May 29 - Psalms 44-46
Did you notice the difference between these three psalms and the ones we have read the past few days? These were not written by David, but by the sons of Korah. All of them are inspired by the Holy Spirit, but the style is different. These were probably composed to be sung in the Temple, whereas David's psalms came out of his personal walk with the Lord. David's psalms were still sung in the Temple, but they just have a different style.
Psalm 44 leads the people to remember God's provision for them to defeat the Gentiles and take over the Promised Land. It is praising God for His power, and then it laments that the power is gone. God has turned them over to their enemies. The writers claim that they have not forgotten God or turned to idols, so they wonder why God has taken away His power and not returned it to them. This could mean that this psalm was written after the people had returned to the Lord, or it could mean that there was a group of people who remained faithful to God throughout the time when the majority turned from God. It is always difficult for us to be punished for someone else's sins, but that is what they were saying here. Sometimes God has to punish the whole group for the sins of some, and other times the children receive the results of their parents' sins. Either way it is painful , but we must trust God to do the right thing and cry out to Him as they are doing here.
Psalm 45 is a prophetic psalm about Jesus and the church. As you read it or reread it, remember that Jesus is the Anointed One sent by the Father to save the world. The church is the bride of Christ. This psalm speaks of His coming and of His marriage to the church. Isn't it amazing that the Holy Spirit could inspire men to write down these things so far ahead of time? It just proves that the Bible is the Word of God.
Psalm 46 is very comforting to me. It reminds me that God is my refuge, so I need not have any fear. If I will just be still and know that He is God, I will know that everything is alright. This is very meaningful language to me, because when I was a child, I could not be still and quiet, so my mother was always telling me to "be still." Now that I am older, I have found the benefits of being still, but it took me several years. That is what our "unhurried times" with the Lord are all about.
Tomorrow, I intend to read Psalms 47-50.
Psalm 44 leads the people to remember God's provision for them to defeat the Gentiles and take over the Promised Land. It is praising God for His power, and then it laments that the power is gone. God has turned them over to their enemies. The writers claim that they have not forgotten God or turned to idols, so they wonder why God has taken away His power and not returned it to them. This could mean that this psalm was written after the people had returned to the Lord, or it could mean that there was a group of people who remained faithful to God throughout the time when the majority turned from God. It is always difficult for us to be punished for someone else's sins, but that is what they were saying here. Sometimes God has to punish the whole group for the sins of some, and other times the children receive the results of their parents' sins. Either way it is painful , but we must trust God to do the right thing and cry out to Him as they are doing here.
Psalm 45 is a prophetic psalm about Jesus and the church. As you read it or reread it, remember that Jesus is the Anointed One sent by the Father to save the world. The church is the bride of Christ. This psalm speaks of His coming and of His marriage to the church. Isn't it amazing that the Holy Spirit could inspire men to write down these things so far ahead of time? It just proves that the Bible is the Word of God.
Psalm 46 is very comforting to me. It reminds me that God is my refuge, so I need not have any fear. If I will just be still and know that He is God, I will know that everything is alright. This is very meaningful language to me, because when I was a child, I could not be still and quiet, so my mother was always telling me to "be still." Now that I am older, I have found the benefits of being still, but it took me several years. That is what our "unhurried times" with the Lord are all about.
Tomorrow, I intend to read Psalms 47-50.