Podcasts about Psalter

Psalm 145A Psalm of Praise, of David- This is the only Psalm designated as a psalm of praise. “Here begins the grand doxology of the entire collection., for praise plays a greater part in Psalms 145-150 than in most of the others. The word ‘praise' occurs 46 times in these six psalms” BK, 895.“The Hebrew tehilah yields in rabbinic Hebrew the plural tehilim, which is set title in Hebrew for the Book of Psalms. Although psalms of supplication are actually more numerous in the canonical collection, the assumption of post-biblical Jewish was that purpose par excellence of the poetry of psalms was to praise God. This assumption accords with the view of the ancient editors, for the last six psalms, beginning with this one, are all psalms of praise” Alter, 500.This is “the last psalm of David in the Psalter and the last of the eight acrostics found there, of which no less than five bear his name” Kidner, 480. It is the fourth acrostic in Book Five. Three other acrostics appear in Book 1 (Pss. 25 34, 37)- NICOT, 990. All ( כל) is used in Psalm 145 in vss. 2, 9, 9, 10, 13, 13, 14, 14, 15, 16, 17, 17, 18, 18, 20, 20, 21. This expresses an exuberant ring- Laymen's , 699.The psalm “alternates between ‘you' sections, addressing Yahweh directly, and ‘He' sections, referring to Him in the third person” Broyles, 504. You is found in vss. 1-2, 4-7, 10-12 and He in vss. 3, 8-9, 13b, 14, 17-18, 19-20)The Talmud stresses the value of repeating this prayer, the Tehillah of David- Berekot, 4b. “In Jewish practice this psalm was recited twice in the morning and once in the evening service. The Talmud commends all who repeat it three times a day as having a share in the world to come” VanGemeren, 860. “Psalm 145 appears in the Jewish prayer book more than any other psalm in the Psalter. The Dead Sea Psalm scroll in 11QPs contains a version of Psalm 145 in which the refrain, ‘Blessed is the LORD and blessed is His name forever and ever,' is included after each verse, suggesting some sort of liturgical use. All indications are that the words of this psalm were and are a vital part of the faith of the Jewish people” NICOT, 990. 145:8 The LORD is gracious and merciful- Ex. 34:6-7; Num. 14:18; II Chron. 30:9; Neh. 9:17; Pss. 86:15; 103:8; 111:4; 112:4; Joel 2:13; Jonah 4:2” Miller, 441. “When Jonah quoted it back to God with disapproval, he received a reply which confirmed not only this but the truth of our verse 9 by revealing God's pity for the very cattle of Nineveh (Jonah 4:2, 11)” Kidner, 481. For more notes check with me. 

“How long, Lord? Will you forget me forever?     How long will you hide your face from me? How long must I wrestle with my thoughts     and day after day have sorrow in my heart?     How long will my enemy triumph over me? Look on me and answer, Lord my God.     Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep in death, and my enemy will say, “I have overcome him,”     and my foes will rejoice when I fall. But I trust in your unfailing love;     my heart rejoices in your salvation. I will sing the Lord's praise,     for he has been good to me” (Psalm 13). Continuing to work through themes related to suffering and healing in connection with New Hope and hearing stories about our siblings in Christ in the global church, today we are going to talk about lament. In the fifth week of the New Hope program, participants engage with the story of Jesus' crucifixion, and they hear the words of Christ's own lament on the cross, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” Jesus is quoting the beginning of Psalm 22, a lament which would have been well-known by the Jewish onlookers and similar to Psalm 13, our text for today. Lament psalms like these are prevalent in Scripture, particularly in the Psalter. In fact, individual psalms of lament are the most common type of psalm in the Psalter. As we've just noted, Jesus himself, in his death on the cross, affirms the centrality of lament to the Christian experience of suffering. And yet, even as the importance of lament is being recovered in some church contexts, we are still often uncomfortable with this practice. John Calvin loved the psalms and wrote a commentary on them, describing the Psalter as an “anatomy of all parts of the soul.” Yet, many churches today continue to be ill-equipped with liturgical resources for the practice of lament. Perhaps this is because lament disrupts the status quo evident in popular modern cultural scripts related to suffering such as “pull yourself up by your bootstraps” or “mind over matter.” In answer, lament psalms give scriptural testimony to the importance of allowing space for deep grief, fear, betrayal, and anger, and inviting God to meet us there.  On another note, the language that these lament psalms use, addressing God directly and inviting him into suffering or questioning his role in it, challenge another impulse common in our context–that suffering can only be effectively dealt with through medical or psychological interventions, and that spiritual and religious traditions are only for the seasons that things are going well or for the private lives of individuals, not to be engaged in the public sphere (something the church regrettably and often unintentionally confirms when we fail to engage in lament in corporate worship and allow it to translate into public action for justice).  In one New Hope group I led, a training for ministry leaders from around the world who were learning the program so as to be able to pass it along to their own ministry teams, one of the leaders confessed in frustrated tears to the group that they could not engage in the activity for this fifth week of the program. The activity involved writing a lament using four simple prompts: First, “Jesus, these things happened to me…” Second, “Jesus, I am/I feel…” Third, “Jesus, the worst part of this was…”  The fourth prompt was the most challenging for the leader because it then makes the same movement that Psalm 13 does in the last couple of verses when it says, “But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation. I will sing the Lord's praise,  for he has been good to me.” The fourth prompt asks participants to finish this statement: “But I believe (or want to believe because I've heard this about you) that you are…” This prompt indicates that lament is not an expression of the worshipper's own experience or personal desires exclusively, but always grounded in God's character and faithfulness. It's often the greatest challenge because, in the midst of deep suffering, it is only natural to wonder about who God is and what he is up to. What we came to together as a group of ministry leaders when we discussed our members' challenge with writing this part of the lament is that this final phrase is not simply tritely hopeful or falsely optimistic. Rather, it is an acknowledgment that the source of our complaint or our pain is something which not only offends and causes us pain, but it is actually an offense to God himself. The Bible's testimony is that the sin and evil which causes harm to God's beloved creation, including each of us, is even more painful to God. Thus, lament faithfully insists that God be who God has revealed himself to be.  If you'd like to try writing a lament of your own today, I'll include the prompts in the notes of the podcast. God is not threatened by your complete honesty about your pain. He chose to make known his character and promises to his people. So you can freely answer: How are you hurting today? What do you believe, or want to believe, about who God is? As you journey on, go with the blessing of God: May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you: wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness: protect you through the storm. May he bring you home rejoicing; at the wonders he has shown you. May he bring you home rejoicing once again into our doors. Lament Prompts Jesus, these things happened to me: ____________________________ Jesus, I am/I feel ____________________________ (suffering, hurting, in pain, discouraged, desperate) Jesus, the worst part of this was ____________________________ But I believe (or want to believe because I've heard this about you) that you are ____________________________  

It's getting warmer outside.The flowers are bursting forth and filling our city with wonderful colours.We hear the old familiar sound of lawn mowers on Saturday mornings.And we have busy schedules around ballfields.Which means … Summer has arrived … well, almost, we are in Canada, after all

Psalm 131 - Speaker: Jon Kopp - The book of Psalms is a beautifully diverse book. Some Psalms give voice to our trouble like the one we heard last week. Others are packed with adoration and thanksgiving and invite us to join in. There are Psalms that exalt the rule of our king and proclaim what loyalty to Him looks like. Then, there are even Psalms that are so filled with emotion at injustice–even anger and frustration–that they overflow to the only One who can do anything about it. Psalm 131 is in a different vein from all those. Most of it is what one author called “holy eavesdropping.” Reading this Psalm is like listening to the experiences of a person who has discovered something incredibly profound about being with the Lord, and as he does, he just can't keep it to himself. In a world that rarely stops to catch its breath, Psalm 131 whispers an invitation to our restless hearts. Charles Spurgeon said of Psalm 131 that it is “one of the shortest psalms in the Psalter, but one of the longest to learn.” In this brief Psalm we a find profound message for the hurried, noisy age we live in. In the striving and distraction and restlessness of our world and our hearts, this psalm lifts up quiet humility and calm surrender in the care of the Lord. It confronts us and it comforts us. It calls us out, and it invites us in to find our rest and peace in the care of our faithful God.

