Day 182: Psalms 136-140

(The previous post covered the last of the songs of Ascents as well as a psalm of praise. Here was another psalm of praise...)

Psalm 136
¹ Oh give thanks unto Jehovah; for he is good; For his lovingkindness endureth for ever.
² Oh give thanks unto the God of gods; For his lovingkindness endureth for ever.
³ Oh give thanks unto the Lord of lords; For his lovingkindness endureth for ever:

(Exhortation to give thanks to God who was: Good (Right and Just), THE God of gods, and THE Lord of lords because His mercy endured forever.)

⁴ To him who alone doeth great wonders; For his lovingkindness endureth for ever:
⁵ To him that by understanding made the heavens; For his lovingkindness endureth for ever:

(By understanding, God made the heavens. In order to understand, you must have the ability to create (understanding was combining more than one piece of knowledge to create new knowledge). God was THE Creator!)

⁶ To him that spread forth the earth above the waters; For his lovingkindness endureth for ever:
⁷ To him that made great lights; For his lovingkindness endureth for ever:
⁸ The sun to rule by day; For his lovingkindness endureth for ever;
⁹ The moon and stars to rule by night; For his lovingkindness endureth for ever:

(God created the "great lights" that gave us light: sun, moon, stars.)

¹⁰ To him that smote Egypt in their first-born; For his lovingkindness endureth for ever;

(The Passover)

¹¹ And brought out Israel from among them; For his lovingkindness endureth for ever;
¹² With a strong hand, and with an outstretched arm; For his lovingkindness endureth for ever:

(The Exodus)

¹³ To him that divided the Red Sea in sunder; For his lovingkindness endureth for ever;
¹⁴ And made Israel to pass through the midst of it; For his lovingkindness endureth for ever;
¹⁵ But overthrew Pharaoh and his host in the Red Sea; For his lovingkindness endureth for ever:

(The parting of the Red Sea)

¹⁶ To him that led his people through the wilderness; For his lovingkindness endureth for ever:

(The wandering was recorded in the Book of Numbers.)

¹⁷ To him that smote great kings; For his lovingkindness endureth for ever;
¹⁸ And slew famous kings; For his lovingkindness endureth for ever:
¹⁹ Sihon king of the Amorites; For his lovingkindness endureth forever;
²⁰ And Og king of Bashan; For his lovingkindness endureth for ever;
²¹ And gave their land for a heritage; For his lovingkindness endureth for ever;
²² Even a heritage unto Israel his servant; For his lovingkindness endureth for ever:

(The entering of the Promised Land)

²³ Who remembered us in our low estate; For his lovingkindness endureth for ever;
²⁴ And hath delivered us from our adversaries; For his lovingkindness endureth for ever:
²⁵ Who giveth food to all flesh; For his lovingkindness endureth for ever.
²⁶ Oh give thanks unto the God of heaven; For his lovingkindness endureth for ever.

(Next, we will see a psalm of prayer...)




Psalm 137
¹ By the rivers of Babylon, There we sat down, yea, we wept, When we remembered Zion.
² Upon the willows in the midst thereof We hanged up our harps.

(A psalm about those Israelites who were held captive in Babylon.)

³ For there they that led us captive required of us songs, And they that wasted us required of us mirth, saying, Sing us one of the songs of Zion.
⁴ How shall we sing Jehovah's song In a foreign land?

(The people of Babylon required the Jews to sing songs of their homeland.)

⁵ If I forget thee, O Jerusalem, Let my right hand forget her skill.
⁶ Let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth, If I remember thee not; If I prefer not Jerusalem Above my chief joy.
⁷ Remember, O Jehovah, against the children of Edom The day of Jerusalem; Who said, Rase it, rase it, Even to the foundation thereof.

(The word rase meant "to be bare, be nude, uncover, leave destitute.")

⁸ O daughter of Babylon, that art to be destroyed, Happy shall he be, that rewardeth thee As thou hast served us.
⁹ Happy shall he be, that taketh and dasheth thy little ones Against the rock.

(The next psalm appeared to be more prophetic than prayer...)




Psalm 138

A Psalm of David.

¹ I will give thee thanks with my whole heart: Before the gods will I sing praises unto thee.

(David stated his will: he would give God thanks with his whole heart.)

² I will worship toward thy holy temple, And give thanks unto thy name for thy lovingkindness and for thy truth: For thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name.

(David gave thanks to God because of God’s mercy and Truth: right what with a right how/why.)

³ In the day that I called thou answeredst me, Thou didst encourage me with strength in my soul.
⁴ All the kings of the earth shall give thee thanks, O Jehovah, For they have heard the words of thy mouth.
⁵ Yea, they shall sing of the ways of Jehovah; For great is the glory of Jehovah.
⁶ For though Jehovah is high, yet hath he respect unto the lowly; But the haughty he knoweth from afar.

(The Lord was high but He had respect to the humble and to the prideful He was far. This was the prideful’s fault. If we humbled ourselves, we would be closer to God. Humility included having the ability to consider you were wrong and recognizing that God was Right.)

⁷ Though I walk in the midst of trouble, thou wilt revive me; Thou wilt stretch forth thy hand against the wrath of mine enemies, And thy right hand will save me.
⁸ Jehovah will perfect that which concerneth me: Thy lovingkindness, O Jehovah, endureth for ever; Forsake not the works of thine own hands.

(Next was another psalm of prayer...)




Psalm 139

For the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.

¹ O Jehovah, thou hast searched me, and known me.
² Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising; Thou understandest my thought afar off.

