Living with Psalms – Bible Study with Pastor Jim Rhea

 

Feb 1, 2009

Robert Dodd wrote about conversations with his preschool son Aaron.  As the boy sought to understand the world around him he would ask questions life these:      “Who made the trees?” He would ask.
“God made the trees.” I would answer.
“Who made the roads?” he would ask.
“Workers made the roads,” I could respond.
“But, God made the workers,” he would wisely conclude.
The psalm writers carried on a constant dialogue with God, seeking to understand their world and the lives God was calling them to lead.  In all their questioning and struggle, they found a deeper relationship with an always faithful God.

PSALM 17

   1-2  Listen while I build my case, God, the most honest prayer you'll ever hear. Show the world I'm innocent—in your heart you know I am.
      3  Go ahead, examine me from inside out, surprise me in the middle of the night. You'll find I'm just what I say I am. My words don't run loose.
   4-5  I'm not trying to get my way in the world's way. I'm trying to get your way, your Word's way. I'm staying on your trail; I'm putting one foot in front of the other. I'm not giving up.
   6-7  I call to you, God, because I'm sure of an answer. Paint grace-graffiti on the fences; take in your frightened children who are running from the neighborhood bullies straight to you.
   8-9  Keep your eye on me; hide me under your cool wing feathers from the wicked who are out to get me, from mortal enemies closing in.
10-14  Their hearts are hard as nails, their mouths blast hot air. They are after me, nipping my heels, determined to bring me down, Lions ready to rip me apart, young lions poised to pounce. Up, God: beard them! Break them! By your sword, free me from their clutches; barehanded, God, break these mortals, these flat-earth people who can't think beyond today. I'd like to see their bellies swollen with famine food, the weeds they've sown harvested and baked into famine bread, with second helpings for their children and crusts for their babies to chew on.
     15  And me? I plan on looking you full in the face. When I get up, I'll see your full stature and live heaven on earth.

Week of February 1 Psalm 17

This psalm sounds like someone is pleading their case before a judge, a frequent image in the psalms and elsewhere in the Old Testament. Check out the “courtroom language.” Do you ever try to “convince” God of your innocence and justify your actions? Do you think this helps?
After the plea, the final verse seems to have a different concept of God…almost New Testament in its more personal approach. Think of verse 15 as an affirmation of life after death. Pray your prayer thanking God for the “face to face” promise of eternal life in Christ

Feb 8, 2009

     John Wesley, the founder of the Methodist movement, spoke of God’s “prevenient” grace.  One way to understand this is to say that God chose to love us before we chose God.  Yet we do have a choice in that relationship.  God invites us into covenant with him.  In a marriage covenant for example, two people voluntarily enter into a special relationship with each other, yet each maintains his or her unique identity.  However, when making choices both must consider the well-being and feelings of the other.
   In Psalms like the one for today, we see faith grounded in covenant, yet choosing in spite of hardships, to make the right choices - the sometimes difficult choices that glorify God. Choose God.  It’s always worth it.

PSALM 16

  1-2  Keep me safe, O God, I've run for dear life to you. I say to God, "Be my Lord!" Without you, nothing makes sense.
     3  And these God-chosen lives all around— what splendid friends they make!
     4  Don't just go shopping for a god. Gods are not for sale. I swear I'll never treat god-names like brand-names.
  5-6  My choice is you, God, first and only. And now I find I'm your choice! You set me up with a house and yard. And then you made me your heir!
  7-8  The wise counsel God gives when I'm awake is confirmed by my sleeping heart. Day and night I'll stick with God; I've got a good thing going and I'm not letting go.
9-10  I'm happy from the inside out, and from the outside in, I'm firmly formed. You canceled my ticket to hell— that's not my destination!
   11 Now you've got my feet on the life path, all radiant from the shining of your face. Ever since you took my hand, I'm on the right way.

Week of February 8   Psalm 16

I call this the psalm for homeland security. It begins with a prayer that we have all uttered for ourselves and those we love (see verse 1). It is also a psalm of gratitude for our blessings (verse 2), our church community (verse 3), our faith (verse 4), our nation (verse 6), our trust in God’s will (verse 7) and our eternal destiny (verses 9–11). When you pray for safety and security, what else do you pray for?

Feb 15, 2009

     Many psalms have to do with worship in the ancient temple. Psalm 15 is one of those.  What is a temple?  It is a place of worship.  What do we do to worship God?  We shape ourselves into the people God wants us to be.  Read the psalm.
     I Corinthians 6:19 talks about another kind of temple:  “Your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you.”  So we ask another question:  How do we make ourselves a temple?  If the psalm is correct, it has to do with who are and how we live, not just Sundays, but all the time.  Give God your life, and let the spirit fill you with joy and peace.

PSALM 15

   1  God, who gets invited to dinner at your place?  How do we get on your guest list?
   2  "Walk straight, act right, tell the truth.
3-4  "Don't hurt your friend, don't blame your neighbor; despise the despicable.
   5  "Keep your word even when it costs you, make an honest living, never take a bribe.

"You'll never get blacklisted if you live like this."

Week of February 15 Psalm 15

What should church members be like? Psalm 15 is an ancient answer to that question. It is a laundry list of character traits. Try to come up with a single-word description for each characteristic mentioned in verses 2–5. Do they describe you?
In a New Testament context, who, in the name of Jesus Christ, should be added? The lost? The seeker? The poor? Make a new list. Maybe Matthew 5:1–12 will help you. Pray for the church.

Feb 22, 2009

   Most Psalms like today, describes the struggle God’s people have with the world.  It is the age old battle between good and evil; between belief and unbelief.
   In the comic strip Peanuts, Lucy holds up a large heart and says: “This, Linus, is a picture of the human heart.  One side is filled with hate and the other side with love.  These two forces are constantly at war with each other.”
   Linus replies, “I think I know what you mean.  I can feel them fighting.”
   So can we!  We must strengthen our prayer life and remember that our deliverance and final hope is always in God, through Jesus Christ!

PSALM 14

    1 Bilious and bloated, they gas, "God is gone." Their words are poison gas, fouling the air; they poison. Rivers and skies; thistles are their cash crop.
    2 God sticks his head out of heaven. He looks around. He's looking for someone not stupid—one man, even, God-expectant, just one God-ready woman.
    3 He comes up empty. A string of zeros. Useless, unshepherded sheep, taking turns pretending to be Shepherd. The ninety and nine follow their fellow.
    4 Don't they know anything, all these impostors? Don't they know they can't get away with this—Treating people like a fast-food meal over which they're too busy to pray?
 5-6 Night is coming for them, and nightmares, for God takes the side of victims. Do you think you can mess with the dreams of the poor? You can't, for God makes their dreams come true.
    7 Is there anyone around to save Israel? Yes. God is around; God turns life around. Turned-around Jacob skips rope; turned-around Israel sings laughter.

Week of February 22 Psalm 14

Psalm 14 is an interesting variation on the lament style of psalm. Here the psalmist generalizes his troubles and portrays them as a characteristic of an evil and unbelieving generation. Does it sound at all like anyone you know (perhaps yourself) criticizing our present-day society? Verses 2–4 are social satire at its best. Can you understand some of the emotions expressed in this psalm?
In verse 1 the Hebrew word translated here as “fool” denotes one who is morally deficient. Do you feel that there is deterioration in our morality today? The psalmist prays for god to uphold “the righteous” and to save god’s people. What is your prayer for our world today? Pray it now.