"Blessed is the man . . . who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers.  But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on His law he meditates day and night.  He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither.  Whatever he does prospers." The Psalmist begins the Psalter by describing the man whom God calls "blessed." Not one whom the world admires for riches, fame, or power--but one separated from evil and saturated with Scripture. The righteous man "does not walk in the counsel of the wicked"--he does not adopt their philosophies. He does not "stand in the way of sinners"--he does not linger with their practices. He does not "sit in the seat of mockers"--he refuses the settled scorn of those who defy God. The progression is deliberate: walking, then standing, then sitting. Sin gains strength by degrees. But the righteous man turns aside from that path entirely. He chooses the narrow road that leads to life (Matthew 7:14). The foundation of his godliness is inward delight: "his delight is in the law of the Lord." He does not merely read the Word out of duty--he treasures it as his joy. It is his rule and compass, his comfort and guide. He feeds upon it as his daily bread. "On His law he meditates day and night." Scripture is not a garnish on the side of his life--it is the main course. He turns it over in his heart continually. This is no superficial engagement. Like Mary, he "treasures up all these things and ponders them" (Luke 2:19). And what is the result? "He is like a tree planted by streams of water." His stabil

Psalm 139 reads like a diary entry of David with its emotional and personal context, yet it is introduced as a hymn for the choirmaster to be sung in public worship. Its inclusion in the Psalter calls the believing singer/reader to identify with David's heartfelt relationship to His omniscient and loving Creator. The psalm calls us to assume its 1" person perspective as we confess with David the limitless knowledge, love, and power of Christ toward us, His beloved bride, who He died to redeem. This song is one of confession and submission to the sovereign knowledge of God. It is the opposite of Adam and Eve's impulse on their day of reckoning. Rather than hiding from God and scrambling to disguise his-guilt and shame, David submits-whole heartedly to the Lord, asking for God to audit his heart and life.

142:1 I cry aloud with my voice to the LORD-  “The synonymous parallelism repeats the phrase ‘with my voice' to emphasize that he cries aloud” Miller, 435. “In Psalm 142:1 is za'aq,  conveys the idea of crying out in acute distress and seeking deliverance. The verbal root occurs only five times in the Psalter, twice in Psalm 142” NICOT, 978. “Although the Hebrew root translated ‘cry' in vv. 1, 5 does not occur often in the psalms (see Pss. 22:5; 107:13, 19), it is an important theological word. For instance, it recalls the exodus (see Exod. 2:23); it is a crucial part of the pattern in the book of Judges (see Judg. 3:9, 15; 6:6-7); indeed, it became understood as a typical element in God's dealing with God's people (see Neh. 9:28)” McCann, 1247. “To make supplication is to appeal to kindness (so the Hebrew word suggests)” Kidner, 473. 142:2 I pour out my complaint before Him- The six Hebrew words that make up this verse are a chiasm. pour out is used in 42:4; 62:8. The word before Him twice in vs. 2. The word complaint is used in Pss. 55:2; 64:1; 102:1 (heading); 104:34.I declare my trouble before Him- Trouble is used in parallelism with complaint. This word appears in 77:2; 86:7.142:3 When my spirit was overwhelmed within me- Faint or overwhelmed is used in Ps. 61:2; 77:3; 143:4; Jonah 2:7. The word is used twice in Gen. 30:42 for the feeble among the flocks becoming Laban's. “He is at his wit's end and does not know how to pray adequately” Miller, 435. “He describes his emotional state as his spirit growing faint, probably referring to deep disappointment or depression” Longman, 461. You knew my path- The you is emphatic. Knew in Ps. 1:6; 139:1-4. He finds comfort that God understands. “His only help in this time of distress is God, who watches over his life” Longman, 461. They have hidden a trap for me- Trap lead for him in 140:5; 141:9-10.142:4 Look to the right and see- “To the right suggests the place where a helper would stand (cf. 16:8; 109:31; 110:5; 121:5)” Miller, 435.  “The right was the place where the witness for the defense stood (109:31)” Allen, 276. No one cares for my soul- “David was completely helpless before his enemies and no one seemed to care for his life” BK, 894. II Tim. 4:17 “He stands alone” Laymen's, 697. “On the horizontal plane he stands alone” Allen, 279. “God hears persons whom nobody else bothers to hear, and that God cares for those whom nobody else appears to care for (v. 4d)” McCann, 1248.142:5 I cried to You, O LORD- 140:6 I said, ‘You are my refuge- Ps. 14:6; 46:1; 61:3; 62:7, 8; 71:7; 73:28; 91:2, 9; 94:22; 104:18; 142:5; Isa. 4:6; 25:4.My portion in the land of the living'- “Claiming Yahweh as my portion in the land of the living is particularly associated with the Levites (Num. 18:20; Deut. 10:9)” Broyles, 495. “The land of the living is opposite of Sheol, the place of the dead (cff. Pss. 27:13; 52:5; 116:9)” Miller, 435. 142:6 For I am brought very low- brought low in Judges 6:6; Ps. 79:8; 116:6. For they are too strong for me- Ps. 79:8 God is big enough to defeat every foe. 142:7 Bring my soul out of prison- Isa. 42:7; Ps. 102:20; 107:10. God can deliver us from every bondage. “He pleads his weakness and implicitly confesses God's sovereign power” Laymen's 697. So that I may give thanks to Your name- 18:49; 20:1; 140:13 “The psalm-singer

Join Rob Patterson as he shares today's Devotionable on Psalm 55. Devotionables #784 - Psalm 55 Psalm 55 The PsalmsDevotionables is a ministry of The Ninth & O Baptist Church in Louisville, KY.  naobc.org

The Psalms are a collection of 150 Songs carefully placed inside 5 books of Psalms:  Book 1:1-41, Book 2:42-72, Book: 3:73-89, Book 4:90-106, Book 5:107-150.  The first three books are primarily lament Psalms.  Sadness, anger, and bewilderment are prayed out.  The final two books include two very angry Psalms, 109 and 137, but these books are dominated by Praise.  The final six Psalms thunder with the praise of the "I Am "God. The five books of Psalms are clearly intended as responsive speech to the five books of the Pentateuch, Genesis - Deuteronomy.  The Pentateuch is the story of "I am" calling Israel to be His crisis relief for the entire creation. The Psalms are prayed from the time of David, 1000 B.C., from inside the story the Hebrew scripture tells.  The Psalter was not collected into its current form until the 4th century B.C.  By then Israel had been in exile for two hundred years.  Yet the Israel of the 2nd Temple, 530 B.C. to 70, AD., is singing her faith in the rebuilt temple and those living outside Judea are singing inside synagogues throughout the Roman empire.  The Psalms were Jesus' prayer book and were prayed by the early church.  (Matt. 27:46, Col. 3:16, Eph. 5:19) We will pray and praise a representative collection of the Great Psalms of the Psalter -Psalms 1, 2, 3, 8, 16, 19, 22, 23, 42, 51, 73-74, 88-89, 90, 104-106, 109, 110, and 139.  We will pray out to the Lord God our emotions and struggles, but we will continue praying through from confusion, doubt, and anger to more clarity, trust, and peace.  We will be encouraged, rebuked, and discipled by the ancient Songs of Israel, Jesus, and our Church Fathers and Mothers. The "I Am," the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, will bless us as we draw near to God together.  Come join us on the Way.

Pastor Taylor BradburyThe psalms are the words of Christ that He sings, and the psalms are our words that we sing in Him.1. The truth of resurrection is foretold via the Son's words in the Psalter.2. The inauguration of resurrection is found in Christ's empty tomb.3. The fruit of resurrection is underway in all peoples coming to Christ

The German Reformer, Martin Luther wrote these words concerning Psalm 118: “This is my own beloved psalm. Although the entire Psalter and all of Holy Scripture are dear to me as my only comfort and source of life, I fell in love with this psalm especially. Therefore I call it my own. When emperors and kings, the wise and the learned, and even saints, could not aid me, this psalm proved a friend and helped me out of many great troubles... Would to God that all the world would claim this psalm for its own, as I do!' In this message, Pastor Rick Anderson first breaks the psalm into digestible sections, then briefly explains each of these sections with the eye of showing how this psalm looked forward to Christ and how it applies to us today. It is our prayer that this psalm become your loving friend and aid as well!

The Lord reigns! He is exalted all over the earth, victorious, and people worldwide will sing and shout! Devotionables #776 - The Conquering Hero Psalm 47 The PsalmsDevotionables is a ministry of The Ninth & O Baptist Church in Louisville, KY.  naobc.org

The Psalms are a collection of 150 Songs carefully placed inside 5 books of Psalms:  Book 1:1-41, Book 2:42-72, Book: 3:73-89, Book 4:90-106, Book 5:107-150.  The first three books are primarily lament Psalms.  Sadness, anger, and bewilderment are prayed out.  The final two books include two very angry Psalms, 109 and 137, but these books are dominated by Praise.  The final six Psalms thunder with the praise of the "I Am "God. The five books of Psalms are clearly intended as responsive speech to the five books of the Pentateuch, Genesis - Deuteronomy.  The Pentateuch is the story of "I am" calling Israel to be His crisis relief for the entire creation. The Psalms are prayed from the time of David, 1000 B.C., from inside the story the Hebrew scripture tells.  The Psalter was not collected into its current form until the 4th century B.C.  By then Israel had been in exile for two hundred years.  Yet the Israel of the 2nd Temple, 530 B.C. to 70, AD., is singing her faith in the rebuilt temple and those living outside Judea are singing inside synagogues throughout the Roman empire.  The Psalms were Jesus' prayer book and were prayed by the early church.  (Matt. 27:46, Col. 3:16, Eph. 5:19) We will pray and praise a representative collection of the Great Psalms of the Psalter -Psalms 1, 2, 3, 8, 16, 19, 22, 23, 42, 51, 73-74, 88-89, 90, 104-106, 109, 110, and 139.  We will pray out to the Lord God our emotions and struggles, but we will continue praying through from confusion, doubt, and anger to more clarity, trust, and peace.  We will be encouraged, rebuked, and discipled by the ancient Songs of Israel, Jesus, and our Church Fathers and Mothers. The "I Am," the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, will bless us as we draw near to God together.  Come join us on the Way.

