his salvation

February 27, 2017

Wait for Yahweh (Lam 3:25-3:27)

Tet

“Yahweh is good

To those

Who wait for him.

Yahweh is good

To the soul

That seeks him.

It is good

That one should

Wait quietly

For the salvation

Of Yahweh.

It is good

For one to bear

The yoke

In his youth.”

Yahweh would be good to those wait quietly for his salvation. Yahweh would be good to any soul that seeks him. It is also good to bear the heavy burdens of the yoke in youth. This is now a very uplifting message after all the preceding moaning. These three verses start with the Hebrew consonant letter Tet in this acrostic poem.

December 13, 2015

Yahweh saved me (Ps 118:13-118:18)

“I was pushed hard,

So that I was falling.

But Yahweh helped me.

Yahweh is my strength!

Yahweh is my might!

He has become my salvation.

There are glad songs of victory

In the tents of the righteous.

‘The right hand of Yahweh does valiantly!

The right hand of Yahweh is exalted!

The right hand of Yahweh does valiantly!’

I shall not die.

But I shall live.

I shall recount the deeds of Yahweh.

Yahweh has punished me severely.

But he did not give me over to death.”

Apparently the psalmist was pushed very hard on all sides. However, Yahweh had helped him since Yahweh was his strength, his might, and his salvation. Once the victory was obtained there were songs of victory. Within the tents of the righteous you could hear the chant about the right hand of Yahweh that had been valiant and exalted. The psalmist did not die, but lived. Therefore he was going to recount the great deeds of Yahweh his whole entire life. Yahweh had punished him severely, but he did not die. He was grateful for that.

November 12, 2015

Prayer for help (Ps 88:1-88:2)

A song, a psalm of the Sons of Korah. To the choirmaster leader, according to Mahalath Leannoth, a Maskil of Heman the Ezrahite

“Yahweh!

God of my salvation!

At night,

I cry out in your presence!

Let my prayer come before you!

Incline your ear to my cry!”

Psalm 88 is a psalm of the sons of Korah, the Temple singers. However, this Mahalath Leannoth refers to some kind of musical instrument for those who were sick. On top of that this is called a maskil of Heman, the Ezrahite. Who is he? He may have been a grandson of Samuel, the man called Heman appointed by David to be a Temple Singer in 1 Chronicles, chapter 6. However, there he is called a Kohathite, not an Ezrahite. This is a cry of desperation. God is his salvation. He cries all night in the presence of God. He wanted his prayers to come to God. In the classical sense he wanted God’s ear to listen to his cry.

October 15, 2015

Trust in God (Ps 62:5-62:8)

“For God alone

My soul waits in silence.

My hope is from God.

He alone is my rock.

He alone is my salvation.

He alone is my fortress.

I shall not be shaken.

On God rests my deliverance.

On God rests my honor.

My mighty rock is God.

My refuge is God.

Trust in God

At all times!

O people!

Pour out your heart before him!

God is a refuge for us!”

Selah

These first few verses repeat the first few verses of this psalm. David placed all his trust in God alone. He waited in silence. He knew that God was his salvation, his rock, and his fortress. He would not be shaken in his ways. God gave him deliverance and honor. God was his mighty rock and refuge. He wanted all the people to trust in God at all times. He wanted them to pour out their hearts to God because he was the refuge for all of them. This section concluded with a musical interlude meditative pause, the Selah.

October 15, 2015

Hope in God alone (Ps 62:1-62:2)

To the choirmaster leader, according to Jeduthun, a psalm of David

“For God alone

My soul waits in silence.

From God

Comes my salvation.

He alone is my rock.

He alone is my salvation.

He alone is my fortress.

I shall never be shaken.”

Psalm 62 is another choral psalm of David. However the melody is to Jeduthun, who was mentioned in Psalm 39 and 77. Jeduthun was the name of one of the Levite Merari families that David appointed as music master in 1 Chronicles, chapters 16 and 25. He was a trumpet player and his sons led the music in the Temple. David placed all his trust in God alone. He waited in silence. He knew that God was his salvation, his rock, and his fortress. He would not be shaken in his ways.

September 22, 2015

The final plea to Yahweh not to forsake David (Ps 38:21-38:22)

“Do not forsake me!

Yahweh!

O my God!

Do not be far from me!

Make haste to help me!

Yahweh!

My salvation!”

The final plea of David was to remind Yahweh not to forsake him, not to abandon him. He wanted Yahweh to come quickly to help him. This psalm ends with the cry that Yahweh was his salvation.

September 3, 2015

Whom should David fear? (Ps 27:1-27:1)

“A psalm of David

Yahweh is my light.

Yahweh is my salvation.

Whom shall I fear?

Yahweh is the stronghold of my life.

Whom shall I be afraid of?”

Once again, Psalm 27 is a psalm of David about deliverance. Who should he fear? Yahweh was his light, his salvation, and his stronghold. He had no one to fear because Yahweh was on his side. Yahweh was the light and salvation of David. Those in the light are saved. Who should he fear if Yahweh was on his side? There was no one else to fear. Yahweh was his stronghold or fortress, against all attacks.