Friday, January 25, 2008
Psalm 118; Matthew 14:1-12
In this passage we hear of Herod's, and his family's, wickedness, perverseness, spinelessness... definitely an evil and adulterous generation, as well as the Baptist's prophetic righteousness. It does give some background about John's arrest, which we heard about way back in chapter four. What Herod does literally I guess is what we all do in some ways figuratively. We ignore the convicting voice of the Lord, and while we normally don't arrest and behead the messenger , we do try to imprison it, and destroy it somehow or another...
Today I thought we could listen to the psalm, thinking of John the Baptist in prison saying it out loud. John knew the psalms, they were Israel's prayer book and hymnal. I would think that at some point or another John said the psalms to strengthen and comfort himself. They can help us in this way too.
Psalm 118
Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
for his steadfast love endures forever!…
Let those who fear the Lord say,
His steadfast love endures forever.
Out of my distress I called on the Lord;
the Lord answered me and set me free.
The Lord is on my side; I will not fear.
What can man do to me?
The Lord is on my side as my helper;
I shall look in triumph on those who hate me.
It is better to take refuge in the Lord
than to trust in man.
It is better to take refuge in the Lord
than to trust in princes…
I was pushed hard, so that I was falling,
but the Lord helped me.
The Lord is my strength and my song;
he has become my salvation.
Glad songs of salvation are in the tents of the righteous:
The right hand of the Lord does valiantly,
the right hand of the Lord exalts,
the right hand of the Lord does valiantly!
I shall not die, but I shall live,
and recount the deeds of the Lord.
The Lord has disciplined me severely,
but he has not given me over to death.
Open to me the gates of righteousness, that I may enter through them
and give thanks to the Lord…
I thank you that you have answered me
and have become my salvation.
The stone that the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone.
This is the Lord's doing;
it is marvelous in our eyes.
This is the day that the Lord has made;
let us rejoice and be glad in it.
Save us, we pray, O Lord!
O Lord, we pray, give us success!
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!
We bless you from the house of the Lord.
The Lord is God,and he has made his light to shine upon us.
Bind the festal sacrifice with cords, up to the horns of the altar!
You are my God, and I will give thanks to you;
you are my God; I will extol you.
Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
for his steadfast love endures forever!
Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
for his steadfast love endures forever!…
Let those who fear the Lord say,
His steadfast love endures forever.
Out of my distress I called on the Lord;
the Lord answered me and set me free.
The Lord is on my side; I will not fear.
What can man do to me?
The Lord is on my side as my helper;
I shall look in triumph on those who hate me.
It is better to take refuge in the Lord
than to trust in man.
It is better to take refuge in the Lord
than to trust in princes…
I was pushed hard, so that I was falling,
but the Lord helped me.
The Lord is my strength and my song;
he has become my salvation.
Glad songs of salvation are in the tents of the righteous:
The right hand of the Lord does valiantly,
the right hand of the Lord exalts,
the right hand of the Lord does valiantly!
I shall not die, but I shall live,
and recount the deeds of the Lord.
The Lord has disciplined me severely,
but he has not given me over to death.
Open to me the gates of righteousness, that I may enter through them
and give thanks to the Lord…
I thank you that you have answered me
and have become my salvation.
The stone that the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone.
This is the Lord's doing;
it is marvelous in our eyes.
This is the day that the Lord has made;
let us rejoice and be glad in it.
Save us, we pray, O Lord!
O Lord, we pray, give us success!
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!
We bless you from the house of the Lord.
The Lord is God,and he has made his light to shine upon us.
Bind the festal sacrifice with cords, up to the horns of the altar!
You are my God, and I will give thanks to you;
you are my God; I will extol you.
Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
for his steadfast love endures forever!
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