Psalm 198 from Beyond Psalm 150 Habakkuk’s book records a dialogue between him and God, with God’s response emerging as prophecy. The book opens with the prophet’s plea to God for relief from injustice. His words flow forth as a psalm of lament: Yahweh, how long will I cry, and you will not hear? I […]
Psalm 197 from Beyond Psalm 150 After four acrostic poems, with each verse starting with successive letters from the Hebrew alphabet, our fifth and final psalm of lament is shorter. It reflects the response of the remnant of people who remain in desolated Jerusalem. The rest are either dead or exiled. Though we may expect […]
Psalm 196 from Beyond Psalm 150 As we move forward in the progression of these five psalms of lament, the fourth poem centers on God’s anger—or the perception of his anger. It’s a heart-wrenching recitation of the outcome of God’s wrath. How the gold has become dim! The most pure gold has changed!The stones of […]
Psalm 195 from Beyond Psalm 150 For the third of our five psalms of lament, we read the author’s bitter angst. The prophet Jeremiah did everything that God told him to do, even though he encountered opposition and imprisonment for his obedience. Though we might expect the prophet to stand at a distance and effectively […]
Psalm 194 from Beyond Psalm 150 As we move from the first psalm of lament to the second, the focus shifts to God’s judgment of the city and his people who live there. From this passage it would be easy to conclude that Yahweh is a mean, vindictive, judgmental deity. Yet if we pull back […]
Psalm 193 from Beyond Psalm 150 The book of Lamentations serves mainly as a postscript to the book of Jeremiah. It consists of five funeral dirges that mourn the loss of Jerusalem, as proclaimed in Jeremiah’s prophecy. Many Bible scholars consider Jeremiah to be the author of Lamentations, and some ancient translations list the book’s […]
Psalm 192 from Beyond Psalm 150 Jeremiah, God’s prophet, proclaims his Lord’s words. When Pashhur, the priest in charge of the temple, hears Jeremiah predicting destruction, he has the prophet beaten and thrown in stocks for a day. Upon his release, Jeremiah foretells that because Pashhur prophesied lies, he, his family, and all who listen […]
Psalm 191 from Beyond Psalm 150 Our next two Psalms come from the prophet Jeremiah. His ministry occurs toward the end of the nation of Judah’s existence. His book ends with Judah’s exile. In this short psalm, Jeremiah opens with an unassuming gentleness, yet he quickly implores Yahweh to punish those nations and families who […]
Psalm 190 from Beyond Psalm 150 This psalm takes us on a roller coaster of emotions. It opens with an inspiring promise to tell others about Yahweh, praising him in the process. The second portion delves into the people’s past rebellion and God’s subsequent rescue. This seems like an ideal place to end this psalm, […]
Consider What Drives Your Accomplishments A thought-provoking line in the book of Isaiah grabbed my attention. I’ve plucked it out and meditated on it. It addresses the true source of success. This one-liner, a mere half of a sentence, says, “All that we have accomplished, you have done,” Isaiah 26:12. This statement emerges as both surprising […]