Bill Simmons is President and CEO of American Leprosy Missions (soon to be Hope Rises International), part of his two-decade journey leading national and international organizations. Bill brings deep insight to the intersection of organizational leadership and spiritual formation, and is currently pursuing post-graduate studies in spiritual formation at Gordon Conwell Seminary. Bill holds a BA from the University of Tennessee. Bill and his wife Cindi live in Greenville, SC.BOOK The Way of Interruption: Spiritual Practice for Organizational Life WHY NOW AND WHAT'S THE GOAL? IF YOU WERE A CRITIC: WHAT COULD BE A MISCONCEPTION OF THE BOOK? WHAT MIGHT BE A COMMON CONCERN ABOUT THE PSALTER GUIDE? MAIN CONCEPT? FAIR ASSESSMENT? ORGANIZATIONS MAKE ROOM FOR GOD: INTENTIONAL STRUCTURED TIMES OF MARGIN THROUGHOUT THE DAY TO CORPORATELY INVITE GOD INTO THE SPACE. WHAT WOULD YOU ADD? WHAT VALUE HAVE YOU SEEN?3 PRACTICES FROM BOOK1. Pause: Remove distractions. Breathe—deeply, slowly, and silently (for 30 seconds to 3 minutes). While you pause and breathe, take every thought captive. While you pause and breathe, recollect yourself.2. Psalms: Turn to the Psalm selected for the day in this book's included Psalter guide. Read the Psalm together as a prayer.3. Pray: If you feel led to pray in your own words, choose a word, image, or phrase from the day's Psalm; build your prayer around it, letting it nest in your heart and spill out into your work. Ask God to shape your work and pray for that work that it might be a part of God's Kingdom come.LITURGIES DEFINE EXPLAIN BENEFITS EXPLAIN APPLICATION CHALLENGES FOR IMPLEMENTING THIS MODEL IN AN ORGANIZATION? CATEGORICAL TARGETED PRAYER THAT DIRECTLY ALIGNS WITH A PASSAGE OF SCRIPTURE LITERAL PLUG N PLAY OF BIBLE INTO REAL LIFE SCENARIOS WHAT DOES A WIN LOOK LIKE FOR THIS BOOK?

Psalm 88 WorksheetOne of the most interesting things about this Psalm and the next is that they are written by 2 men named Heman the Ezrahite and Ethan the Ezrahite. Heman, Asaph, and Ethan were each descendants of Levi's sons Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. Asaph was from Gershon; Heman from the line of Kohath; Ethan from Merari (1 Chr. 6:31-48). Heman has the added distinction of being the grandson of _______________________ (1 Chr. 6:33).Asaph wrote 12 Psalms, 11 here in book 3 of the Psalms; Heman wrote Psalm 88 and Ethan wrote Psalm 89. So 13 of the 17 Psalms of Book 3 are attributed to David's key music leaders from the tribe of Levi. The tone of Psalm 88 is very much one of _____________________________. It appears the Psalmist is facing suffering and death is very discouraged. It is not regarded as a Messianic Psalm, but several verses remind me of the suffering Jesus endured. As I read Psalm 88, look for the different ways death is referred to. Also look for the 3 times he speaks of calling out or crying out to the LORD. A man _______________________ death cries out to the LORD V. 1-9This man is despondent, but at least he is __________________________. Be honest with God in your prayers like in Psalm 88, and then go on to the kind of perspective that Psalm ____________ gives! The first reference to death is in verse 3, the word grave or Sheol. Sheol occurs 64 times in the Old Testament. The second reference to death is in verse 4, the word pit or bor. Bor occurs 61 times in the Old Testament. The third reference to death is in verse 5, “adrift among the dead.” The word for dead is mut, which occurs 693 times in the Old Testament. The sixth and seventh references to death are the words darkness and depths in verse 6.The word “wrath” in verse 7 reminds me of when Jesus was bearing our sin on the cross and cried out, “My God, My God, why have you forsaken Me” (2 Cor. 5:21; John 3:36). Verse 8 reminds me of Jesus “shut up” on the cross, with so many of His followers not there to support Him. Jesus can identify with the Psalmist and any of us who feels neglected or forsaken by _____________. Verses 1 and 9 begin and end the first section by crying out to the LORD in the midst of this man facing death. A man ______________________ death cries out to the LORD V. 11-18Verses 10-12 feature 6 questions that it appears the Psalmist fears the answer is no but Christians now know the answer is ________________ in Christ!Let's not forget our count of references to death – verses 10-12 have the eighth through ________________ references to death! Verse 13 gives the one note of hope that after death, the “___________________________” will come. We borrow that hope from this being near to Psalm 86 by David.“I will praise you, O Lord my God, with all my heart, and I will glorify Your name forevermore. For great is Your mercy toward me, and You have delivered my soul from the depths of Sheol.” -Psalm 86:11-12Back in Psalm 88, the Psalmist wants to know, he wants to feel what David feels and __________________ in Psalm 86, but he is on the struggle bus. Verses 15 to the end make that struggle clear.Verse 15 gives us at least the 14th reference to death. With other references to being “cut off”, “wrath” and “terrors,” we may get all the way to ________________ references to death. Why is this discouraging Psalm in the Psalter, meant to be sung by the people? Sometimes getting the way we feel out there begins the ___________________________. Psalm 88 is like parts of the book of Ecclesiastes, that really describe the emptiness in life without God. Ecclesiastes brings to despair to then drive to faith in God (Ecc. 12:13-14). Psalm 89 does that for book 3 of of the Psalms. After the discouraging note of Psalm 88, Psalm 89 includes this thought to God's people when they feel discouraged:Nevertheless My lovingkindness I will not utterly take from him, nor allow My faithfulness to fail. -Psalm 89:33

Psalm 138 is the first of 8 songs written by David which appear as a set in the closing chapters of the Psalter. These Davidic psalms are followed by the final collection of S songs which all begin and end with the refrain: "Praise the lord!". These closing medleys swerve to reprise two central themes of the entire book - prayer, and praise. David's songs are structured according to the former followed by the crescendo psalms emphasizing the latter. It seems appropriate that this greatest of song books would culminate with a universal call to worship and 8 songs penned as examples by Israel's greatest king.

​This podcast presents the full Psalter in the 20 sections (kathismata) as read in the course of one week during daily Matins and Vespers in Orthodox Christian monasteries and in personal daily prayer by those who would pray the Psalter in this way.​Holy Cross Monastery Online Store: https://holycross.org/collections ​Holy Cross Monastery Live Broadcast: https://youtube.com/channel/UCQ-sqeQbmgzrL0t8uFJm4Ew ​Paypal Donation Link: https://paypal.com/us/fundraiser/charity/1336755​HOLY CROSS MONASTERY is an English-speaking Orthodox Christian monastic brotherhood within the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia in the Diocese of Eastern America & New York. Learn more about the life and ministry of the monastery at https:= holycross.org. ​​Used with permission.

