Old Testament Covenant History

Posted inCovenants
A review of Old Testament history that demonstrates that God made his covenants with his people at times of crisis, when the seed of the serpent was strong and threatening the continued existence and prosperity of his people.

Covenants of God with Men

Posted inCovenants
God's covenants are unilateral. He always initiates them and says, I will make my covenant with you. Therefore, they are not treaties or agreements, but promises which God makes voluntarily, and by which he graciously brings men into friendship with himself.

Covenants of Men with Men

Posted inCovenants
The Scriptures speak of covenants that men make with other men. These are of different sorts, such as contracts, treaties and agreements; and they vary widely according to the circumstances and the relative status of the parties involved. But they all have this in common, that they are the establishing of a relationship between two…

Psalm 44: Why Have You Cast Us Off?

Posted inPsalms Commentary
There are two things that are immediately obvious about this psalm. The first is that it was written in a time of military defeat and disaster for the people of God. The second is that the people were not, at the time of this defeat, in apostasy from God. It does not belong, for example,…

Psalms of the Incarnation

Posted inPsalms Commentary
The Psalms are songs about Christ as the God of our salvation in all their praise of Yahweh, the Most High and the Holy One of Israel. They are also about our Lord's life, suffering, resurrection and glorification in all their descriptions of our sufferings and the glory of our salvation. They talk about his…

Psalm 71: A Psalm for Old Age

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David was an old man when he wrote this psalm. Do not cast me off in the time of old age (v.9). Now also when I am old and gray-headed, O God, do not forsake me (v.18). In it he faces the problems that go with old age: failing strength, unfinished business and unrelenting enemies.…

Psalm 119:97-104: Having, Meditating, Keeping

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1. How I love your law! All the day it is my meditation. 2. Your commandment will make me wiser than my enemies, For it is mine forever. 3. I have more insight than my teachers, For your testimonies are my meditation. 4. I will understand more than the elders, For your precepts I keep.…

Psalm 24: The King of Glory

Posted inPsalms Commentary
The psalm has three distinct parts. Verses 1 and 2 are about the Lord’s universal rule. Verses 3-6 are about the necessity of holiness in those who ascend the hill of the Lord. Verses 7-10 are about the entry of the Lord into his dwelling place, or, to put it differently, about the ascension of…