Devotion

Psalm 138:3 Just Another Ordinary Day: Eat Your Spinach

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Tuesday, February 11, 2025

Just Another Ordinary Day: Eat Your Spinach

Psalm 138:3   On the day I called, you answered me;

                        my strength of soul you increased.

            Ok. I’m going to date myself again. When I was a kid, I always loved to watch Popeye, the Sailer Man. Whenever scrawny little Popeye got into a fix with Bluto the bully, or another scoundrel, he’d pull out a can of spinach, pour the whole thing down his throat, and then get some super-charged power to take out Bluto with one wallop.

             God was always there for David, and God is always there for you. Some days we need a little more spinach than other days; my strength of soul you increased. Scholars debate the Hebrew word used here for “increased,” and that’s ok. Things like this keeps them in academia.

            There’s one translation however, I like:

            You made me great;

            Into my soul came strength[1]

            When you’re having just another ordinary day—uhg!, remember that God is always with you and hears your prayers. Remember that Jesus had the worst, yet most important, “uhg!” day on the cross for you. There on the cross Jesus exchanged our “uhgs” for “wows!” When you were Baptized, God didn’t fill your hearts with spinach. He filled you with His Holy Spirit. When you receive the Lord’s Body and Blood in bread and wine, God reminds you that He is the One Who is in charge of your day, because He is the One Who gives you His might and strength to face the Blutos in life.

[1] Advocated by two scholars named Staerk and Kittle; Rüterswörden. Botterweck, G. Johannes, Helmer Ringgren, and Heinz-Josef Fabry, eds. Theological Dictionary of the Old Testament. Revised; Accordance electronic edition, version 1.4. 15 vols. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2006. Vol. 13.352.

“It’s Just Another Ordinary Day.” Oh Really?!

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Thoughts & Devotions on Psalm 138

The 5th Sunday After Epiphany—C

Psalm 138

“It’s Just Another Ordinary Day.”

Oh Really??

Propers: 5th Sunday after Epiphany; Series C

Isa 6:1-8, 9-13

   It was just another ordinary day for Isaiah. He went to the temple as he had always done before. Today, however, would be not “just another ordinary day” for him. God gave him a unique experience that changed his life from that day forward. God allowed Isaiah to experience and see God’s eternal council. It was real as he experienced it all with his five senses; he saw, he smelled, he heard, he felt, and he tasted the burning coal.

   Rather than condemning Isaiah, like he thought would happen to him, Yhwh did what He always enjoys doing; He forgave Isaiah his sins and restored a sinner to the holiness he needed to be in the presence of the almighty and all-holy God. The LORD then commissioned Isaiah for His purpose. In his renewed life and spirit, Isaiah went out to do the LORD’s work.

1Cor 14:12-20

   Paul challenged the Corinthian Christians to use their God-given gifts directed in the proper way. Rather than striving to see who was the best, or who belonged to what group in the congregation, Paul directed their attention and efforts to do things God’s way. Rather than doing things for their own purposes, Paul reminds them that they were to do things for God’s purpose since it was God who called them God who made them Saints in His eyes (1Corinthians 1:2), God who gave them their various gifts, and God who by His Holy Spirit dwelled among them and empowered them for service. “Are there any further questions?”, asks Paul. “If not, then excel in building up Christ’s Church.”

Luke 5:1-11

   It was just another ordinary day for Peter and the other fishermen. They had come in from a long time of fishing catching nothing. They’re probably tired, pooped out, and frustrated.

   Jesus is just in the beginning of His earthly ministry and He’s seeking helpers. Why not fishermen? Well, yes. They’re rough around the edges, but God uses some of the unlikely people to carry out His work.

   Jesus tells Peter and the others to give it one more try, so at His word they do. Never have they ever witnessed, let alone experienced for themselves, something of this magnitude. Certainly, this Jesus is no ordinary mortal.

   Like Isaiah, they realized they were in the presence of God. At that moment, like Isaiah, they realized that they were sinners who should not be in the presence of this Jesus. Nevertheless, this is why Jesus came to earth as one of us. He came to save sinners, restore them with His holy precious blood and His resurrection. And He came to commission and use broken sinners for His work for His Kingdom.

Collect: O Lord, keep Your family the Church continually in the true faith that, relying on the hope of Your heavenly grace, we may ever be defended by Your mighty power. Amen.

826 Hark, the Voice of Jesus Crying

1      Hark, the voice of Jesus crying,
    “Who will go and work today?
Fields are white and harvests waiting—
    Who will bear the sheaves away?”
Loud and long the Master calleth;
    Rich reward He offers thee.
Who will answer, gladly saying,
    “Here am I, send me, send me”?

2     If you cannot speak like angels,
    If you cannot preach like Paul,
You can tell the love of Jesus,
    You can say He died for all.
If you cannot rouse the wicked
    With the judgment’s dread alarms,
You can lead the little children
    To the Savior’s waiting arms.

3     If you cannot be a watchman,
    Standing high on Zion’s wall,
Pointing out the path to heaven,
    Off’ring life and peace to all,
With your prayers and with your bounties
    You can do what God commands;
You can be like faithful Aaron,
    Holding up the prophet’s hands.

4     Let none hear you idly saying,
    “There is nothing I can do,”
While the multitudes are dying
    And the Master calls for you.
Take the task He gives you gladly,
    Let His work your pleasure be;
Answer quickly when He calleth,
    “Here am I, send me, send me!”

Text: Public domain

Summary/Overview of Psalm 138

New window, fresh eyes

       It was one of those occasions when a single experience opened up a whole new vista—on the nature of the Lord (1-3), the future of the world (4-6) and personal security (7-8). Of the experience itself we only know that prayer was answered in a way that gave David new vitality so that he wanted to sing the Lord’s praise into the face of every so–called ‘god’. He felt he knew the Lord as never before (2). He knew that no trouble or foe (7) could ever beat him or prevent the realisation of the Lord’s purpose (8).