Psalm 140 For the choir director, A Psalm of David“Psalm 140 is clearly an individual lament, with its appeals to God to listen and rescue (vv. 1, 4, 8), its complaints concerning the wicked who intend to harm the psalmist (vv. 2-3, 5), its imprecation (vv. 9-11) and its note of confidence (vv. 6-7, 12-13)” Longman, 455. “In the present literary setting, the petitions in Psalm 140 can be understood as an elaboration of Ps. 139:19-22…Psalm 140 also anticipates Psalms 141-143” McCann, 1240. Psalms 141-143 are also individual laments. “Psalm 140 is another prayer psalm about personal enemies. They are described in the familiar categories of ‘the righteous; (vs.13) and ‘the wicked' (vv. 4, 8). These ‘men of violence' (vv. 1, and so they ‘devise evil') and ‘proud' (v. 5) and by a variety of images. They are warlike (vv. 2, 7) and are compared to hunter (v. 5) and ‘their tongues; to ‘a serpent's' (v. 3)…The righteous are further described by the moral term ‘the upright' and be economic terms, ‘the poor' and ‘needy'” Broyles, 489. “The psalm consists of two prayers (1-5, 8-11) each followed by an affirmation (6-7, 12-13)” Motyer, 579. “The first affirmation acknowledges the God of salvation in personal, protective care, the second affirms the God of righteousness in public oversight of society” Motyer, 579.“The occurrences of Selah after vv. 3, 5, and 8 suggest a fourfold division of the psalm” McCann, 1239.  The divine name appears in the first colon of vs. 1, 4, 6, 12.140:1-3 Rescue me from violent men140:4-5 Keep me from the wicked 140:6-8 A plea for God to provide protection 140:9-11 A prayer for judgment upon the wicked 140:12-13 God will maintain the cause of his peopleJesus and Psalm 140140:3 is quoted to describe the sinfulness of man in Rom. 3:13. Sin from which only Jesus can provide salvation. “The New Testament treats the Psalter as a major witness to human depravity (most of Rom. 3:10-18 is from the Psalms), largely because it exposes this element in us of sheer malice, a poison which can be secreted and employed not only without provocation (69:4) but even in face of generosity and love (cf. especially 35:12-16; 55:12-14)” Kidner, 468. “Paul is not referring to or condemning the malicious and violent enemies of the faith, but all humanity, both Jews and Greeks (Rom. 3:9). We are all capable of plotting maliciousness and engaging in violent ways” NICOT, 971. “From this perspective, Psalm 140 becomes a prayer requesting that we be delivered from ourselves!” McCann, 1241. “Jesus Himself was the subject of false accusations that led to his crucifixion (see John 18:19-19:37). One can imagine Jesus praying this prayer. However, rather than uttering imprecation against his attackers, He prayed, ‘Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing' (Luke 23:34). Like the psalmist, Jesus expressed His utter confidence in God, even in the face of death” Longman, 457. 140:13 Jesus gives a whole deeper meaning to the upright dwelling in Your presence. “His last word matched the climax to which the whole of Scriptures moves: ‘His servants shall serve him: and they shall see His face' (Rev. 22:3f., AV)” Kidner, 469. For further notes, private message me on the facebook page

The Psalms are a collection of 150 Songs carefully placed inside 5 books of Psalms:  Book 1:1-41, Book 2:42-72, Book: 3:73-89, Book 4:90-106, Book 5:107-150.  The first three books are primarily lament Psalms.  Sadness, anger, and bewilderment are prayed out.  The final two books include two very angry Psalms, 109 and 137, but these books are dominated by Praise.  The final six Psalms thunder with the praise of the "I Am "God. The five books of Psalms are clearly intended as responsive speech to the five books of the Pentateuch, Genesis - Deuteronomy.  The Pentateuch is the story of "I am" calling Israel to be His crisis relief for the entire creation. The Psalms are prayed from the time of David, 1000 B.C., from inside the story the Hebrew scripture tells.  The Psalter was not collected into its current form until the 4th century B.C.  By then Israel had been in exile for two hundred years.  Yet the Israel of the 2nd Temple, 530 B.C. to 70, AD., is singing her faith in the rebuilt temple and those living outside Judea are singing inside synagogues throughout the Roman empire.  The Psalms were Jesus' prayer book and were prayed by the early church.  (Matt. 27:46, Col. 3:16, Eph. 5:19) We will pray and praise a representative collection of the Great Psalms of the Psalter -Psalms 1, 2, 3, 8, 16, 19, 22, 23, 42, 51, 73-74, 88-89, 90, 104-106, 109, 110, and 139.  We will pray out to the Lord God our emotions and struggles, but we will continue praying through from confusion, doubt, and anger to more clarity, trust, and peace.  We will be encouraged, rebuked, and discipled by the ancient Songs of Israel, Jesus, and our Church Fathers and Mothers. The "I Am," the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, will bless us as we draw near to God together.  Come join us on the Way.

Class 4 from this series was used in GCT Episode 342.

This week we have a special guest host, Bro. Mike Livermore. Together we are listening to the a class by Bro. Roger Lewis from his series on "The Crisis of Hezekiah" that he gave at Midwest Bible Schools in 2024 This is the 4 class from that series titled "The Writing and The Psalter" . Be sure to subscribe to the GCT Extended podcast to hear the other 5 classes in this series!We hope this strengthens your Faith and brightens your day!Thank you for listening, God bless, and talk to you next week.Send talk suggestions or comments to: ⁠⁠⁠GoodChristadelphianTalks@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠For Show Notes, visit our website: ⁠⁠⁠GoodChristadelphianTalks.com⁠⁠⁠Social Media: ⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠Instagram

If you're ready to dive deeper, become part of the Better Readers Academy!https://www.betterbiblereading.com/academyThe Psalms give us a little Bible, says Luther. In these 150 chapters, we find a range of themes and doctrines laid out for us. More than that, these are specifically written for occasions of singing and worship. But how should we understand these 150 chapters, divided into five books? Here's a thematic approach to understanding each of the five books of the Psalter. I hope it's helpful and gives you the tools to better understand this unique book of Scripture.Support the showIf you're ready to dive deep with me, consider joining my all-new membership site Better Readers Academy.

The Psalms are a collection of 150 Songs carefully placed inside 5 books of Psalms:  Book 1:1-41, Book 2:42-72, Book: 3:73-89, Book 4:90-106, Book 5:107-150.  The first three books are primarily lament Psalms.  Sadness, anger, and bewilderment are prayed out.  The final two books include two very angry Psalms, 109 and 137, but these books are dominated by Praise.  The final six Psalms thunder with the praise of the "I Am "God. The five books of Psalms are clearly intended as responsive speech to the five books of the Pentateuch, Genesis - Deuteronomy.  The Pentateuch is the story of "I am" calling Israel to be His crisis relief for the entire creation. The Psalms are prayed from the time of David, 1000 B.C., from inside the story the Hebrew scripture tells.  The Psalter was not collected into its current form until the 4th century B.C.  By then Israel had been in exile for two hundred years.  Yet the Israel of the 2nd Temple, 530 B.C. to 70, AD., is singing her faith in the rebuilt temple and those living outside Judea are singing inside synagogues throughout the Roman empire.  The Psalms were Jesus' prayer book and were prayed by the early church.  (Matt. 27:46, Col. 3:16, Eph. 5:19) We will pray and praise a representative collection of the Great Psalms of the Psalter -Psalms 1, 2, 3, 8, 16, 19, 22, 23, 42, 51, 73-74, 88-89, 90, 104-106, 109, 110, and 139.  We will pray out to the Lord God our emotions and struggles, but we will continue praying through from confusion, doubt, and anger to more clarity, trust, and peace.  We will be encouraged, rebuked, and discipled by the ancient Songs of Israel, Jesus, and our Church Fathers and Mothers. The "I Am," the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, will bless us as we draw near to God together.  Come join us on the Way.

What happens if the priest or pastor doesn't say the exact words during a baptism? Does it still count? We explore the Church's teaching on valid baptism, plus questions on receiving Communion before convalidation, judgment after death, and depictions of Jesus in iconography. Join The CA Live Club Newsletter: Click Here Questions Covered: 06:19 – I'm having my marriage convalidated in a couple of weeks. I will go to confession the day before. The next day I will go to Mass at 9am and the convalidation ceremony is at 1pm. Can I receive Eucharist at Mass or do I have to wait until after the convalidation? 09:08 – Is my baptism valid? The pastor changed the words. 17:33 – When do the general judgment (Mt. 25-31) and individual judgment (Hebrews 9:27) take place? 22:21 – If Mary had said no, would that have been her exercising her free will and not committing sin? 32:01 – As Catholics how should we practically approach suffering and should we pray to have it removed? 38:12 – Why do Catholics believe they can get messages from guardian angels, specifically regarding Archangel Gabriel on this solemnity of the Annunciation? 48:43 – Where to start with learning to sing the Psalter? What radio? 52:23 – In iconography, why is Jesus usually painted white when he was probably darker skinned?

