struck him dead.
“So we, Your people, and sheep of Your pasture, will give You thanks forever. We will show forth Your praise to all generations.” Psalm 79:11-13
What did Israel have to offer the Lord in return for His goodness to them? They were to give Him thanks and praise. In John 4:23, Jesus said, “True worshipers will worship the Father in Spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such to worship Him.”
Asaph asked God to judge those who shed the blood of His servants. His prayer agrees with other prayers that are in the Bible. Thus, we know that it is Scriptural to pray these kind of prayers. But how should we pray for people who are about to slay us due to our witness for Christ?
In Jeremiah 26:15, Jeremiah told those who planned to execute him, “Know for certain that if you put me to death, you will surely bring innocent blood on yourselves, on this city, and on its inhabitants; for truly the Lord has sent me to you to speak all these words in your hearing.”
In Acts 25:11, Paul said to those who wanted to condemn him, “If I am an offender, or have committed anything deserving of death, I do not object to dying; but if there is nothing in these things of which these men accuse me, no one can deliver me to them. I appeal to Caesar.” His appeal to Caesar helped him to avoid execution.
In Luke 23:34, Jesus prayed for those who crucified Him, saying, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do.”
In Acts 7:60, Stephen prayed for his executioners, “Lord, do not charge them with this sin.”
Prayers for forgiveness concern both love for God and love for neighbor. We need to forgive those who sin against us to be forgiven by God. In Matthew 6:14-15, Jesus taught, “For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.”
In Psalm 103:10, we read that the Lord “has not dealt with us according to our sins, nor punished us according to our iniquities.”
In Proverbs 10:12, we read, “Love covers all sins.”
In Romans 12:17, we read, “Repay no one evil for evil.”
In Matthew 5:44-45, Jesus said, “Love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.”
So, on the one hand, we ask God to deliver His servants from executioners, and for Him to deal with those who shed the blood of His people. On the other hand, let us pray for ourselves that if we must suffer death for the Gospel’s sake that we will love our enemies, forgive them, and pray for their salvation.
[1] The video is from the History Hit Network: enquiries@littledotstudios.com
[2] encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/article/pogroms
[3] Ibid; historic-uk.com/HistoryUK/HistoryofEngland/Pogroms-1189-1190
[4] home.uncg.edu/~jwjones/russia/378readings/1905pogroms
[5] en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pogrom
Monday, May 25, 2026
Discipling Children – Psalm 78:56-72
In Psalm 78, the Lord urges parents to teach our children to walk with God.
“Yet they tested and provoked the Most High God, and did not keep His testimonies, but turned back and acted unfaithfully like their fathers. They were turned aside like a deceitful bow. For they provoked Him to anger with their high places and moved Him to jealousy with their carved images.” Psalm 78:56-58
Did you ever test your parent’s patience? Do you have children who test your patience? The children of Israel tested God’s patience by giving the love that was due Him to other gods. God was providing for them and keeping them alive. They were like a deceitful bow because their “arrows” always flew where false gods wanted them to fly and not in God’s direction.
What about believers today? Have we stopped testifying for Christ in public places? Do we support the retelling of pagan tales of Easter bunnies and Santa Clauses more than proclaiming Christ? Do we invest more in bunnies that lay eggs (which is a lie) and in a fat men who slides down chimneys (which is a lie) than in retelling the testimony of what Jesus Christ did for the salvation of human souls? And what about Halloween? Why is there so much excitement about images that relate to demons? God is the One who causes the earth to yield its increase.
Is the generation coming behind us embracing the testimonies in the Bible of God’s greatness?