       Maybe it all happened in 2 Samuel 5:17-21 when the Philistines challenged David’s infant kingdom, and in answer to enquiring of the Lord, a signal victory was won and the ‘gods’ of Philistia became the litter of battle. Maybe, but it all arose simply through prayer and answered prayer. The place of prayer is the place where the Lord’s revelation of himself takes on new dimensions (2), the place of renewal (3), world–vision (4) and confidence in God (7-8).[1]

Overview: A sincere confession of sins means confession of all sins, not just a particular sin or one category of sin (JEROME). God-pleasing worship includes, among other things, an awareness that we are praising God in the presence of angels (BEDE). God directs his attention to those who are humble and lowly; the proud and mighty he knows only from a distance (AUGUSTINE). We must lift up our hearts only to God; to lift them up to anyone else is pride (CAESARIUS).[2]

[1] Motyer, J.A. The Psalms. New Bible Commentary: 21st Century Edition. Edited by D. A Carson, R. T France, J. A. Motyer, and Gordon J. Wenham. Accordance electronic edition, version 2.3. Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 1994. 577.

[2] Blaising, Craig A. and Carmen S. Hardin, eds., Psalms 51–150. ACCS 8. ICCS/Accordance electronic edition, version 2.6. Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 2007. 331.

Monday, February 10, 2025

Just Another Ordinary Day: Uhg or Wow!

Psalm 138:1    I give you thanks, O LORD, with my whole heart;

                        before the gods I sing your praise;

2          I bow down toward your holy temple

and give thanks to your name for your steadfast     love and your faithfulness,

                        for you have exalted above all things

                        your name and your word.

            “It’s just another day. Uhg!” “It’s just another day! Wow!” What’s your attitude when you wake up in the morning, especially a Monday morning when the work or school week is facing you? When Monday arrives it sure seems like a looooong road to Friday! How you awake can affect how you’re going to go through the day, or the week for that matter.

            King David had a Wow! attitude in this Psalm. He knew how Yhwh had acted on his behalf in the past and in the present. With a bold approach David comes before Yhwh with a Wow! in his heart; before the gods I will sing your praise! Yhwh had been with him through thick and thin, and Yhwh promised to be there for David today and into the future.

            Yet David also knew that he was in the presence of Yhwh. He knew that he really didn’t deserve to be there; I bow down toward Your holy temple. This is what happened to Isaiah when he actually witnessed Yhwh upon His throne and saw into the heavenly, eternal council. This is what happened to the fishermen in Luke 5 when they realized that this Jesus is no ordinary man.

            In both cases, however, God acted in His grace and mercy. He restored Isaiah and used him for His purpose. Isaiah was ecstatic because of what Yhwh had done for him; Here am I! Send me! Every day after that was a far different just another day.

            Your sins have been forgiven, which really means quite a lot when you truly consider your sins against the almighty, holy, and righteous God. This moves the Christian to humble boldness as we awake each day—even on Monday mornings.

   Have an “it’s just another day! Wow!!”  today.

729 I Am Trusting Thee, Lord Jesus

2     I am trusting Thee for pardon;
    At Thy feet I bow,
For Thy grace and tender mercy
    Trusting now.

3     I am trusting Thee for cleansing
    In the crimson flood;
Trusting Thee to make me holy
    By Thy blood.

Text: Public domain

Have You Been Around The Block–With God? Psalm 71

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Hi Family! Getting back track with the Daily Devos as well. Below are the devotions from this week all in one fell-swoop. These are on Psalm 71.

Have you been around the block? The older we get the more we’ve “been around the block,” as the old saying goes. There’s wisdom from those who have been around the block. God’s been around the block since eternity!

The Fourth Sunday after Epiphany

Series C

Psalm 71

Have You Been Around the Block A Few Times?

God’s Been Around The Block From The Beginning of Eternity

The Propers for the Fourth Sunday After Epiphany, Series C

Collect of the Day

Almighty God, You know we live in the midst of so many dangers that in our frailty we cannot stand upright. Grant strength and protection to support us in all dangers and carry us through all temptations; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

Old Testament Reading: Jeremiah 1:4-10, 17-19

   This is known as the call of Jeremiah. Jeremiah was young when God called him to be His prophet. Jeremiah was inexperienced. Afterall, he hadn’t even been a quarter of the way around the block, let alone living a life that goes around the block a few times.

   God assures Jeremiah not to worry. God knew him long before he was born. God was with him at that moment, and God would be with Jeremiah every moment of his life.

Epistle Reading: 1Corinthians 12:31-13:13

   This reading is read very often at Christian weddings, and understandably so. Paul speaks about love. However, in context this reading isn’t simply for Christian weddings. This reading is for ALL Christians as we travel around the block of life.

   As we go around the block year after year we encounter all kinds of people. These people are in our own families. These people are in our places of work and school. These people are in the circles of our daily lives. And, when you think about it, we too are in the circles of other Christian’s lives, so these words apply to them when they encounter us.

   Substitute the name “Christ Jesus” every time you read the word “love” and see how this passage applies to you as you go around the block with God.

The Gospel Reading: Luke 4:31-44

   Jesus begins His healing ministry, and it begins by taking care of the devil and demons and putting them in their place. I personally know a couple of people who have worked in this realm, and I have absolutely no reason to doubt that the devil and demons continue their work to this very day. We should not discount this, but we shouldn’t focus and freak out about this either.

   Behind every problem and “nothing good” is the kingdom of darkness. Jesus’ healing ministry shows us what life eternal will be like for all people when He returns and our trip around the block of life comes to an end. Until that day, we commend everything over to our heavenly Father Who’s been around the block since the beginning of eternity.

Luther’s Morning Prayer

I thank You, my heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ, Your dear Son, that You have kept me this night from all harm and danger; and I pray that You would keep me this day also from sin and every evil, that all my doings and life may please You. For into Your hands I commend myself, my body and soul, and all things. Let Your holy angel be with me, that the evil foe may have no power over me. Amen.

Luther’s Evening Prayer

I thank You, my heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ, Your dear Son, that You have graciously kept me this day; and I pray that You would forgive me all my sins where I have done wrong, and graciously keep me this night. For into Your hands I commend myself, my body and soul, and all things. Let Your holy angel be with me, that the evil foe may have no power over me. Amen.

Psalm 71

1          In you, O LORD, do I take refuge;

                        let me never be put to shame!

2          In your righteousness deliver me and rescue me;

                        incline your ear to me, and save me!

3          Be to me a rock of refuge,

                        to which I may continually come;

             you have given the command to save me,

                        for you are my rock and my fortress.

4          Rescue me, O my God, from the hand of the wicked,

                        from the grasp of the unjust and cruel man.

5          For you, O Lord, are my hope,

                        my trust, O LORD, from my youth.