The Third Sunday in Lent ORISON: My eyes are ever looking to the Lord – Plainsong, Mode VII; adapt. Bruce E. Ford (1947-2025) PSALM 63:1-8 – Plainsong, Tone II.1 HYMN: Lord Jesus, think on me (Tune: SOUTHWELL) – from Daman's Psalter, 1579; adapt. Hymnal 1940; fauxbourdon harm. by Peter R. Hallock (1924-2014) NUNC DIMITTIS – […]

The Psalms are a collection of 150 Songs carefully placed inside 5 books of Psalms:  Book 1:1-41, Book 2:42-72, Book: 3:73-89, Book 4:90-106, Book 5:107-150.  The first three books are primarily lament Psalms.  Sadness, anger, and bewilderment are prayed out.  The final two books include two very angry Psalms, 109 and 137, but these books are dominated by Praise.  The final six Psalms thunder with the praise of the "I Am "God. The five books of Psalms are clearly intended as responsive speech to the five books of the Pentateuch, Genesis - Deuteronomy.  The Pentateuch is the story of "I am" calling Israel to be His crisis relief for the entire creation. The Psalms are prayed from the time of David, 1000 B.C., from inside the story the Hebrew scripture tells.  The Psalter was not collected into its current form until the 4th century B.C.  By then Israel had been in exile for two hundred years.  Yet the Israel of the 2nd Temple, 530 B.C. to 70, AD., is singing her faith in the rebuilt temple and those living outside Judea are singing inside synagogues throughout the Roman empire.  The Psalms were Jesus' prayer book and were prayed by the early church.  (Matt. 27:46, Col. 3:16, Eph. 5:19) We will pray and praise a representative collection of the Great Psalms of the Psalter -Psalms 1, 2, 3, 8, 16, 19, 22, 23, 42, 51, 73-74, 88-89, 90, 104-106, 109, 110, and 139.  We will pray out to the Lord God our emotions and struggles, but we will continue praying through from confusion, doubt, and anger to more clarity, trust, and peace.  We will be encouraged, rebuked, and discipled by the ancient Songs of Israel, Jesus, and our Church Fathers and Mothers. The "I Am," the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, will bless us as we draw near to God together.  Come join us on the Way.

The Psalms are a collection of 150 Songs carefully placed inside 5 books of Psalms:  Book 1:1-41, Book 2:42-72, Book: 3:73-89, Book 4:90-106, Book 5:107-150.  The first three books are primarily lament Psalms.  Sadness, anger, and bewilderment are prayed out.  The final two books include two very angry Psalms, 109 and 137, but these books are dominated by Praise.  The final six Psalms thunder with the praise of the "I Am "God. The five books of Psalms are clearly intended as responsive speech to the five books of the Pentateuch, Genesis - Deuteronomy.  The Pentateuch is the story of "I am" calling Israel to be His crisis relief for the entire creation. The Psalms are prayed from the time of David, 1000 B.C., from inside the story the Hebrew scripture tells.  The Psalter was not collected into its current form until the 4th century B.C.  By then Israel had been in exile for two hundred years.  Yet the Israel of the 2nd Temple, 530 B.C. to 70, AD., is singing her faith in the rebuilt temple and those living outside Judea are singing inside synagogues throughout the Roman empire.  The Psalms were Jesus' prayer book and were prayed by the early church.  (Matt. 27:46, Col. 3:16, Eph. 5:19) We will pray and praise a representative collection of the Great Psalms of the Psalter -Psalms 1, 2, 3, 8, 16, 19, 22, 23, 42, 51, 73-74, 88-89, 90, 104-106, 109, 110, and 139.  We will pray out to the Lord God our emotions and struggles, but we will continue praying through from confusion, doubt, and anger to more clarity, trust, and peace.  We will be encouraged, rebuked, and discipled by the ancient Songs of Israel, Jesus, and our Church Fathers and Mothers. The "I Am," the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, will bless us as we draw near to God together.  Come join us on the Way.

Psalm 137The LXX has a heading τω Δανιδ the Lucian text add (δια) ‘Ιεριμιομ ‘through Jeremiah' Allen, 235. This is a community lament written in the time of Babylonian captivity. They are in Babylon (1-3) and Jerusalem has been destroyed (7). “Note the first person plural ‘we,' ‘us,' ‘our,' etc., in vs. 1, 2, 3, 4, 8.” Willis, vol. 3, 4-5. “The scene has the vividness of first-hand experience” Kidner, 459.This psalm is a first-person account of the sadness of the captives. It seems that the experience of exile “is fresh and acutely painful” Alter, 473. Most psalms “are historically vague in order to be applied again and again to new situations” Longman, 448, but the historical context for this psalm is much easier to identify. It may have been written by Levitical musicians who ‘bemoan their separation from the temple” Longman, 448. “Every line of it is alive with pain, whose intensity grows with each strophe to the appalling climax” Kidner, 459. “The placement of Psalm 137 in Book Five of the Psalter is somewhat curious. According to the story of the Psalter, Book Five celebrates the return of the Babylonian exiles to Jerusalem, the rebuilding of the temple, and the continued existence of the Israelites as the people of God…It seems that for the Israelites, even in the midst of present rejoicing, the past pain must always be remembered” NICOT, 953. 137:1-4 Lament 137:1 By the rivers of Babylon- Ezek. 1:3. Jer. 51:13 describes Babylon a “you who dwell by many waters.” Alter, 473, argues for the translation streams here instead of rivers. Babylon is also mentioned in vs.8. There we sat down and wept- Neh. 1:4; Lam. 1:2, 16. There is used in vs. 1 and v. 3 This word expresses “the alienation of the collective speakers from the place they find themselves, which, logically should be ‘here' rather than ‘there'” Alter, 473. Some take it as an indication that the psalm was written after return from captivity- Motyer, 577. The people had lost their home country and had been taken into slavery. They lost their king and palace and they lost the temple where their God dwelt. “There is a proper time for weeping. Life is not ceaseless joy” Motyer, 577. There is repetition of the first plural pronoun suffix nu nine times in vv. 1-3. Isa. 53:4-6 is similar. When we remembered Zion- The word remember is used in vs. 1, 6, 7 and the word forget was used twice in vs. 5.  Zion is used in this psalm in vs. 1, 3. The word Jerusalem is used in vs. 5, 6, 7. “Their grief was no mere homesickness” Laymen, 694. They longed for the temple, the festivals, the fellowship with God. Interestingly, in Lam. 1:7 Jerusalem is doing the remembering. This is not to say that life for all was horrific in Babylon. “The prophet Jeremiah encouraged them to make a living, to increase in number, and to seek the peace and prosperity of the land (Jer. 29:4-9)” VanGemeren, 827. 137:2 Upon the willows in the midst of it- The NIV has poplars instead of willows. “The populus euphratica is in view; it looks more like a willow than a true poplar” K. Wilson, quoted in Allen, 236. We hung our harps- “Lyres are smaller than ‘harps' (KJV, NASB, NEB), and would much more likely be carried into exile” Miller, 422. “A relief from Sennacherib's palace at Nineveh, in the neighboring land of Assyria, portrays a situation not unlike this, with three prisoners of war play lyres as they march along by an armed soldier” Kidner, 459; also Alter, 474. For more notes send me a private message via facebook. 

This final lesson ends with a tremendous, celebratory shout of joy and praise! After all the ups and downs, victories and defeats, as well as blessings and curses for Israel during these past five books, the Psalter calls upon everything that breaths to "praise the Lord"! That is the perfect way to end our journey through the Psalms! Enjoy this sample from Lesson 16, "Psalms 137-150," from Dr. Nick's course, "Psalms: Lift Up Your Hearts." Anyone can join our community of students and stream the entire audio lesson and full course (and other courses too!) whenever they wish.

The Psalms are a collection of 150 Songs carefully placed inside 5 books of Psalms:  Book 1:1-41, Book 2:42-72, Book: 3:73-89, Book 4:90-106, Book 5:107-150.  The first three books are primarily lament Psalms.  Sadness, anger, and bewilderment are prayed out.  The final two books include two very angry Psalms, 109 and 137, but these books are dominated by Praise.  The final six Psalms thunder with the praise of the "I Am "God. The five books of Psalms are clearly intended as responsive speech to the five books of the Pentateuch, Genesis - Deuteronomy.  The Pentateuch is the story of "I am" calling Israel to be His crisis relief for the entire creation. The Psalms are prayed from the time of David, 1000 B.C., from inside the story the Hebrew scripture tells.  The Psalter was not collected into its current form until the 4th century B.C.  By then Israel had been in exile for two hundred years.  Yet the Israel of the 2nd Temple, 530 B.C. to 70, AD., is singing her faith in the rebuilt temple and those living outside Judea are singing inside synagogues throughout the Roman empire.  The Psalms were Jesus' prayer book and were prayed by the early church.  (Matt. 27:46, Col. 3:16, Eph. 5:19) We will pray and praise a representative collection of the Great Psalms of the Psalter -Psalms 1, 2, 3, 8, 16, 19, 22, 23, 42, 51, 73-74, 88-89, 90, 104-106, 109, 110, and 139.  We will pray out to the Lord God our emotions and struggles, but we will continue praying through from confusion, doubt, and anger to more clarity, trust, and peace.  We will be encouraged, rebuked, and discipled by the ancient Songs of Israel, Jesus, and our Church Fathers and Mothers. The "I Am," the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, will bless us as we draw near to God together.  Come join us on the Way.

