Category Archives: bible

Psalm 137

Western Christianity, with its odd mixture of pagan and secular moral values, struggles to understand the moral content of this psalm. This psalm is a good test of whether one can grasp the Ancient Hebrew outlook that is at the … Continue reading

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Psalm 136

This is the Great Hallel psalm, famously used during Passover and quite popular with the people. Typically sung immediately following the previous psalm, it is painfully obvious how this was used as a responsive song. The worship leader would sing … Continue reading

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Psalm 135

This song is verbal clip-art; it is a collection of quotations from other psalms and songs from the historical books of the Old Testament. Artfully woven together in this new format, it was probably a responsive psalm, but there is … Continue reading

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Psalm 134

Here is the last Song of Ascents. This psalm refers to priests who stood the night watch in the Temple. Their mission was not to guard the precincts; that was for the Levites assigned as Temple guards. Rather, the priestly … Continue reading

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Psalm 133

Here we have a gem that most Westerners miss, not because they don’t read it, but because they don’t get the full depth of meaning. The quintessence of all the biblical covenants together is fellowship and communion on a very … Continue reading

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Psalm 132

The primary purpose of including this psalm in the Ascents collection is to serve as a reminder as to why there is an annual pilgrimage to Jerusalem. The main point is that it is the symbolic earthly throne of Jehovah … Continue reading

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Psalm 131

This is specifically attributed to King David. It’s a beautiful portrait of someone who has learned the hard way to dismiss ambition and pride. David begins confessing what a might work God has done in his heart. He does not … Continue reading

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Psalm 130

Our greatest difficulty in reading the Psalms is that we struggle to enter the Hebrew mind. This short piece sounds so much like David for its depth of passion, but there were others who caught the same fire for the … Continue reading

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Psalm 129

This is the quintessential song of oppression and persistence. Genuine faith rises to meet every challenge; against such faith persecution starves and withers. Given the context here, it would seem the threat is not some neighboring enemy, but internal enemies. … Continue reading

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Psalm 128

This is another Psalm of Ascension that wasn’t composed specifically for pilgrimage. Rather, it is didactic in nature and presents the pilgrim’s goal of Jerusalem as the capstone of blessings. God’s favor on Jerusalem was the foundation of national welfare, … Continue reading

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