6          Upon you I have leaned from before my birth;

                        you are he who took me from my mother’s womb.

             My praise is continually of you.

7          I have been as a portent to many,

                        but you are my strong refuge.

8          My mouth is filled with your praise,

                        and with your glory all the day.

9          Do not cast me off in the time of old age;

                        forsake me not when my strength is spent.

10        For my enemies speak concerning me;

                        those who watch for my life consult together

11        and say, “God has forsaken him;

                        pursue and seize him,

                        for there is none to deliver him.”

12        O God, be not far from me;

                        O my God, make haste to help me!

13        May my accusers be put to shame and consumed;

                        with scorn and disgrace may they be covered

                        who seek my hurt.

14        But I will hope continually

                        and will praise you yet more and more.

15        My mouth will tell of your righteous acts,

                        of your deeds of salvation all the day,

                        for their number is past my knowledge.

16        With the mighty deeds of the Lord GOD I will come;

                        I will remind them of your righteousness, yours alone.

17        O God, from my youth you have taught me,

                        and I still proclaim your wondrous deeds.

18        So even to old age and gray hairs,

                        O God, do not forsake me,

             until I proclaim your might to another generation,

                        your power to all those to come.

19        Your righteousness, O God,

                        reaches the high heavens.

             You who have done great things,

                        O God, who is like you?

20        You who have made me see many troubles and calamities

                        will revive me again;

             from the depths of the earth

                        you will bring me up again.

21        You will increase my greatness

                        and comfort me again.

22        I will also praise you with the harp

                        for your faithfulness, O my God;

             I will sing praises to you with the lyre,

                        O Holy One of Israel.

23        My lips will shout for joy,

                        when I sing praises to you;

                        my soul also, which you have redeemed.

24        And my tongue will talk of your righteous help all the day long,

             for they have been put to shame and disappointed

                        who sought to do me hurt.

Monday, February 3, 2025

Going Around the Block With God: He’s Always There

1          In you, O LORD, do I take refuge;

                        let me never be put to shame!

2          In your righteousness deliver me and rescue me;

                        incline your ear to me, and save me!

3          Be to me a rock of refuge,

                        to which I may continually come;

             you have given the command to save me,

                        for you are my rock and my fortress.

            Are you pessimistic or optimistic about the future? Maybe it depends on your age or what generation you’re in. I recently heard that that GenZ is pessimistic on the American Dream—owning their own home—because of the current state of the economy, the interest and mortgage rates, the inventory of homes available, and the increasing prices of available inventory. I guess if I were GenZ, I might be a little pessimistic as well.

            It doesn’t matter if your age puts you in GenZ, Millenialists, GenY, or the Silent Generation. Every age, every generation, every century and millennia has its challenges. As times change there are two constants. One constant is that there will always be change. The other constant is that God NEVER changes.

            The Psalmist is in his old age as he writes this psalm. He’s been around the block. The one thing he knows for sure is that he’s never too old for God. No one ever outgrows his or her need for the Lord in their life.

            God is the One in Whom we take refuge because God is faithful. God will never ever disavow Himself of you. That’s the promise He made to you in your Baptism.

            God’s righteousness is not something that’s abstract. His righteousness is action, and that righteousness is seen in full display on the cross.

            God is your rock of refuge. He’s not a pebble, and He’s not a big stone. God is a rock, an immovable boulder as evidenced on the boulder of Calvary. Jesus’ arms are always open 24-hours a day, 7-days each week, 52-weeks out of the year.

656 A Mighty Fortress Is Our God

1     A mighty fortress is our God,
    A trusty shield and weapon;
He helps us free from ev’ry need
    That hath us now o’ertaken.
The old evil foe
Now means deadly woe;
    Deep guile and great might
    Are his dread arms in fight;
On earth is not his equal.

Text: Public domain

Tuesday, February 4, 2025

Going Around the Block With God: He Knew You Before Time Even Started

4          Rescue me, O my God, from the hand of the wicked,

                        from the grasp of the unjust and cruel man.

5          For you, O Lord, are my hope,

                        my trust, O LORD, from my youth.

6          Upon you I have leaned from before my birth;

                        you are he who took me from my mother’s womb.

             My praise is continually of you.

            The Psalmist seems to be playing Monday morning quarterback. After all, isn’t it always easier to see what’s going on after the fact? However, the Psalmist is still in the game of life, and so are we.

            The Psalmist didn’t know exactly what awaited him in the future, except for death. He knew that. The older we get the more attuned we are to our mortality as each day brings us one

step closer to Death’s door.

            The Psalmist knew something about God, however. He knew that God was always faithful even when the Psalmist wasn’t faithful to God. It’s God’s constant and never-changing faithfulness in which he trusted, and he trusted God from his youth.

            God knew the Psalmist. And God knows you. God knew you way back from the beginning of eternity. It was His plan to bring you into His very good creation. Yes. Satan disrupted God’s creation, but the devil can never disrupt God’s plan nor God’s plan for you.

            “Hope” is an expectation, an optimistic outlook. The only reason the Psalmist and we can have an optimistic outlook is because of Jesus’ perfect life lived for you, His death on the cross for the complete and total forgiveness of everyone’s sins, and His resurrection leading to the new and perfect life freed from any consequences of sin.

            This hope has an eternal home in the Christian’s heart. This hope has an eternal home in your heart too. You are a part of God’s plan; therefore, you can lean on Jesus at any time.

Wednesday, February 5,  2025

Going Around the Block With God: Escape To Reality

7          I have been as a portent to many,

                        but you are my strong refuge.

8          My mouth is filled with your praise,

                        and with your glory all the day.

9          Do not cast me off in the time of old age;

                        forsake me not when my strength is spent.

10        For my enemies speak concerning me;

                        those who watch for my life consult together

11        and say, “God has forsaken him;

                        pursue and seize him,

                        for there is none to deliver him.”

            Aging is difficult. There’s no doubt about that. Our bodies give way to time as parts wear out. The older we get the more we attend funerals of our friends and family members. For some, maybe for many, the retirements we dreamed about don’t seem to materialize for one reason or another.

            The unbelieving world may look at the Christian in these circumstances and say silently or out loud, “Where is your God? Maybe He’s forsaken you. Maybe He’s not real at all.”