Eudocia was from Heliopolis of Phoenicia (now Baalbek in Lebanon). A surpassingly beautiful pagan, she led a licentious life and became wealthy from the gifts of her many lovers. One day an elderly monk, Germanus, came to Heliopolis and stayed with a Christian whose house adjoined Eudocia's. At night, he began to read aloud from the Psalter and a book on the Last Judgment. From next-door, Eudocia heard him. Her heart was reached, and she stood attentively all night, listening to every word in fear and contrition. The next day she begged Germanus to visit her, and he explained the saving Christian faith to her. Finally, Eudocia asked the local bishop to baptise her. She freed her servants, gave all her wealth to the poor, and entered a monastery.   "Her former lovers, enraged at her conversion, her refusal to return to her old ways, and the withering away of her beauty through the severe mortifications she practiced, betrayed her as a Christian to Vincent the Governor, and she was beheaded"(Great Horologion). According to some,this was under Trajan (98-117); according to others, under Hadrian (117-138).   The Prologue gives a somewhat different account: that after entering the monastery, Eudocia was permitted to pursue the monastic life in peace — with such devotion that, thirteen months after she entered the monastery, she was chosen as abbess. She lived for fifty-six years in the monastery, and was granted the gift of raising the dead. In her old age, a persecution of Christians arose, and Eudocia was beheaded along with many others. "Here is a wonderful example of how a vessel of uncleanness can be purified, sanctified and filled with a precious, heavenly fragrance by the grace of the Holy Spirit" (Prologue).

The Psalms are a collection of 150 Songs carefully placed inside 5 books of Psalms:  Book 1:1-41, Book 2:42-72, Book: 3:73-89, Book 4:90-106, Book 5:107-150.  The first three books are primarily lament Psalms.  Sadness, anger, and bewilderment are prayed out.  The final two books include two very angry Psalms, 109 and 137, but these books are dominated by Praise.  The final six Psalms thunder with the praise of the "I Am "God. The five books of Psalms are clearly intended as responsive speech to the five books of the Pentateuch, Genesis - Deuteronomy.  The Pentateuch is the story of "I am" calling Israel to be His crisis relief for the entire creation. The Psalms are prayed from the time of David, 1000 B.C., from inside the story the Hebrew scripture tells.  The Psalter was not collected into its current form until the 4th century B.C.  By then Israel had been in exile for two hundred years.  Yet the Israel of the 2nd Temple, 530 B.C. to 70, AD., is singing her faith in the rebuilt temple and those living outside Judea are singing inside synagogues throughout the Roman empire.  The Psalms were Jesus' prayer book and were prayed by the early church.  (Matt. 27:46, Col. 3:16, Eph. 5:19) We will pray and praise a representative collection of the Great Psalms of the Psalter -Psalms 1, 2, 3, 8, 16, 19, 22, 23, 42, 51, 73-74, 88-89, 90, 104-106, 109, 110, and 139.  We will pray out to the Lord God our emotions and struggles, but we will continue praying through from confusion, doubt, and anger to more clarity, trust, and peace.  We will be encouraged, rebuked, and discipled by the ancient Songs of Israel, Jesus, and our Church Fathers and Mothers. The "I Am," the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, will bless us as we draw near to God together.  Come join us on the Way.    

Psalms 120-136 form the 2nd Cycle of the 5th Book of the Psalter. Within this collection is the very special "Psalms of Ascent" that pilgrims would sing as they enter the Holy City of Jerusalem. These psalms are extremely typological of our own earthly pilgrimage to the Heavenly Jerusalem. Enjoy this sample from Lesson 15, "Psalms 120-136," from Dr. Nick's course, "Psalms: Lift Up Your Hearts." Anyone can join our community of students and stream the entire audio lesson and full course (and other courses too!) whenever they wish.

He was born sometime in the mid-fourth century on an island in the Aegean. For a time he lived successfully in the world, receiving a good education in Constantinople, then serving for a time for the Prefect of the Praetorium. But, becoming aware of the vanity of worldly things, he answered Christ's call, gave away all his goods to the poor and entered a monastery in Syria. After four years in obedience, he came to feel that the security of monastic life was inconsistent with the Gospel command to take no thought for the morrow; so he withdrew to the desert, taking with him only his garment and the Book of the Gospel. There he lived alone for seven years.   At the end of this period he set out on an apostolic mission to Mesopotamia, where he brought many to Christ: the city prefect Rabbula was converted after Alexander brought down fire from heaven, and a band of brigands who accosted the Saint on the road were transformed into a monastic community. He finally fled the city when the Christians there rose up demanding that he be made bishop. He once again took up a solitary life in the desert beyond the Euphrates, spending the day in prayer and part of the night sheltered in a barrel. There he remained for forty years. His holiness gradually attracted more than four hundred disciples, whom Alexander organized into a monastic community. Each disciple owned only one tunic, and was required to give away anything that they did not need for that day. Despite this threadbare life, the monastery was able to set up and run a hospice for the poor!   Alexander was perplexed as to how the admonition Pray without ceasing (1 Thess. 5:17) could be fulfilled by frail human flesh, but after three years of fasting and prayer, God showed him a method. He organized his monks into four groups according to whether their native language was Greek, Latin, Syriac or Coptic, and the groups prayed in shifts throughout the day and night. Twenty-four divine services were appointed each day, and the monks would chant from the Psalter between services. The community henceforth came to be known as the Akoimetoi, the Unsleeping Ones. (Similar communities later sprang up in the West, practicing what was there called Laus Perennis; St Columban founded many of these.)   Always desiring to spread the holy Gospel, Saint Alexander sent companies of missionaries to the pagans of southern Egypt. He and a company of 150 disciples set out as a kind of traveling monastery, living entirely on the charity of the villages they visited. Eventually they settled in some abandoned baths in Antioch, setting up a there a monastery dedicated to the unceasing praise of God; but a jealous bishop drove them from the city. Making his way to Constantinople, he settled there with four monks. In a few days, more than four hundred monks had left their monasteries to join his community. The Saint organized them into three companies — Greeks, Latins and Syrians — and restored the program of unsleeping prayer that his community had practiced in Mesopotamia. Not surprisingly, his success aroused the envy and anger of the abbots whose monasteries had been nearly emptied; they managed to have him condemned as a Messalian at a council held in 426. (The Messalians were an over-spiritualizing sect who believed that the Christian life consisted exclusively of prayer.) Alexander was sent back to Syria, and most of his monks were imprisoned; but as soon as they were released, most fled the city to join him again. The Saint spent his last years traveling from place to place, founding monasteries, often persecuted, until he reposed in 430, 'to join the Angelic choirs which he had so well imitated on earth.' (Synaxarion)   The practice of unceasing praise, established by St Alexander, spread throughout the Empire. The Monastery of the Akoimetoi, founded by a St Marcellus, a successor of Alexander, was established in Constantinople and became a beacon to the Christian world. 'Even though it has not been retained in today's practice, the unceasing praise established by Saint Alexander was influential in the formation of the daily cycle of liturgical offices in the East and even more so in the West.' (Synaxarion)

Psalm 23 is the most well-known and beloved Psalm in the Psalter. David, the shepherd boy turned King, sings of the sweet blessings of having God as his shepherd. Can you say with David, "The Lord is My Shepherd."? Devotionables #752 - The Shepherd's Shepherd Psalm 23 The PsalmsDevotionables is a ministry of The Ninth & O Baptist Church in Louisville, KY.  naobc.org