“When God heard this, He was furious, and greatly abhorred Israel, so that He forsook the tabernacle of Shiloh, the tent He had placed among men, and delivered His strength into captivity, and His glory into the enemy’s hand. He also gave His people over to the sword and was furious with His inheritance. The fire consumed their young men, and their maidens were not given in marriage. Their priests fell by the sword, and their widows made no lamentation.” Psalm 78:59-64
Psalm 78:59-64 refers to 1 Samuel 2:12-17. In this passage, the Lord informs us that Hophni and Phinehas committed adultery with women who brought offerings to the tabernacle in Shiloh. They forcefully took meat offerings that were intended to be offered to God and ate them. In 1 Samuel 4, Hophni and Phinehas carried the Ark of the Covenant into battle. This was their idea, not God’s. They died in battle and the Ark was captured. God’s glory departed from Israel.
Manifest sin in the holy place is a red flag that something is wrong and needs to be discerned and addressed with the help of God.
In 1 Samuel 2:29, God asked Eli, the father of Hophni and Phinehas, “Why do you kick at My sacrifice and My offering which I have commanded in My dwelling place, and honor your sons more than Me, to make yourselves fat with the best of all the offerings of Israel My people?”
In 1 Samuel 3:13, God told Samuel, “For I have told him [Eli] that I will judge his house forever for the iniquity which he knows, because his sons made themselves vile, and he did not restrain them.” Soon after Samuel received this prophecy, Eli and his two sons died on the same day.
Healthy food laced with poison is highly dangerous because no one suspects it to kill them. God’s Word blended with lies is highly dangerous because unless our children know God and His Word well, they will be poisoned. In Matthew 15:9, Jesus rebuked the Pharisees because they taught as doctrines the commandments of men. They mixed their own ideas in with God’s.
God was furious with the priests in Shiloh. He took His presence from them.
Do you sense God’s presence in your worship assemblies?
In Galatians 1:8-9, Paul wrote, “Even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other Gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again, if anyone preaches any other Gospel to you than what you have received, let him be accursed.” The One True God... Father, Son and Holy Spirit must be the focus of our worship and of our teachings in the Church if we want God’s presence among us.
God gave the people of Shiloh over to captivity. He turned them over to the enemy.
In Romans 1:18, Paul wrote that God reveals His wrath against men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness. In Romans 1:28, Paul wrote, “Even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting.” The full Gospel includes a call to repentance of sin, a call to believe in Christ for cleansing from sin and reception of the Holy Spirit for empowerment to live a new life.
“Then the Lord awoke as from sleep, like a mighty man who shouts because of wine. And He beat back His enemies. He put them to a perpetual reproach.” Psalm 78:65-66
God defended His glory amidst the Philistines. In 1 Samuel 5:1-6:16, the Lord caused the idol of the Philistines to fall flat on its face and break apart. He afflicted the Philistines with tumors to the degree that they were happy to return the Ark of the Covenant to Israel.
“Moreover He rejected the tent of Joseph, and did not choose the tribe of Ephraim, but chose the tribe of Judah, Mount Zion which He loved. And He built His sanctuary like the heights, like the earth which He has established forever.” Psalm 78:67-69
The Lord provided a new location for the Ark of the Covenant. He never sent it back to Shiloh where the tribe of Joseph and Ephraim dwelt. The people of Shiloh lost the privilege of hosting it. The Lord moved it to Mount Zion which He loved. Mount Zion is where Christ was crucified and resurrected from the dead. Jesus Christ is also called the Lion of the Tribe of Judah. [1]
“He also chose David His servant and took him from the sheepfolds; from following the ewes that had young He brought him, to shepherd Jacob His people, and Israel His inheritance. So he shepherded them according to the integrity of his heart and guided them by the skillfulness of his hands.” Psalm 78:70-72
Eventually, God set a good king over Israel. A king after His own heart! He chose David out of all the thousands of Israel, and put the scepter in his hand, out of whose loins Christ was to come, and who was to be a type of him. [2]
God delights to raise the poor out of the dust and to set them among princes. David’s time spent in solitude and contemplation with God proved to be the best of all educations. David was not taken from leading the rams, but from following the ewes... those great with young. He had a tender spot for those of his flock that most needed his care. [3]
At first, God humbled David, but later He exalted him. Thus, by God’s grace, David became skillful and faithful at his task. He fed, taught, guided and protected God’s sheep for God’s glory. In this way, he was a type of Christ. In Isaiah 11:3-4, God foretold that Messiah, would be filled with the spirit of wisdom and understanding and should judge and reprove with equity. [4]
In John 17:6-8, Jesus said to His Father, “I have manifested Your Name to the men whom You have given Me out of the world. They were Yours, You gave them to Me, and they have kept Your Word. Now they have known that all things which You have given Me are from You. For I have given to them the words which You have given Me, and they have received them, and have known surely that I came forth from You, and they have believed that You sent Me.”