            The Psalmist has been around the block a number of times, and he’s been around the block all those times with God. There’s a different reality he knows, and that reality is God’s reality for him. He looks back on his long life and remembers how God has always been with him and seen him through the good as well as the tough times. We know this because he continues to come back to God; the same God of his youth, the same God of his middle-age, and this is the same God in his old age.

            YOU are my strong refuge. My mouth is filled with YOUR praise; and with YOUR glory all the day.

            God’s reality for the Psalmist is the same reality for you, despite what the world, the devil, or our pasts and sins say otherwise. Your enemies of sin, death, and the devil will not succeed. They’ve been defeated at the cross and the empty Easter tomb. Because of this, God will never leave you nor forsake you.

656 A Mighty Fortress Is Our God

2     With might of ours can naught be done,
    Soon were our loss effected;
But for us fights the valiant One,
    Whom God Himself elected.
Ask ye, Who is this?
Jesus Christ it is,
    Of Sabaoth Lord,
    And there’s none other God;
He holds the field forever.

Text: Public domain

Thursday, February 6, 2025

Going Around the Block With God: Count Your Blessings, Name Them One By One

12        O God, be not far from me;

                        O my God, make haste to help me!

13        May my accusers be put to shame and consumed;

                        with scorn and disgrace may they be covered

                        who seek my hurt.

14        But I will hope continually

                        and will praise you yet more and more.

15        My mouth will tell of your righteous acts,

                        of your deeds of salvation all the day,

                        for their number is past my knowledge.

16        With the mighty deeds of the Lord GOD I will come;

                        I will remind them of your righteousness, yours alone.

            Verse 13 seems rather odd, and on the surface very non-Christian like. Are we to wish that our accusers to be put to shame? Are we not supposed to love them according to Jesus’ own words? Absolutely! We are to love them!

            The Psalmist is not wishing these things upon his enemies. After all, no one is righteous, no not one, including you and me. While we still enemies of God, He sent Jesus to die on the cross for us all. The Psalmist predicts what will happen to them if they don’t repent and turn to Jesus.[1]

            The Psalmist returns to his own situation. He knows that he’s accepted God’s reality for him, which is God’s undeserved and unmerited grace and forgiveness. After being around the block so many times with God the Psalmist continues to count his blessings from the LORD and praises Him for them. Likewise, he doesn’t want to keep these a secret, but rather he lives them out daily.

            When life in this broken world, and your sins begin to get the best of you, go around the block with God counting your blessings. Begin with your Baptism and see what God has done, and continues to do for you. God has blessed you in so many innumerable ways!

656 A Mighty Fortress Is Our God

3     Though devils all the world should fill,
    All eager to devour us,
We tremble not, we fear no ill;
    They shall not overpow’r us.
This world’s prince may still
Scowl fierce as he will,
    He can harm us none.
    He’s judged; the deed is done;
One little word can fell him.

Text: Public domain

Friday, February 7, 2025

Going Around the Block With God: The Best Is Yet To Come

Psa. 71:17       O God, from my youth you have taught me,

                        and I still proclaim your wondrous deeds.

18        So even to old age and gray hairs,

                        O God, do not forsake me,

             until I proclaim your might to another generation,

                        your power to all those to come.

19        Your righteousness, O God,

                        reaches the high heavens.

             You who have done great things,

                        O God, who is like you?

20        You who have made me see many troubles and calamities

                        will revive me again;

             from the depths of the earth

                        you will bring me up again.

21        You will increase my greatness

                        and comfort me again.

            Yup. The older we get the more we experience life—the good, the bad, and the ugly. Those who have been around the block a number of times have gained wisdom through all these experiences.

            I’ve met many people who have been around the block and are bitter. And I’ve met many people who have been around the block who, though having gone through very tough times, remain thankful to God for having Jesus in their life. In fact, a common confession that I often hear is, “I don’t know how people can go through life without Jesus.”

            This is what the Psalmist says in so many words. It’s very easy to become bitter with life, with others, and sometimes with ourselves. However, the Christian looks forward. He knows the best is yet to come. The Christian’s view of life begins at the cross and the empty Easter tomb. There is where the unholy trinity of sin, death, and the devil have been completely defeated.

            The older a Christian gets, the more he sees the grace and mercy of God who sees him through thick and thin. The Christian believes that, no matter what may come his way, the best is yet to come because the best will happen when Jesus returns on the last day.

            Until that time older Christians have a lot of valuable wisdom to share with the younger generation of Christians. The older ones have been through the wilderness of life and have experienced God’s grace and presence. The younger Christians are truly open to hearing about these things because they want to know how God works in the life of Christians. Who better to hear this from than from older Christians who have been through these things—who have been around the block with God? This is what the aged Psalmist does; he proclaims God’s might and goodness to the next generation. That’s because the older Christians can look back on a long trail of trust in God.

            For those of you who are older Christians (remember that fine wine is aged wine!), who do you know who are younger in church or your daily circles who could benefit from your experiences with God in your life? For those who are younger Christians, tap into the lives and experiences of older Christians so that you too may see how God works.

            As you go around the block with God, the best is still to come!

656 A Mighty Fortress Is Our God

4     The Word they still shall let remain
    Nor any thanks have for it;
He’s by our side upon the plain
    With His good gifts and Spirit.
And take they our life,
Goods, fame, child, and wife,
    Though these all be gone,
    Our vict’ry has been won;
The Kingdom ours remaineth.

Text: Public domain

Saturday, February 8, 2025

Going Around the Block With God: Praise Him All Along The Way

Psa. 71:22       I will also praise you with the harp

                        for your faithfulness, O my God;

             I will sing praises to you with the lyre,

                        O Holy One of Israel.

23        My lips will shout for joy,

                        when I sing praises to you;

                        my soul also, which you have redeemed.

24        And my tongue will talk of your righteous help all the day long,

             for they have been put to shame and disappointed

                        who sought to do me hurt.

            As with verse 13, so too with verse 24b. This is not a vindictive wish upon the enemies. The Psalmist is not showing a malicious ill will and a desire to hurt or despise his enemies. Rather, God’s faithfulness to the Psalmist will be played out by God.

            The Christian lives each day in the faithfulness of God as demonstrated in the cross. God is not just any god; He is my God. He is the Holy One Whose holiness continues to work and fill this world. He is the Holy One who has claimed you and given you the rights and privileges that go along with living in His Kingdom which has no end. And God has made you a part of His eternal grand plan through faith in His Holy Son, Jesus.