Psalm 135“Some Jewish authorities include Psalms 135 and 136 as part of the collection of Psalms 120-136, whereas others limit the Great Hallel psalms to 135-136, or even Psalm 136 alone”  135:1 Praise the LORD!- 113:1 The word praise is used as an imperative three times in the verse. “The phrase Praise the LORD (and variations of the phrase) occurs seventy-five times in the Psalter, with no less that fifty-four occurrences in Book Five” NICOT, 944. Praise Him, O servants of the LORD- The first two lines speak of the LORD as the object of praise and the last line mentioned the servants as the ones who give praise. 135:2 You who stand in the house of the LORDIn the courts of the house of our God!- Ps. 92:13; 116:19 “The priests and Levites were charged (v. 19-20) with the worship of the Lord ‘in the house of the LORD'” VanGemeren, 819.135:3 Praise the LORD, for the LORD is good- I Chron. 16:34; II Chron. 5:13; 7:3; Ezra 3:11; Ps. 23:6; 100:5; 106:1; 107:1; 110:5; 118:1, 29; 119:68; 118:1, 29. “The Lord's name is good (52:9), that He Himself is good (135:3) and that praising Him is good (147:1)” Kidner, 455.Sing praises to His name- Ps. 68:4for it lovely- The word lovely is a rare word in the OT used only 13 times. In the Psalms it is used in Psalm 16:6, 11; 81:2; 133:1; 147:1 besides here. Good and pleasant (or lovely) appear together in 133:1 and 147:1.135:4 For the LORD has chosen Jacob for Himself- Ex. 19:5-6; Deut. 7:6; 10:15; 14:2; Ps. 105:6. The goodness of God is manifested in the choice of Israel. “If the first ground of praise is the Lord's character (3), the next is His love for us. The word Jacob is emphatic: ‘For it was Jacob that the Lord chose…'” Kidner, 455.Israel for His own possession- His own possession or special treasure is one word used 8 times in the OT- Ex. 19:6; Deut. 7:6; 14:2; 25:18; I Chron. 29:3; Eccl. 2:8; Malachi 3:16.135:5 For I know that the LORD is great-Ps. 48:1; 95:3; 145:3 I is emphatic. And that our Lord is above all gods- Ex. 18:11; Ps. 95:3; 96:4-5; 97:7-9.135:6 Whatever the LORD pleases, He does- 115:3. The Hebrew word translated does in vs. 6 is translated makes in vs. 7 and make in vs. 18. In vs. 15 the noun form is used and it is translated work.  In heaven and in earth- Jer. 10:13in the seas and in all deeps- The LORD “is not limited to a particular sphere assigned to Him by His creatures, as is the case with pagan deities. The Lord is God over all realms by virtue of being the Creator. VanGemeren, 820.135:7 He causes the vapors to ascend for the ends of the earth- Jer. 10:13; 51:16 “The rainy season with its storms and wind is under His providential control-not, it is implied, that of Canaanite Baal, as his devotees claimed” Laymen's, 646. Since the weather is attributed to the LORD and not Baal, “it is another way of affirming that ‘our Lord is above all gods' (v. 5)” McCann, 1220.Who makes lightning for the rain- Job 38:22; Ps 77:17-18; 104:3-4 “His greatness even extends to the elements and powers of nature and wind (cf. Jer. 10:13; 51:16). The Canaanites believed that these powers belonged to Baal, but the psalmist confesses rightly that only Yahweh has power to ‘the ends of the earth'” VanGemeren, 820-821.Who brings forth wind from His treasuries135:8 He smote the firstborn of Egypt- 136:10; 78:51; 105:36; Ex. 12:29 Verses 5-7 stress the LORD's power in nature while vs. 8-14

The Psalms are a collection of 150 Songs carefully placed inside 5 books of Psalms:  Book 1:1-41, Book 2:42-72, Book: 3:73-89, Book 4:90-106, Book 5:107-150.  The first three books are primarily lament Psalms.  Sadness, anger, and bewilderment are prayed out.  The final two books include two very angry Psalms, 109 and 137, but these books are dominated by Praise.  The final six Psalms thunder with the praise of the "I Am "God. The five books of Psalms are clearly intended as responsive speech to the five books of the Pentateuch, Genesis - Deuteronomy.  The Pentateuch is the story of "I am" calling Israel to be His crisis relief for the entire creation. The Psalms are prayed from the time of David, 1000 B.C., from inside the story the Hebrew scripture tells.  The Psalter was not collected into its current form until the 4th century B.C.  By then Israel had been in exile for two hundred years.  Yet the Israel of the 2nd Temple, 530 B.C. to 70, AD., is singing her faith in the rebuilt temple and those living outside Judea are singing inside synagogues throughout the Roman empire.  The Psalms were Jesus' prayer book and were prayed by the early church.  (Matt. 27:46, Col. 3:16, Eph. 5:19) We will pray and praise a representative collection of the Great Psalms of the Psalter -Psalms 1, 2, 3, 8, 16, 19, 22, 23, 42, 51, 73-74, 88-89, 90, 104-106, 109, 110, and 139.  We will pray out to the Lord God our emotions and struggles, but we will continue praying through from confusion, doubt, and anger to more clarity, trust, and peace.  We will be encouraged, rebuked, and discipled by the ancient Songs of Israel, Jesus, and our Church Fathers and Mothers. The "I Am," the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, will bless us as we draw near to God together.  Come join us on the Way.

In this episode, Caleb is joined by Daniel Stevens (PhD, University of Cambridge) professor of New Testament at Boyce College and Southern Seminary to discuss his latest book,Songs of the Son: Reading the Psalms with the Author of Hebrews.Together, they discuss how more than just relatable poetry, the Psalms reveal a rich theology of God, the nature and work of Jesus, and Christ's voice hidden in Scripture with an aim to help listeners gain a better understanding of the Psalter and discover how all Scripture, including the Old Testament, reveals the preincarnate glory of Christ.ResourcesSongs of the Son: Reading the Psalms with the Author of Hebrewsby Daniel StevensThe Psalms: A Christ-Centered Commentaryby Christopher AshReading the Psalms as Scriptureby Jim Hamilton and Matt DamicoPsalms Volume I & II: Evangelical Biblical Theology Commentary by Jim Hamilton

Why does the Psalter refer to Jerusalem as God's city? What made that ancient place unique and special? Psalm 48 is one of the Zion Songs and it offers insight into what God thinks about Jerusalem. ----------------------------Please follow us on these platforms:Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@JointhesearchTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@jointhesearchInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/jointhesearchtodayFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/jointhesearchtoday

The Psalms are a collection of 150 Songs carefully placed inside 5 books of Psalms:  Book 1:1-41, Book 2:42-72, Book: 3:73-89, Book 4:90-106, Book 5:107-150.  The first three books are primarily lament Psalms.  Sadness, anger, and bewilderment are prayed out.  The final two books include two very angry Psalms, 109 and 137, but these books are dominated by Praise.  The final six Psalms thunder with the praise of the "I Am "God. The five books of Psalms are clearly intended as responsive speech to the five books of the Pentateuch, Genesis - Deuteronomy.  The Pentateuch is the story of "I am" calling Israel to be His crisis relief for the entire creation. The Psalms are prayed from the time of David, 1000 B.C., from inside the story the Hebrew scripture tells.  The Psalter was not collected into its current form until the 4th century B.C.  By then Israel had been in exile for two hundred years.  Yet the Israel of the 2nd Temple, 530 B.C. to 70, AD., is singing her faith in the rebuilt temple and those living outside Judea are singing inside synagogues throughout the Roman empire.  The Psalms were Jesus' prayer book and were prayed by the early church.  (Matt. 27:46, Col. 3:16, Eph. 5:19) We will pray and praise a representative collection of the Great Psalms of the Psalter -Psalms 1, 2, 3, 8, 16, 19, 22, 23, 42, 51, 73-74, 88-89, 90, 104-106, 109, 110, and 139.  We will pray out to the Lord God our emotions and struggles, but we will continue praying through from confusion, doubt, and anger to more clarity, trust, and peace.  We will be encouraged, rebuked, and discipled by the ancient Songs of Israel, Jesus, and our Church Fathers and Mothers. The "I Am," the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, will bless us as we draw near to God together.  Come join us on the Way.

This morning, I want to turn our attention to Psalm 2. As many of you know, Psalm 2 is a companion to Psalm 1. Together, they introduce us to the Psalter giving us two checkpoints. Psalm 1 directs us in the way of discipleship of living God. He is our shepherd. We are his sheep. Have we planted ourselves firmly in the stream of living water and in the company of the righteous that we might enjoy the blessed life? By contrast, Psalm 2, which is, by the way, among the most quoted Psalms in the New Testament, steps back and considers the bigger picture. Why is that? No surprises here, but the world around us is chaotic, unjust, and unpredictable. If our faith is to be resilient, we need more than the stream of living water, we also need an orientation to this world's chaos and tragedy. You ask, “Is that possible?” Of course, it's possible. With God, all things are possible (Matt. 19:26). Unfortunately, though, all too often we Christians forget to take with us the compass that is Psalm 2.