(God has all the information about you. He understands all of your thoughts after you think them. David recognized God and began building his faith through understanding...)

³ Thou searchest out my path and my lying down, And art acquainted with all my ways.
⁴ For there is not a word in my tongue, But, lo, O Jehovah, thou knowest it altogether.

(Since God knows our thoughts (cause), He knows what our actions will be and what words we will say (effect).)

⁵ Thou hast beset me behind and before, And laid thy hand upon me.
⁶ Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; It is high, I cannot attain unto it.
⁷ Whither shall I go from thy Spirit? Or whither shall I flee from thy presence?

(David recognized he could not flee from God: God could be everywhere!)

⁸ If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: If I make my bed in Sheol, behold, thou art there.
⁹ If I take the wings of the morning, And dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea;
¹⁰ Even there shall thy hand lead me, And thy right hand shall hold me.
¹¹ If I say, Surely the darkness shall overwhelm me, And the light about me shall be night;
¹² Even the darkness hideth not from thee, But the night shineth as the day: The darkness and the light are both alike to thee.

(David listed some examples about how God is omnipresent.)

(The next four verses are translated very differently by the most well known versions of the Bible. The ASV and KJV are the most accurate interpretations. The differences between those two are presented.)

¹³ For thou didst form my inward parts: Thou didst cover me in my mother's womb.

(KJV began: "For thou hast possessed my reins:"
-The word "possessed" was Strong's #7069 qanah and was most often translated as "buy."
-The word "reins" was Strong's #3629 kilyah and was most often translated as "kidneys."
-The word "cover" was Strong's #5526 cakak and was defined as "hedged in, fenced in" even though it was most often translated as "cover" in the KJV.)

¹⁴ I will give thanks unto thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: Wonderful are thy works; And that my soul knoweth right well.
¹⁵ My frame was not hidden from thee, When I was made in secret, And curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.

(In the KJV, verse 15 began: "My substance was not hid from thee..."
-The word "substance" was Strong's #6108 otsem, occurred three times and was translated as "might," "strong," and "substance." The Strong's definition was "bones.")

¹⁶ Thine eyes did see mine unformed substance; And in thy book they were all written, Even the days that were ordained for me, When as yet there was none of them.

(In the KJV, verse 16 was: "Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all [my members] were written, [which] in continuance were fashioned, when [as yet there was] none of them."
-The phrase "my substance, yet being unperfect" was Strong's #1564 golem which meant "embryo, fetus." This was the only usage of this Hebrew word in the Old Testament.
-The word "continuance" was Strong's #3117 yowm which was used over 2000 times in the Old Testament with 2008 of the usages translated as "day."
-The word "fashioned" was Strong's #3335 yatsar which meant "form, fashion, frame." The two most popular translations were "form" and "potter.")

(These four verses taken together stated the following:
"God formed us in the womb (Jeremiah 1) for a specific and unique purpose. God set before us certain things for us to accomplish (Ephesians 2:10). However, it is our choice whether or not we do them.")

¹⁷ How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God! How great is the sum of them!
¹⁸ If I should count them, they are more in number than the sand: When I awake, I am still with thee.
¹⁹ Surely thou wilt slay the wicked, O God: Depart from me therefore, ye bloodthirsty men.
²⁰ For they speak against thee wickedly, And thine enemies take thy name in vain.

(David asked for judgment from God against the wicked: his request.)

²¹ Do not I hate them, O Jehovah, that hate thee? And am not I grieved with those that rise up against thee?
²² I hate them with perfect hatred: They are become mine enemies.

(David made the enemies of God his own enemies: Justice.)

²³ Search me, O God, and know my heart: Try me, and know my thoughts;
²⁴ And see if there be any wicked way in me, And lead me in the way everlasting.

(David was contrastive. He wanted to know where he was wrong and he asked God to show him. Next was another psalm of prayer...)




Psalm 140

For the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.

¹ Deliver me, O Jehovah, from the evil man; Preserve me from the violent man:
² Who devise mischiefs in their heart; Continually do they gather themselves together for war.

(David asked for deliverance from evil men.)

³ They have sharpened their tongue like a serpent; Adders' poison is under their lips. Selah

(Selah meant "pause and think about what you just read." The author wanted the reader to pause and become conscious of what was read.)

⁴ Keep me, O Jehovah, from the hands of the wicked; Preserve me from the violent man: Who have purposed to thrust aside my steps.
⁵ The proud have hid a snare for me, and cords; They have spread a net by the wayside; They have set gins for me. Selah

(David mentioned some specific things the evil men had done to him.)

⁶ I said unto Jehovah, Thou art my God: Give ear unto the voice of my supplications, O Jehovah.
⁷ O Jehovah the Lord, the strength of my salvation, Thou hast covered my head in the day of battle.
⁸ Grant not, O Jehovah, the desires of the wicked; Further not his evil device, lest they exalt themselves. Selah

(David stated his will that Jehovah was his God and asked for God to not allow the wicked to make progress in their desires.)

⁹ As for the head of those that compass me about, Let the mischief of their own lips cover them.
¹⁰ Let burning coals fall upon them: Let them be cast into the fire, Into deep pits, whence they shall not rise.
¹¹ An evil speaker shall not be established in the earth: Evil shall hunt the violent man to overthrow him.
¹² I know that Jehovah will maintain the cause of the afflicted, And justice for the needy.
¹³ Surely the righteous shall give thanks unto thy name: The upright shall dwell in thy presence.

(This post covered psalms of prayer that followed psalms of praise.)

Day 183