            The older we get, the more we go around the block. Regardless of our age, it’s merely a blink of an eye to God. He’s been around the block since the beginning of eternity. The devil will try to convince us otherwise, but he’s only been around the block since the beginning of time, not the beginning of eternity.

            Continue to trust God in any and all situations. God goes around the block with you every step of the way as the best is yet to come.

[1] H. C. Leupold, Exposition of the Psalms (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 1959), 514.

Psalm 34:1-10

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Proper 14B Psalm 34:1-10

Which Fear Surrounds You: Fears From The World or The Fear Of The LORD?

“Something’s not right.” I’ve said that to myself many times in the last few troubling and tumultuous years. I bet you have as well.” Tammy Bruce[1]

Propers for 14B

1Kings 19:1-8

            There are two messengers sent to Elijah. One is from Jezebel, who instills fear of afraidness in the life of Elijah. She’s calling for his life. The other messenger is the Angel of Yhwh, the Second person of the Trinity, who comes to him, not once but TWICE. He feeds him and tells Elijah to get up and go because there’s still work that Yhwh needs him to do. The Angel of Yhwh sustains Elijah in his life despite the real dangers he faced.

Ephesians 4:17-5:2

Living in afraidness is no way to live. It sucks the joy out of living that God wants for each and every person’s life. Afraidness and living in fear robs the Christian of joy. Paul writes that the Christian is “to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life … and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.”  In other words, the Christian’s entire life of faith  is now lived in the fear of the LORD.

John 6:35-51

            Despite their fears and lack of trust that God could provide for their daily needs. God sustained the people EVERY DAY throughout their 40-year wilderness journey. Jesus is the Bread from Heaven to which He references. Jesus is also the Angel of Yhwh who sustained Elijah and told him to get up and get going. Elijah was never alone and was provided for by God’s hand. The people of God were never alone and were provided for in the wilderness by God’s hand.

Jesus said, “47 Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes has eternal life. 48 I am the bread of life. 49 Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. 50 This is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die. 51 I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.”

            “Has” is a present tense. Since Jesus has already given you eternal life today, you have nothing of which to be afraid.

COLLECT OF THE DAY

Gracious Father, Your blessed Son came down from heaven to be the true bread that gives life to the world. Grant that Christ, the bread of life, may live in us and we in Him, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

Psalm 34         OF DAVID, WHEN HE CHANGED HIS BEHAVIOR BEFORE ABIMELECH, SO THAT HE DROVE HIM OUT, AND HE WENT AWAY.

1          I will bless the LORD at all times;

                        his praise shall continually be in my mouth.

2          My soul makes its boast in the LORD;

                        let the humble hear and be glad.

3          Oh, magnify the LORD with me,

                        and let us exalt his name together!

4          I sought the LORD, and he answered me

                        and delivered me from all my fears.

5          Those who look to him are radiant,

                        and their faces shall never be ashamed.

6          This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him

                        and saved him out of all his troubles.

7          The angel of the LORD encamps

                        around those who fear him, and delivers them.

8          Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good!

                        Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!

9          Oh, fear the LORD, you his saints,

                        for those who fear him have no lack!

10        The young lions suffer want and hunger;

                        but those who seek the LORD lack no good thing.

Psalm 34 is one of the acrostic psalms in the Psalter. An acrostic is where the first line of the prayer or poem begins with the letter A. The next line begins with the letter B. The line after that begins with the letter C, and so forth all the way through the letter Z. A Hebrew acrostic uses the Hebrew alphabet of twenty-two letters.

In addition to being an acrostic Psalm, which David wrote, this Psalm includes an historical setting from which David penned this psalm. You might remember the story of David and Goliath from your Sunday School days (1Samuel 17)? The young, small shepherd boy went up in battle against the humongoidal Philistine Goliath. This should have been a completely one-sided victory for the Philistines, and David should have been toast. However, one should never ever count God out of the picture. God delivered Goliath over to David in victory, and in so doing David received all the attention and praise from the people.

This made King Saul rather jealous, and as the green-eyed monster of jealousy does, it moved Saul to seek out David’s life (1Samuel 18-24). In the midst of this David flees to Gath for refuge, but he needs to fake that he’s a madman and insane scratching marks on doors with his hands and drooling down his bear, well, like a madman. The king of Gath had enough crazy people to deal with. So, rather than dealing with another one, he let David go (1Samuel 21:10-15). God delivered David through this insanity, which is the setting for Psalm 34.

David certainly had something of which to fear. Nevertheless, his trust never waned in God. Rev. Dr. Saleska writes concerning this Psalm:

What David really wants to do is persuade people to believe that what Yhwh did for him is what he does for them. Put another way, he desires to blur the distinction between the miraculous thing(s) Yhwh did for him and the miraculous thing(s) he does for them. He wants to invite them to identify with him, rather than alienate them or make his experience sound more otherworldly or divine than that which they could experience. Here he does not do what many religious leaders do: he does not assert that he is qualified to lead them and that they are duty bound to follow him because God has called him for this special task.[2]             David invites us to rejoice with him.

[1] Bruce, Tammy. Fear Itself (p. xi). HarperCollins. Kindle Edition.

[2] Timothy E. Saleska, Psalms 1–50, ed. Christopher W. Mitchell, Concordia Commentary (Saint Louis, MO: Concordia Publishing House, 2020), 548.

Psalm 136:26 God’s Window Never Closes

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Psalm 136:26

            As Psalm 136 draws to a “close,” it closes in the same way that it opens. The windows of God are never closed, nor closed to you because the Window of God—Jesus—never closes!

            Creation is the stage in which God remains active and acts in His history. He is the Creator, your Creator. God don’t make junk, therefore you are not junk. You are valuable and precious in the eyes of God, even if the world would try to tell you otherwise.

            God is your Deliverer. Upon the stage of world history there are lots of clouded, dingy, dirty windows that don’t let us see God as He truly is. His character is steadfast love. It’s an action word that never ever ceases. His love for you is happening right now and continues to happen and move forward to the end of eternity (that’s a long time!) He’s steadfast love for you is viewed through the window of the cross.

            God continues to take care of you. The ancient pray-ers and modern pray-ers of Psalm 136 acknowledge, believe, and confess that God is still very active in their lives as they actualize and realize God’s blessings and benefits.

Therefore we, with our pilgrim brothers and sisters of the Old Testament Church, can retrace our foundational pilgrimage from Egypt to Canaan and sing with them at every step that his love endures for ever. His windows always remain open!

