Category Archives: Bible Study

Psalm 103 – Musings

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David starting and ending Psalm 103 with “Barak the Lord, O my soul” shows what was important to David and where his heart was. But I have grown to appreciate all the topics he covered between his praising and blessing.

He captures (hooks) the reader/singers with why you should praise the Lord. I think the idea of “benefits” is a great attention grabber. In our age, we worry about benefits and want them as part of our compensation for doing something we are expected to do (our jobs). So in just doing what we should (praise God), we get some serious compensation – forgiveness, healing, satisfaction, etc.

I used The New Layman’s Parallel Bible to compare phrases and check on words that I looked up in my KJV concordance. I noticed how the different translations separated the various sections of Psalm 103. KJV and the Living Bible had no separations but the NIV and Revised Standard did arrange the verses into sections. The Revised Standard divided 1-5, 6-14, 15-18, and 19 -22 the NIV divided almost the same except verses 6 and 19 are by themselves and form breaks between the sections. That is always a minor thing but it is interesting to see how the various translators interpret and arrange Scripture.

My biggest take away maybe that leaders (Moses) need to ask to see God’s highway. His “Ways and Deeds” form quite a road for the people to be lead on.

Psalm 103 – Benefits

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Benefits:

  1. Forgives
  2. Heals
  3. Redeems
  4. Crowns
  5. Satisfies
  6. Works for the oppressed

His Ways and Deeds:

  1. Compassionate
  2. Gracious
  3. Slow to anger
  4. Abounding in love
  5. Removed our transgression
  6. Has compassion
  7. He knows us
  8. His love is with those who fear Him

I am going to deal with the word “righteousness”, as it appears with the “Benefits” and “His Ways and Deeds.” It is in verse 6 and 17 and both times it is used it is the feminine form – tsdaqah.   The Strong’s Concordance states that it is used 157 in the Old Testament but is not found in Exodus, Leviticus, 2 Kings, Eccl, Lamentations, Habakkuk, and Zephaniah. Tsedeq is the masculine form and is used 119 times mainly in poetic literature. Both of these words have a figurative usage of “prosperity.” The conclusion of many exegetes is that the terms have a relational and legal significance.

In verse 6 He is working for the oppressed while in verse 17 it is with those who fear the Lord and their children. At least in these verses, the relationship is the stronger with the weaker thus reflecting the Bridegroom/Bride relationship Jesus has with His Church.

See Psalm103 – Praise and Moses

I used the 1990 NIV for this study.

Wonders, Miracles, and Sign

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Charles Swindoll used this statement in his book The Tale of the Tardy Oxcart – If miracles happened every day they would be called REGULARS. I think it is fair to say that Abraham had miracles, signs, and wonders working in his life. Look at his narrative from Genesis 12 to 25 and realize that it covers 100 years of life you start to understand they were not “regulars.”

The other side of this topic is John 14: 12 where doing “greater miracles” is promised. The “greater” carries the idea of more not better. I have always thought that the person doing these “more” miracles are doing them for other people and not for themselves. In Acts, the Apostles did a lot of miracles “among the people”.

Acts 2:22 says Jesus was accredited by doing miracles, signs, and wonders and Paul says that these also marked his apostolic ministry. So miracles being done for God’s people are part of our heritage. Of all the times wonders and signs are mentioned in the New Testament most are in a positive light. Three times they refer to counterfeits or false prophets doing them: Mark 13:22, Matthew 24: 24, and 2 Thessalonians 2: 9. The Spirit of God will show you the difference and keep you from being deceived.  The key is who is being given the glory!

It does seem possible that you can see miracles, signs, and wonders done by God for His glory and still not understand. The children of Israel did this as they left Egypt and treated those signs and wonders lightly.

Other posts on the miraculous: The Seven Miracles in John, Miracles, and Storms, The Problem With the Miraculous.

Joel 2: 30/Acts 2: 17

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Today is Pentecost Sunday, 2015 and I have been studying the term – Wonder. Ok, Pentecostthese connect because the Holy Spirit is causing the Church to speak in tongues, prophesy, see visions, and has promised to show wonders and signs. The Old Testament word is mopheth and the New Testament word is teras. In my Strong’s Concordance, teras is something “strange that causes wonder and causes you to marvel, it is always in the plural. Wonders appeal to the imagination.”

These things have been given to the Church so that mopheth pronounced “mo faith” can rise in us!

pic:  http://clipart.christiansunite.com/1402137661/Pentecost_Clipart/Pentecost004.jpg

Psalm 103 – Moses

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Psalm 103:6 He (the Lord) made known His ways to Moses and His deeds to the people Moses_Pleading_with_Israelof Israel. (NIV)

My study note on this verse was – Why not Abraham or Jacob/Israel? That was several years ago but as I began to study Psalm 103 that question nagged me again. Why did God wait to show “His ways” to a man? Why Moses and not the Father of Faith – Abraham or Jacob, Joseph, or Judah?

Why did David single out Moses as having been shown the “ways of God?” I mean Abraham had gotten a promise and a covenant from God and had been shown favor so why Moses? I am going to digress here a moment and think about the relations these men had with God. In Exodus 6: 2- 5 God said that Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob knew Him as El-Shaddai (the God who pours out His riches because of His grace) thinking about these men they were blessed. Yes, they were tested, had trials and even messed-up but they were blessed because of God’s grace. However, in the same verses, God said He had not shown them the Jehovah (the One Who promised them deliverance because of His divine control) side of His nature. This part was for Moses and the children of Israel to experience.

Both Abraham and Moses experienced visits with God. In Genesis 12:7, 17:1, and 18:1 God “appeared” to Abraham; at first, I thought of a vision like he had in chapter 15:1. But according to Strong’s Concordance “appear” carries the context of something literally seen. Moses also had “visits” in the burning bush (Exodus 3), the heavenly dinner party (Exodus 24), and the times in the cloud on the mountain.

Both men had conversions with God, but it seems that Moses wrote things down while Abraham passed things on orally. Before the event that is talked about in Psalm 103, which is Exodus 33:13, Moses had written a Book of the Covenant (Exodus 24: 7).

So now to the question as to why God’s ways were revealed to Moses – Moses asked! Exodus 33:13 records the conversation Moses had with God. The NIV states it this way, The Path“If you are pleased with me, teach me your ways so I may know You.” The context here is important because in verse 12 Moses is talking about leading the people. “Ways” means a highway or well-traveled path so with a little play on words Moses is asking for two things in this passage – physical direction and spiritual knowledge. (See study on Paths and Ways). A lesson here for leaders, you need to ask to know God’s ways.