Good Morning, Siblings!
Today’s readings are Psalms 115-118
Click here to read today’s passages on BibleGateway.
My dear friend, Debbie Ingle is stepping in for me with the notes today.
Debbie’s Rabbit Trails
Hello Front Porch Family! It is an honor to walk through some of the Psalms with you today. Do you find yourself singing as you go? I find that many songs that I’ve heard all my life originated from these beautiful and ancient Psalms. Let’s go for a walk…
Psalm 115
- I love how this one starts out, don’t you!? The psalmist is turning away from self and toward The Father…for YHVH’s sake. He doesn’t want the nations to say, “Where is their God now?” The psalmist is careful to represent YHVH well in order for the nations to see that YHVH is indeed THE GOD of ALL. (Does this remind you of the very first commandment…yep, me too!)
- More commandment language coming up…the psalmist continues by talking about the idols of the nations. Recall that not having idols is the second commandment. I want to sit on this section for just a moment. Here are some things to consider:
- Notice that the idols have mouths, eyes, ears, hands, and feet…but cannot speak, see, hear, feel, or walk. Now…let me have your undivided attention for this next part….
Those who make them become like them; so do all who trust in them. Psalm 115:8
But Debbie, surely that’s an allegory…right? Is it? Do you know any people who have eyes but cannot see or ears but cannot hear. I’m not speaking of the physically blind and deaf here…I am speaking of those who cannot see or hear in other ways…spiritual ways.
–Now before you get worried…if you are here with us reading The Word, you are very likely NOT one of these individuals. You are seeking The Father…seeing His Word and listening to His voice. However, this is a good warning to us, lest we fall into poor habits and stop seeking. Sometimes this walk is hard, and it is easy to get tired. Guard yourself against idols my friends, especially during your weakest times. Also, let me encourage you to really ask The Father to show you what idols are in our time. Most of us don’t have temples to other gods in our communities, but we most definitely have things in our lives that take our focus off of YHVH and His Word. Those things are our idols. May we cry out to YHVH today and ask Him to help us tear them down from our lives!
- What can we conclude about the masses of people who could not see and hear in this passage? See Matthew 13:15
- What can we conclude about the disciples since Yeshua gives them the compliment that their eyes can see and their ears can hear? See Matthew 13:16
- One more point about that: Yeshua taught first testament scriptures throughout His ministry. He was not developing new content on the spot. He was explaining The Torah, The Prophets, and The Writings. I believe that He was thinking about this very Psalm while using language about the senses to teach His disciples.
Oh my, I’m getting wordy again! Moving on, because there is just too much goodness to pass over today 🙂
Psalm 116
- I won’t linger too much here…but does anyone else see Messianic references in this Psalm? Check out Psalm 116:16
Psalm 117
- Looking for some entry level memory work? This Psalm packs a punch in just 2 verses! Notice who is doing the praising here…it is the nations. I encourage you to look it up at this Biblehub link to really gain a deeper understanding of what is going on here.
Psalm 118
- Right out of the gate, I am reminded how glad I am that we are Bible Readers. We are encountering language, once again, that we might not understand the depth of if we had not already been reading. Hats off to you, my friends!
- “His lovingkindness endures forever.” Sound familiar? Well, that is because we have read it before in 2 Chronicles 5:13-14. (Note: translations handle these words in a variety of ways. You may see mercy; lovingkindness; steadfast love, etc. Drill it down to the Hebrew, you will find the same Hebrew word in both verses). –Remember when the temple that Solomon built was being dedicated and it filled with the presence of YHVH so much that they could not remain inside? Well, it would appear that it was THIS Psalm that they were reciting. –That made me smile to realize!
- One more, and I’ll let you get on with your own study. Check out “The Stone that the builders rejected….” in Psalm 118:22
- I think THIS is the thesis of it all. Have we rejected The Stone…The Cornerstone? When Yeshua was talking to people about building on a firm foundation, THIS is what He was talking about. The foundation did not begin with the birth of Yeshua. It began in the beginning. I am SO thankful that we are reading The Word and building our houses on THE foundation from the beginning on up.
*Editor’s Note: this post was originally published near Passover, which takes place in the spring. Family, I got L-O-N-G on you today, but this is such foundation building stuff! I will leave you with one more thought: As some of you embarked on keeping Passover this year, know that THIS Psalm and several others in the neighborhood were the Psalms that Yeshua and his disciples were singing at the end of their Passover remembrance. See Matthew 26:30 and enjoy! –Debbie 🙂
Christy’s Latest Passover Post may be found here: We Must, By All Means, Keep This Passover
Test everything, hold tight to what is good.~ 1 Thess 5:21
We are saved by Grace alone: Obedience is not the root of our salvation, it is the fruit!
May YHWH bless the reading of His Word!