Psalm 136:23-25 God’s Window: A Beautiful View Never Stops

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Psalm 136:23-25

            As Psalm 136 draws to a close, the pray-er is reminded that Yhwh is not a god locked up and stuck in the recesses of history. The pray-er gives thanks to Yhwh because Yhwh is still active in his life that day. The pray-er is actualizing God’s never-ending love as His love continues to move forward through time and history. The pray-er from ancient times is swept up by Yhwh’s grace, and you are too!

            What’s even more amazing is that the God of all gods, the LORD of all lords, the Almighty Creator of the universe and all the earth actually remembers us! God is never too busy to hear your prayers. God is never too busy to attend to your needs. The pray-er remembers that even when God’s people were “down and out” He came in action and rescued them from their foes. [1] God created you, therefore you are extremely special to God.

            God has rescued you from the foe of foes—Satan, the powers of sin, death, damnation, and the grave itself. Since He’s already accomplished this for you, do you really think that He would forget about you? Jesus died on the cross with your name upon His lips. Think about this: if you were the only person on earth Jesus still would have gone to the cross for you.

            136:23-24 is the continuation of Israel’s story—Israel’s history. And notice that the Most High God is still active and working in the life of His people. The continuation of Israel’s story is now viewed through God’s Window of Jesus, the New Israel. You are a participant in this plan of God. He’s grafted you into His New Israel through faith in Christ alone.

            Yhwh is still the Giver to all people today, not only Christians. The Christian actualizes His blessings through faith and responds to God accordingly. God still loves all His creation, even those who continue to reject His Savior.

            The Apostles’ Creed[2] is an ancient creed of the Christian Church. It is still confessed in Christian churches today. The First Article (or statement of faith) of the Creed focuses on God as Father as the Creator who remains active in His world today. Like the pray-er of Psalm 136, God’s modern people actualize His ongoing blessings and steadfast love on a daily basis. The Christian recognizes these and gives God thanks each and every day. Rev. Dr. Martin Luther writes this explanation concerning the First Article in his Small Catechism:

I believe in God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth.

What does this mean?

I believe that God has made me and all creatures; that He has given me my body and soul, eyes, ears, and all my members, my reason and all my senses, and still takes care of them.

He also gives me clothing and shoes, food and drink, house and home, wife and children, land, animals, and all I have. He richly and daily provides me with all that I need to support this body and life.

He defends me against all danger and guards and protects me from all evil.

All this He does only out of fatherly, divine goodness and mercy, without any merit or worthiness in me. For all this it is my duty to thank and praise, serve and obey Him.

This is most certainly true.[3]

[1] James Luther Mays, Psalms, Interpretation, a Bible Commentary for Teaching and Preaching (Louisville, KY: John Knox Press, 1994), 420–421.

[2] The word ‘creed’ comes from the Latin credo. The ‘o’ = ‘I’. “Cred” = believe. Squish them together and credo means “I believe.”

[3] Luther, Martin. Luther’s Small Catechism with Explanation – 2017 Edition (p. 133). Concordia Publishing House. Kindle Edition.

Psalm 136:17-22 Window: God’s Great Gift of the Promised Land

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Psalm 136:17-22

            This window of God shows His people that He will not let anything or anyone stand in His way of keeping His promises. God is the promise maker and the promise keeper. He promised this land—the Promised Land—all the way back to Abram/Abraham and his descendants. After hundreds of years from when God made that promise, it was now time to keep iy. Even when God’s people demonstrated their unbelief and unfaithfulness to God, He still remained faithful.

            Yhwh God is the great victor in this part of Psalm 136. God’s people were so close to entering Canaan, and yet so far. They could reach out and touch the land, but they weren’t ther quite yet. There were some enemies in the way, Sihon and Og. They refused to let God’s people pass through “their” land in order to reach the promised land.

            The Christian life is that of journeying to THE Promised Land. Sometimes it seems so close that you can reach out and touch it. Other times it might seem so far out of reach that you might wonder if it’s ever going to be attainable. Like God’s ancient people traveling to Canaan, we modern-day people of God have enemies that stand in the way seeking to keep us out. The devil and his kingdom of darkness try everything they can to block our way and keep us from entering God’s Promised Land.

            Numbers 21:21-35 gives the account of what happened to the kings who sought to keep God’s people from entering Canaan. Peter Naylor gives his comment on this section in Deuteronomy in his commentary:

Israel was hemmed in between Moab and the Amorites (21:13). The way to Canaan was barred. The message sent to Sihon, king of the Amorites, was similar to the message to Edom (22; 20:17), and the response was the same: to muster an army and repel them. This time Israel did not turn away but defeated the aggressor and occupied its cities. Again, an ancient saying is quoted to mark this victory. … Their words anticipated the coming defeat of Moab, whose god was Chemosh (29;1 Ki. 11:33). Og, king of Bashan, was the next enemy defeated (32-35; a fuller account is in Dt. 3:1-11). After both victories, Israel occupied the land taken (25, 31, 35).[1]

            Remember in the beginning of Psalm 136 God opens His window of Creation for all to see and gaze upon. God created everything, therefore everything belongs to Yhwh and no one else—including us. Sihon and Og were simply supposed to be stewards of the land, not owners. Yhwh owned the land, and He wasn’t going to let anyone stop Him from delivering His people to the land He promised them.

This window of God shows us that He is the Conqueror and Victor on behalf of His people. He was there to fight for them, and He’s still here to fight for you. The ultimate enemy against God and His people is Satan. Satan rules this present evil age, but he certainly doesn’t own it. God sent His Son to do battle against the enemy on a little plot of land called Calvary. There on the cross is where the barrier stood between life in the wilderness of sin and entrance into the Promised Land. There on the cross is where Jesus defeated more than Sihon and Og. He defeated the powers of sin, death, eternal damnation, and the devil himself. Three-days later this Conquering Victor rose from the grave that will shut each of us in some day. God’s window of Jesus’ death and resurrection demonstrates that this life of sufferings and hardships is not the end. There’s more to this journey that what the windows of the world and culture show us.

            When the Sihons and Ogs of this world seek to deflate you; when it seems like God and His promises are so near and yet so far, don’t shut the window. Gaze through God’s window of Christ’s death and resurrection. This is the window that leads to God’s Promised Land for you!