The Psalms are a collection of 150 Songs carefully placed inside 5 books of Psalms:  Book 1:1-41, Book 2:42-72, Book: 3:73-89, Book 4:90-106, Book 5:107-150.  The first three books are primarily lament Psalms.  Sadness, anger, and bewilderment are prayed out.  The final two books include two very angry Psalms, 109 and 137, but these books are dominated by Praise.  The final six Psalms thunder with the praise of the "I Am "God. The five books of Psalms are clearly intended as responsive speech to the five books of the Pentateuch, Genesis - Deuteronomy.  The Pentateuch is the story of "I am" calling Israel to be His crisis relief for the entire creation. The Psalms are prayed from the time of David, 1000 B.C., from inside the story the Hebrew scripture tells.  The Psalter was not collected into its current form until the 4th century B.C.  By then Israel had been in exile for two hundred years.  Yet the Israel of the 2nd Temple, 530 B.C. to 70, AD., is singing her faith in the rebuilt temple and those living outside Judea are singing inside synagogues throughout the Roman empire.  The Psalms were Jesus' prayer book and were prayed by the early church.  (Matt. 27:46, Col. 3:16, Eph. 5:19) We will pray and praise a representative collection of the Great Psalms of the Psalter -Psalms 1, 2, 3, 8, 16, 19, 22, 23, 42, 51, 73-74, 88-89, 90, 104-106, 109, 110, and 139.  We will pray out to the Lord God our emotions and struggles, but we will continue praying through from confusion, doubt, and anger to more clarity, trust, and peace.  We will be encouraged, rebuked, and discipled by the ancient Songs of Israel, Jesus, and our Church Fathers and Mothers. The "I Am," the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, will bless us as we draw near to God together.  Come join us on the Way.

She was born in 347 to a noble family in Rome, and at age sixteen married Toxotius, a prominent nobleman. Though her husband was a pagan, he was devoted to her and gave her freedom to keep a Christian home and rear her children as Christians. They were blessed with five children. When she was thirty-two her husband died suddenly, and Paula resolved to turn her large house in Rome into a monastery. Later she traveled to the Holy Land with her spiritual father St Jerome (June 15). In Bethlehem she established two monasteries, one for women (where she dwelt) and one for St Jerome and his companions. Every day the nuns chanted the entire Psalter, which they were required to learn by heart. Paula was exceptionally austere in her fasting and lavish in her almsgiving, often giving away to the poor even the goods needed by her community for subsistence. She aided her spiritual father and brother Jerome in his controversies with Origen's followers: St Jerome himself was hot-tempered, and St Paula often exhorted him to confront his enemies with patience and humility.   When she was fifty-six years old, she felt her death approaching, and heard Christ say to her 'Rise up, my love, my fair one, and come away; for lo, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone' (Song of Songs 2:10-11). To this she replied 'The time of harvest has come. I shall truly see the good things of the Lord in the land of the living,' and gave up her soul joyfully. Her funeral was attended by throngs of monks, nuns and poor people, all of whom revered her as their mother and benefactress.

The Psalms are a collection of 150 Songs carefully placed inside 5 books of Psalms:  Book 1:1-41, Book 2:42-72, Book: 3:73-89, Book 4:90-106, Book 5:107-150.  The first three books are primarily lament Psalms.  Sadness, anger, and bewilderment are prayed out.  The final two books include two very angry Psalms, 109 and 137, but these books are dominated by Praise.  The final six Psalms thunder with the praise of the "I Am "God. The five books of Psalms are clearly intended as responsive speech to the five books of the Pentateuch, Genesis - Deuteronomy.  The Pentateuch is the story of "I am" calling Israel to be His crisis relief for the entire creation. The Psalms are prayed from the time of David, 1000 B.C., from inside the story the Hebrew scripture tells.  The Psalter was not collected into its current form until the 4th century B.C.  By then Israel had been in exile for two hundred years.  Yet the Israel of the 2nd Temple, 530 B.C. to 70, AD., is singing her faith in the rebuilt temple and those living outside Judea are singing inside synagogues throughout the Roman empire.  The Psalms were Jesus' prayer book and were prayed by the early church.  (Matt. 27:46, Col. 3:16, Eph. 5:19) We will pray and praise a representative collection of the Great Psalms of the Psalter -Psalms 1, 2, 3, 8, 16, 19, 22, 23, 42, 51, 73-74, 88-89, 90, 104-106, 109, 110, and 139.  We will pray out to the Lord God our emotions and struggles, but we will continue praying through from confusion, doubt, and anger to more clarity, trust, and peace.  We will be encouraged, rebuked, and discipled by the ancient Songs of Israel, Jesus, and our Church Fathers and Mothers. The "I Am," the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, will bless us as we draw near to God together.  Come join us on the Way.

He was born Michael Tivolis in 1470. In his early youth he traveled to Italy, where many scholars had fled to preserve Hellenic culture despite the fall of Constantinople. After completing his studies in Florence, he went to the Holy Mountain in 1507 and entered Vatopedi Monastery, where he received the name of Maximos. Ten years later he was sent to Russia in answer to a request of Grand Prince Basil Ivanovich, who sought someone to translate works of the Holy Fathers on the Psalter, as well as other Church books, into Slavonic. Maximos completed this work with such success that he was made to stay in Russia to correct the existing translations (from Greek to Slavonic) of the Scriptures and liturgical books, and to preach. His work aroused the jealousy of some native monks, and Maximos was falsely accused of plotting against the Prince. In 1525 he was condemned as a heretic by a church court and banished to the Monastery of Volokolamsk, where he lived as a prisoner, not only suffering cold and extreme physical privation but being denied Holy Communion and the use of books.   One day an angel appeared to him and said 'Have patience: You will be delivered from eternal torment by sufferings here below.' In thanks for this divine comfort, St Maximus wrote a canon to the Holy Spirit on the walls of his cell in charcoal, since he was denied the use of paper and pen. (This canon is sung on Pentecost Monday in some Russian and Serbian Monasteries). Six years later he was tried again and condemned to indefinite imprisonment in chains at a monastery in Tver. Happily, the Bishop of Tver supported him, and he was able to continue his theological work and carry on a large correspondence despite his confinement. He endured these grim conditions for twenty years. Toward the end of his life, he was finally freed by the Tsar in response to pleas on his behalf by the Patriarchs of Constantinople and Alexandria and the intervention of pious Russian nobles. He was received with honor in Moscow, and allowed to carry on his theological work at the Lavra. The Tsar Ivan IV came to honor him highly, partly because the Saint had foretold the death of the Tsar's son. When the Tsar called a Church Council to fight the doctrines of some who had brought the Calvinist heresy into Russia, he asked St Maximos to attend. Too old and weak to travel, the Saint sent a brilliant refutation of the heresy to the Council; this was his last written work. He reposed in peace in 1556, aged eighty-six. Not long after his death, he was glorified by the Church in Greece as a Holy Confessor and 'Enlightener of Russia.' In 1988 (!) he was added to the calendar of Saints by the Moscow Patriarchate.

In this episode, Caleb is joined by Matt Damico (MDiv, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary) associate pastor of worship and operations at Kenwood Baptist Church in Louisville, Kentucky to discuss his new book, coauthored with Jim Hamilton, Reading the Psalms as Scripture. Together, they discuss the structure and key themes of the Psalter as well as things like messianic typology and how to incorporate the psalms in corporate worship in the local church. Resources: Reading the Psalms as Scripture by Matt Damico and Jim Hamilton Psalms Volume I & II: Evangelical Biblical Theology Commentary by Jim Hamilton The Psalter Reclaimed: Praying and Praising with the Psalms by Gordon Wenham The Flow of the Psalms: Discovering Their Structure and Theology by O. Palmer Robertson Typology-Understanding the Bible's Promise-Shaped Patterns: How Old Testament Expectations are Fulfilled in Christ by Jim Hamilton Trinity Psalter Hymnal 

What do you do with your tears? This is a psalm about weeping, about suffering, about grief. If you were to break the 150 psalms into categories, one of the categories will will be lamentations: psalms of tears, psalms of weeping and grieving. There are many other kinds of psalms, but I'll tell you, every commentator says there are more lamentations than any other kind. This is the biggest piece of the Psalter. Tears.  What do we learn here what to do with our tears? We're told three things: 1) expect tears, 2) invest tears, and 3) pray your tears. This sermon was preached by Dr. Timothy Keller at Redeemer Presbyterian Church on February 27, 2000. Series: Psalms – The Songs of Jesus. Scripture: Psalm 39:12-13; 126:1-6. Today's podcast is brought to you by Gospel in Life, the site for all sermons, books, study guides and resources from Timothy Keller and Redeemer Presbyterian Church. If you've enjoyed listening to this podcast and would like to support the ongoing efforts of this ministry, you can do so by visiting https://gospelinlife.com/give and making a one-time or recurring donation.

The Catechism discusses the significance of prayer beginning with the prophets and their observations about the Temple and ritualism. It is noteworthy that while we must worship the Lord externally, this must be in tandem with prayer and cannot remain external. With Fr. Mike's insight, we see that our thinking affects how we act, and our behaviors can influence beliefs. Taking this to heart, if we ever feel that we are just “going through the motions”, we should persist and continue praying. Today's readings are Catechism paragraphs 2581-2589. This episode has been found to be in conformity with the Catechism by the Institute on the Catechism, under the Subcommittee on the Catechism, USCCB. For the complete reading plan, visit ascensionpress.com/ciy Please note: The Catechism of the Catholic Church contains adult themes that may not be suitable for children - parental discretion is advised.

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