A cosmic whodunit The Hardy Boys mystery books were a favorite of mine in my pre-teen years. By close observation and deductive reasoning from fragmented facts, Joe and Frank always solved the mystery and caught the bad guy. Their real life equivalents are forensic pathologists who analyze blood, hair, or fiber evidence from a crime […]
What the rejection of the Messiah meant to Him. The title of Psalm 69 identifies its human author as David1 but provides us with no historical context or background. Nor are there any internal clues to enable us to fix the time or circumstances in David’s life which occasioned the writing of the psalm. The […]
The vindication of the King. People tend to view the earth as their personal domain and playground. Psalm 24 assures us that this is not the case. Its opening sentence affirms Jehovah’s ownership, saying “The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof, the world and they that dwell therein.” He not only “owns the […]
Earth shall keep her Jubilee! Scripture generally refers to David as the king who exhibits most clearly the ideal features of that office. He was the shepherd king. God’s ideal was that, like a shepherd, the king in Israel should lead, feed, and protect the people, God’s flock. This triple role is seen perfectly in […]
Introducing the Protector and the protected one. A very good friend of mine has a vivid memory of an incident after hopping off the school bus as a kindergarten boy. Carrying his backpack, he stepped onto the curb and headed up into his yard. Just a few seconds later, he glanced to the side and […]
Why settle for half of the truth? A fresh look at Psalm 47. We begin with God’s choice. He is the Creator and Sovereign of the universe. Oh, clap your hands, all you peoples! Shout to God with the voice of triumph! For the Lord Most High is awesome; He is a great King over […]
Here is the crucifixion in graphic detail, but also hints of the coming glory. Although each of the psalms 22, 23 and 24 portrays our Lord Jesus, each does so in a very different way. Psalm 22 mainly depicts Him as the Sufferer, Psalm 23 as the Shepherd, and Psalm 24 as the Sovereign. Indeed, […]
The Messiah-Son The second psalm in the hymnbook of God’s people is significant in that there is no inscription given. This first of the Messianic Psalms is attributed to David in Acts 4:25. It is quoted seven times in the New Testament. At first reading, you notice that there are four different speakers in the […]
Is it all firefighting? What is the essence of leadership in the local church? A variety of ideas might come to mind. Is it prestige? Sometimes, men think it is. But the Lord Jesus was very clear that such thinking, although common in pagans, has no place among His people (Mk.10:42-45). Spiritual leadership isn’t about […]