[1] Naylor, Peter John. Numbers. New Bible Commentary: 21st Century Edition. Edited by D. A Carson, R. T France, J. A. Motyer, and Gordon J. Wenham. Accordance electronic edition, version 2.3. Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 1994. 188.

Psalm 136:10-16 See Through The Window Of The Deliverer

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Psalm 136:10-16

            Today the window of God moves us from His Creation to His great wonders of redeeming His people from oppression and slavery in Egypt. This is the first Passover when Yhwh passed through Egypt to bring death to the firstborn. God gave the people a sign for protection against death, however. Take the blood of a lamb and paint your outer doorframe with the blood. When I see the blood, I will “pass over” that home and death will not enter it. This is the first Passover.

            For 430 years (Exodus 12:40) God’s people had been enslaved. They had cried out to the LORD to deliver them. Though their prayers may have seemed to go unanswered during that time, or they wondered why the LORD was taking His time, nevertheless, the LORD heard the prayers of His people. He still hears your prayers today. He’s faithful, after all, even when we are unfaithful to Him.

            Through this window of God, the LORD shows us His redemptive work. The 10 Plagues God uses to crush Pharaoh’s heart aren’t simply neat tricks that God performs. Each of these plagues is connected to one of Egypt’s gods. In sending these plagues God showed the Egyptians that He, and He alone, is truly God of gods and LORD of lords.

            The problems for God’s people didn’t end once Pharaoh told the Hebrew people and Moses to leave and get out of town. Pharaoh later changed his mind. He chased them down with his armies, chariots and horses. God’s people found themselves in a pickle once again. Pharaoh’s army was coming from one direction, and on the other side stood the Red Sea. They were trapped. Would there be any hope? It certainly didn’t look like it.

            Nevertheless, Yhwh is the God of His Word. He promised deliverance to the Promised Land, and He wouldn’t let evil stop Him. With a mighty hand and an outstretched arm Yhwh God parted the Red Sea so that His people could pass through safely to the other side on dry ground. Pharaoh’s army tried to pass through as well, but they were met with a different fate as Yhwh brought the parted waters down upon them. All Pharaoh’s army, chariots, and horses were drowned and brought to nothing. Put your trust only in God and not human kingdoms, rulers, and principalities.

            The Passover and parting of the Red Sea are one of God’s Great Wonders—His miracles that He Himself initiated on behalf of His people. These great wonders point forward to, and are fulfilled in, Christ Jesus.

            Jesus is the Lamb of God who not only takes away the sin of the world. He is also the way through Whom God passes over eternal death, hell, and damnation. Those who have the blood of the Lamb painted on the doors of their hearts through Baptism demonstrate their trust in God. The Passover meal was fulfilled in Christ Jesus the night before He was betrayed. The Lamb of God was sacrificed and slaughtered on the cross because of our sins. Yet, this is what the Son did willingly and lovingly for the world. This window of God shows how much He loves you. God desires the eternal death and damnation of no one, which is why He gave us the way out. That way—that Window—is only Jesus.

            The parting of the Red Sea foreshadows the blessings God bestows through the waters of Holy Baptism. The people were doomed on the one side, but God parted the waters and provided the way to safely travel to the other side.

            Baptism is God’s Window for salvation. Without Jesus we are doomed. But with Jesus, God delivers us safely to the other side. God works His great wonders through His Holy Waters. There in Baptism is where He claims you as one of His dear children. Through God’s window of Baptism the Lord works His power and might. He takes the initiative to drag us from the kingdom of darkness and damnation and places you securely in His Kingdom of Light and Salvation.

            What a great window!

Psalm 136:4-9 Looking Out God’s Window: How God Sees You

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Psalm 136:4-9

            We need clean windows! Whenever I wash the car I have to take time to clean the windows. The outside windows are pretty easy to clean. It’s the inside of the windows that give me difficulty. Inevitably, every time I clean the inside I either miss some spots or I smear the window area. It drives me nuts because now I have to go back over it all again. Until then, I have to drive with weird glare from oncoming headlights, or some sort of light refraction from the sun. “Clean it right the first time Mike!”

God cleans the windows of our hearts as He enters into your life. He cleans our windows thoroughly and completely with the blood of His Son shed on Calvary. There are no smears or spots left behind. He leaves no sin behind on our windows to refract or block our sight. That’s the ONLY window cleaner that can clean the caked on, baked on sin in a person’s life. Windex can’t do it. Living a good enough life can’t do it. Keeping one’s nose clean can’t do it. The indelible dirt on the windows of the human heart can only be completely cleansed with Christ’s blood and washed away in Baptism.

            Now that God has cleansed your heart and opened your window, He enters into your life bringing His perspective of His Creation and plan of salvation so that you can see things clearly. He brings His Window—Jesus—into your life.

            The psalmist makes an interesting move beginning in verse 4. The name Yhwh (or LORD in English translations) is now replaced by titles for the remainder of Psalm 136. All these titles are actions and action words because Yhwh is not static. He’s always active, and He’s always active in His Creation and in human history. [1] All these titles are rooted in and flow forth from the One Who is the Doer of great wonders. The great wonders, then, become the subject matter for the rest of the Psalm. In other words, God’s great wonders are windows of God through which the Christian sees more aspects of Himself, and to which God calls all humanity to see Him as He really is.

            “Wonders” in Hebrew is nip̱lāʾôṯ with the rood word p̱lʾ. You don’t need to know this. I simply want to point out that nip̱lāʾôṯ (wonders) are miraculous miracles of God.[2] Yhwh is the one Who initiates and performs Creation. Yhwh does the creating, and only Yhwh can and did create everything out of nothing. There’s no “big bang,” no “evolution or theory of evolution” (by the way, evolution is still a theory because it’s never been proven. Isn’t weird how ‘theory’ has dropped out of “theory of evolution?” I wonder why?).

            The adjective is “great.” These aren’t your typical, every day run of the mill wonders. These are “God is GREAT” wonders![3]

            Yhwh creates from His understanding and skill.[4] This is just one of His attributes. His great wonders include the universe. Where’s the end of the universe? And what lays beyond the end of the universe? God is even outside of all of this because He created it! He brought into existence galaxies, stars, plants, moons, and everything that’s in the heavens that we see when we look up into the night sky. God created the sun to bring light and warmth to sustain life on this planet called earth. He created the mountains, valleys, plains, the tropics, the rain forests, the regular forests, and everything!

