Psalm 184 from Beyond Psalm 150 A psalm can contain prophecy. And a prophecy can read like a psalm, but the two don’t usually overlap. After Isaiah prophesies about the earth’s devastation in Isaiah 24 (which we’re not treating as a psalm), he affirms that through it all God will continue to reign with great […]
Psalm 183 from Beyond Psalm 150 As we move through the book of Isaiah, the prophet offers a future glimpse of Jesus reaching out to embrace people of all nations, not just Israel. In response to this, Isaiah envisions a future people joining to sing this psalm of praise to God: I will give thanks to […]
Psalm 182 from Beyond Psalm 150 The next nine psalms come from the book of Isaiah. Isaiah writes in Judah during the reigns of kings Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah. During Isaiah’s lengthy time as a prophet, Assyria conquers the nation of Israel and exiles most of the people. Only the nation of Judah remains, […]
Psalm 181 from Beyond Psalm 150 After disobeying God and running away from what he was supposed to do, we know that Jonah spends a three-day timeout in the belly of a large fish. From this dire location, he prays. Jonah’s prayer is a poetic testimony of what he did and the disaster that followed […]
Psalm 180 from Beyond Psalm 150 The book of Ecclesiastes shares Solomon’s personal journey of trying to find meaning and purpose in his life. It’s a dismal saga, discouraging and void of hope. Early on Solomon shares a pessimistic view about the seasons of life. He opens acknowledging there’s a time to be born and […]
Psalm 179 from Beyond Psalm 150 The book of Job records dialogue between Job and his four friends. Each one offers him their perspective on the situation—through their limited theology. To varying degrees, all four assert that Job’s downfall is either his fault or God’s doing. Job disagrees, maintains his innocence, and proclaims God’s blamelessness. […]
Psalm 178 from Beyond Psalm 150 Granted limited authorization by God, Satan afflicts Job, taking away his possessions and killing all ten of his children. Job humbles himself—tearing his robe and shaving his head. He falls to the ground and worships the Almighty. From the angst of his pain, he succinctly summarizes the arc of […]
Psalm 177 from Beyond Psalm 150 In addition to Mordecai’s psalm-like prayer, the expanded version of the book of Esther also records Esther’s psalm of petition. In it she humbles herself, confesses the sins of her people, and respectfully pleads for God’s deliverance. O my Lord, you alone are our king. Help me. I am […]
Psalm 176 from Beyond Psalm 150 There are two versions of the book of Esther. The shorter version, found in most—but not all—Protestant Bibles, is based on the traditional Hebrew text. The expanded version of Esther, found in most other Bibles, contains five additional passages as found in the Septuagint, the collection of Scriptures commonly […]
Psalm 175 from Beyond Psalm 150 After a remnant of the exiled people return to the promise land, Ezra and Nehemiah continue to reform the people’s spiritual practices. In response, the community separates themselves from foreigners and confesses their sins and the sins of their ancestors. Then they hear the law read to them. In […]