'You make springs gush forth in valleys, they flow between hills.' (10) Here we have epic demonstrative poetry, the poet overcome by the glory and power of the creation — and the Creator. The author’s feelings are quite infectious: You are clothed with honour and majesty, wrapped in light as with a garment. You stretch … Continue reading Psalm 104, 17 Sep 17
Category: Psalms
Psalm 149, 10 Sep 17
'God takes pleasure in people.' (4) This is the penultimate psalm in the book, short and bitter-sweet. Four verses of praise, singing and dancing, including the important statement of love quoted above; four verses of wreaking vengeance on enemies; and in the middle, it appears, a good lie down! Let the faithful rejoice in triumph; … Continue reading Psalm 149, 10 Sep 17
Psalm 133, 20 Aug 17
How good and how pleasant it is when kindred live together in harmony. That’s it, folks; the message of this psalm in a nutshell -- or as an immigrant friend used to say unawares: “... in a nutcase.” Like most of the psalms of ascent, it’s short and sweet. There are a couple of images … Continue reading Psalm 133, 20 Aug 17
Psalm 145, 6 Aug 17
For comment on the primary psalm reading for this week, see a previous post on Psalm 17 Thank you so much to our male voice quintet who presented Psalm 105 last Sunday. What lovely sounds. We hear the same refrain, with different verses, in coming Sundays. Psalm 145, the alternative reading for this week, is … Continue reading Psalm 145, 6 Aug 17
Psalm 105, 30 Jul 17
Psalm 105 is a song of praise, as indeed are 106 and 107 that follow. The opening lines sound familiar, as such phrases occur throughout the Bible: Confitemini Domino et invocate nomen ejus / Give glory to God, and call upon his name The next verse narrows the focus to set the theme as historical … Continue reading Psalm 105, 30 Jul 17
Psalm 139, 23 July 2017
What you see and what you think you see are not always the same thing. Is this an image of smoke-rings, a bicycle or a piece of post-modern art? Have you ever thought you knew someone well only to find out they have a very different side to them from that which you have known? This … Continue reading Psalm 139, 23 July 2017
Psalm 65
Thanksgiving, following a rich summer and autumn harvest, is quite an event in some countries. It is not observed as a holiday in this country down under. However, often in our autumnal season, April and May, a harvest festival of some sort graces church or home in appreciation of the richness of our world. Psalm … Continue reading Psalm 65
Psalm 119, 16 July 2017
Your word is a lamp unto my feet and a light to my path. There is much to be said about this centre-piece psalm of the Bible. A fair bit has already been said -- just look at the many previous posts: Oct’13, Nov’13, Feb’14, Feb’14, Jul’14, Feb’17, Feb’17(2) This coming week's section Nun starts … Continue reading Psalm 119, 16 July 2017
Psalm 45, 9 July 2017
Psalm 45 is the closest we get to a love song in the Psalter. The poem by the sons of Korah is addressed first to the king, probably Solomon, then in a second voice to the bride. (v. 10) Hebrews 1 quotes a clutch of psalms, including in relation to Jesus verse 6 of Ps 45: … Continue reading Psalm 45, 9 July 2017
Psalm 13, 2 July 2017
A watched pot, so the saying goes, never boils. How frustrating is that seemingly interminable waiting -- for news, for decisions, for guidance or for inspiration. This Sunday we hear a simple but urgent lament in Psalm 13, in which the key question is ‘How long?' How long will that internal anxious silence last before an inkling … Continue reading Psalm 13, 2 July 2017
Psalms in the South 