            The sun and the moon were not created simply for their beauty for us to enjoy. God also created time itself from the very first nanosecond continuing through today and tomorrow. The sun and the moon are God’s markers for time.

            But most important, and the most greatest wonder work He did was that He created you! God don’t make junk. Everything and everyone has a purpose and function, otherwise He wouldn’t have wasted His efforts.

            It is through this window of Creation that God wants you to see yourself. It is through this window of God’s magnificent work that He wants you to understand how valuable and precious you are to Him. You are so precious to God that He sent His Son to suffer and die on the cross in your place. You owe nothing to God. Jesus rose again three-days later. In doing so, He has ushered in God’s New Creation. God New Creation has begun! It’s already underway, and it will be fully realized on the final day of Christ’s return. This is one of God’s Windows through which He wants you to see the world, and it can be viewed only through the window of the cross of Jesus.

            The Creation movement of Psalm 136 is the entry way into God’s plan of salvation—the second movement. [5] And you, dear friend, are a part of this! What a great wonder you are!

[1] James Luther Mays, Psalms, Interpretation, a Bible Commentary for Teaching and Preaching (Louisville, KY: John Knox Press, 1994), 419.

[2]  פלא Koehler, Ludwig, Walter Baumgartner, and M. E. J. Richardson, eds. The Hebrew and Aramaic Lexicon of the Old Testament. Accordance electronic edition, version 3.6. 5 vols. Leiden: Brill, 2000. 927.

[3]  גָּדוֹל Koehler, Ludwig, Walter Baumgartner, and M. E. J. Richardson, eds. The Hebrew and Aramaic Lexicon of the Old Testament. Accordance electronic edition, version 3.6. 5 vols. Leiden: Brill, 2000. 177.

[4] tᵉbhûnāh “In contrast to binah, tebhunah is also used as a divine attribute. Thus, several passages emphasize that God created heaven and earth by wisdom and knowledge (Jer. 10:12; 51:15; Ps. 136:5; Prov. 3:19; cf. also the text in Job 26:12, which contains mythological elements). His understanding is unsearchable (ʾen chaqer, Isa. 40:28) and beyond measure (ʾen mispar, Ps. 147:5).” Ringgren. Botterweck, G. Johannes, Helmer Ringgren, and Heinz-Josef Fabry, eds. Theological Dictionary of the Old Testament. Revised; Accordance electronic edition, version 1.4. 15 vols. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2006. 106.

[5] Hans-Joachim Kraus, A Continental Commentary: Psalms 60–150 (Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press, 1993), 498.

Psalm 136:1-3 First, We Need Our Windows Cleaned

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Psalm 136:1-3

            Before we can look through God’s windows, we need to see God for Who He really is. We need to see how God sees us through His window. Without that window we can never see clearly God’s purpose for Creation and His continued activity within His Creation. We need to clean that window and throw it open. Psalm 136:1-3 does this for us.

Psalm 136 was written in a context of polytheism, which means a culture with many other so-called gods that governed the people. This is not unlike our culture today, or any culture through history. Yhwh is the One and only true God. He was back then, and He still is today, the only God through the end of eternity.

Cultural gods and goddesses include various types of spirituality, spiritism, or anything that’s at the center of a person’s life. Even atheism has its own god. Atheism: ‘a’ means no; ‘theos’ means god. Thus, atheism means “no god.” Nevertheless, atheism has humanism and “self” at the center of a person’s life, which is a god. No one is god-less or without a god.

Verses 1-3 is not acknowledging that there are other gods and goddesses in addition to Yhwh. The 1 Commandment forbids this type of belief: You shall have no other gods except for Me. However, God speaks within the polytheistic culture using human understanding to bring them to His truth. “[Th]e psalmist completes his first triplet [of the psalm] with Yahweh’s dominance over all the gods and lords of heathendom, the senseless idols of [Psalm] 135:15–18. … and knows, as in 135:5, who is in charge of the pantheon.”[1]

            God throws open His window for all to see Him as He is. He has nothing to hide. Give thanks is another way of saying “confess” or “acknowledge” Yhwh. Yhwh is the direct object of our praise and confession of faith. It’s an imperative, which means this confession is really not an option. The Christian does this willingly because he is empowered by the very Spirit of Yhwh to do so.

The psalm uses superlatives[2] in a culture where humanity falsely believes that there are other gods and goddesses to worship and that govern humanity and its history. “You believe in your gods? Ok, then. Yhwh is the God of all gods, including your so-called gods. You believe in your gods as your lords? Ok, then. Yhwh is the Lord of lords, including your so-called lords.”

However, the psalmist doesn’t leave the unbeliever without an invitation to change her ways. “Come and at least check out Yhwh. His character is goodness and not anger, mercy and not revenge. Yhwh really does care about you and loves you very much.” And we Christians need this reminder in our lives too.

The window through which God wants us and the rest of the world to get to know Him is through the cross of His Son Jesus. Christianity is the only religion in the world where humans do not have to appease their god. All other religions, which are human religions at the core, have some sort of basis where a person must do something to gain favor or hope for a better afterlife. Christianity, the only true religion, demands nothing from humanity. God does it all completely for His creatures in the cross of Jesus. What a window of grace and mercy!

God invites us once again to look through the open window that God Himself has thrown open. He opens the windows of our hearts by His Spirit so that we can see Him for Who He truly is, confess Him as LORD because His character is truly goodness.

God invites you to do more than look into His window. He invites you into His home, into His family, to dwell with Him. In so doing we begin to look out at God’s Creation and all of God’s people from His perspective—through His window of the cross and the empty Easter tomb. It’s a wonderful, majestic, beautiful view from God’s perspective. So, come on in and gaze through God’s window!

[1] Michael D. Goulder, The Psalms of the Return: Book V, Psalms 107–150, vol. 258, Journal for the Study of the Old Testament Supplement Series (Sheffield: Sheffield Academic Press, 1998), 221.

[2] Waltke, Bruce K. and Michael P. O’Connor. An Introduction to Biblical Hebrew Syntax. Accordance electronic edition, version 2.8. Winona Lake, Ind.: Eisenbrauns, 1990. 122-123.; Gesenius, Wilhelm. Gesenius’ Hebrew Grammar. Edited by E. Kautzsch and A. E. Cowley. 2d, Accordance electronic edition, version 3.2. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1910. 431.