As I prayed over Psalm 78 and John 17:6-8 above, the Lord gave to me a vision of circles in a sea of water. The first circle formed where a stone entered the water. This first circle symbolizes Christ and His Word entering the hearts of my wife and me. Before we can teach and model His truth to others, we must first know the Father and receive His Word directly from Him. Within this first circle are Christ, my wife, and me.
The second circle represents our descendants. God calls us to teach them the truths He has taught us, passing on His love, wisdom, and ways to future generations.
Beyond the third circle are the people of the world who do not yet know the Lord. We desire to share His teachings with them in the same spirit that loving parents nurture and guide their children.
[1] Matthew Henry’s Commentary (edited)
[2] Ibid
[3] Ibid
[4] Ibid
“Yet they tested and provoked the Most High God, and did not keep His testimonies, but turned back and acted unfaithfully like their fathers. They were turned aside like a deceitful bow. For they provoked Him to anger with their high places and moved Him to jealousy with their carved images.” Psalm 78:56-58
Did you ever test your parent’s patience? Do you have children who test your patience? The children of Israel tested God’s patience by giving the love that was due Him to other gods. God was providing for them and keeping them alive. They were like a deceitful bow because their “arrows” always flew where false gods wanted them to fly and not in God’s direction.
What about believers today? Have we stopped testifying for Christ in public places? Do we support the retelling of pagan tales of Easter bunnies and Santa Clauses more than proclaiming Christ? Do we invest more in bunnies that lay eggs (which is a lie) and in a fat men who slides down chimneys (which is a lie) than in retelling the testimony of what Jesus Christ did for the salvation of human souls? And what about Halloween? Why is there so much excitement about images that relate to demons? God is the One who causes the earth to yield its increase.
Is the generation coming behind us embracing the testimonies in the Bible of God’s greatness?
“When God heard this, He was furious, and greatly abhorred Israel, so that He forsook the tabernacle of Shiloh, the tent He had placed among men, and delivered His strength into captivity, and His glory into the enemy’s hand. He also gave His people over to the sword and was furious with His inheritance. The fire consumed their young men, and their maidens were not given in marriage. Their priests fell by the sword, and their widows made no lamentation.” Psalm 78:59-64
Psalm 78:59-64 refers to 1 Samuel 2:12-17. In this passage, the Lord informs us that Hophni and Phinehas committed adultery with women who brought offerings to the tabernacle in Shiloh. They forcefully took meat offerings that were intended to be offered to God and ate them. In 1 Samuel 4, Hophni and Phinehas carried the Ark of the Covenant into battle. This was their idea, not God’s. They died in battle and the Ark was captured. God’s glory departed from Israel.
Manifest sin in the holy place is a red flag that something is wrong and needs to be discerned and addressed with the help of God.
In 1 Samuel 2:29, God asked Eli, the father of Hophni and Phinehas, “Why do you kick at My sacrifice and My offering which I have commanded in My dwelling place, and honor your sons more than Me, to make yourselves fat with the best of all the offerings of Israel My people?”
In 1 Samuel 3:13, God told Samuel, “For I have told him [Eli] that I will judge his house forever for the iniquity which he knows, because his sons made themselves vile, and he did not restrain them.” Soon after Samuel received this prophecy, Eli and his two sons died on the same day.
Healthy food laced with poison is highly dangerous because no one suspects it to kill them. God’s Word blended with lies is highly dangerous because unless our children know God and His Word well, they will be poisoned. In Matthew 15:9, Jesus rebuked the Pharisees because they taught as doctrines the commandments of men. They mixed their own ideas in with God’s.
God was furious with the priests in Shiloh. He took His presence from them.
Do you sense God’s presence in your worship assemblies?
In Galatians 1:8-9, Paul wrote, “Even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other Gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again, if anyone preaches any other Gospel to you than what you have received, let him be accursed.” The One True God... Father, Son and Holy Spirit must be the focus of our worship and of our teachings in the Church if we want God’s presence among us.
God gave the people of Shiloh over to captivity. He turned them over to the enemy.
In Romans 1:18, Paul wrote that God reveals His wrath against men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness. In Romans 1:28, Paul wrote, “Even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting.” The full Gospel includes a call to repentance of sin, a call to believe in Christ for cleansing from sin and reception of the Holy Spirit for empowerment to live a new life.
“Then the Lord awoke as from sleep, like a mighty man who shouts because of wine. And He beat back His enemies. He put them to a perpetual reproach.” Psalm 78:65-66
God defended His glory amidst the Philistines. In 1 Samuel 5:1-6:16, the Lord caused the idol of the Philistines to fall flat on its face and break apart. He afflicted the Philistines with tumors to the degree that they were happy to return the Ark of the Covenant to Israel.
“Moreover He rejected the tent of Joseph, and did not choose the tribe of Ephraim, but chose the tribe of Judah, Mount Zion which He loved. And He built His sanctuary like the heights, like the earth which He has established forever.” Psalm 78:67-69
The Lord provided a new location for the Ark of the Covenant. He never sent it back to Shiloh where the tribe of Joseph and Ephraim dwelt. The people of Shiloh lost the privilege of hosting it. The Lord moved it to Mount Zion which He loved. Mount Zion is where Christ was crucified and resurrected from the dead. Jesus Christ is also called the Lion of the Tribe of Judah. [1]
“He also chose David His servant and took him from the sheepfolds; from following the ewes that had young He brought him, to shepherd Jacob His people, and Israel His inheritance. So he shepherded them according to the integrity of his heart and guided them by the skillfulness of his hands.” Psalm 78:70-72
Eventually, God set a good king over Israel. A king after His own heart! He chose David out of all the thousands of Israel, and put the scepter in his hand, out of whose loins Christ was to come, and who was to be a type of him. [2]
God delights to raise the poor out of the dust and to set them among princes. David’s time spent in solitude and contemplation with God proved to be the best of all educations. David was not taken from leading the rams, but from following the ewes... those great with young. He had a tender spot for those of his flock that most needed his care. [3]
At first, God humbled David, but later He exalted him. Thus, by God’s grace, David became skillful and faithful at his task. He fed, taught, guided and protected God’s sheep for God’s glory. In this way, he was a type of Christ. In Isaiah 11:3-4, God foretold that Messiah, would be filled with the spirit of wisdom and understanding and should judge and reprove with equity. [4]
In John 17:6-8, Jesus said to His Father, “I have manifested Your Name to the men whom You have given Me out of the world. They were Yours, You gave them to Me, and they have kept Your Word. Now they have known that all things which You have given Me are from You. For I have given to them the words which You have given Me, and they have received them, and have known surely that I came forth from You, and they have believed that You sent Me.”
As I prayed over Psalm 78 and John 17:6-8 above, the Lord gave to me a vision of circles in a sea of water. The first circle formed where a stone entered the water. This first circle symbolizes Christ and His Word entering the hearts of my wife and me. Before we can teach and model His truth to others, we must first know the Father and receive His Word directly from Him. Within this first circle are Christ, my wife, and me.
The second circle represents our descendants. God calls us to teach them the truths He has taught us, passing on His love, wisdom, and ways to future generations.
Beyond the third circle are the people of the world who do not yet know the Lord. We desire to share His teachings with them in the same spirit that loving parents nurture and guide their children.
[1] Matthew Henry’s Commentary (edited)
[2] Ibid
[3] Ibid
[4] Ibid
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