If the old covenant was meant to be upheld forever and ever, what happened? Who broke the terms of the covenant? Let’s begin in Psalm 111.
Do we praise God with our whole hearts in our church assemblies?
Praise the Lord [Yah]! I will give thanks to the Lord [Yahweh] with my whole heart, in the company of the upright, in the congregation. (Ps 111:1 ESV)
Do we study the Lord’s works and delight in them, acknowledging how splendid they are?
The Lord’s works are great, studied by all who delight in them. All that He does is splendid and majestic; His righteousness endures forever. (Ps 111:2-3 HCSB)
Do we remember God’s wonderful works, His grace and compassion?
He is remembered for his awesome deeds; the Lord is gracious and compassionate. He prepares food for those who fear him; he is ever mindful of his covenant. (Ps 111:4-5 ISV)
Has God given Israel a land that once belonged to child-sacrificing heathen? Was His judgment true justice?
He hath shewed his people the power of his works, that he may give them the heritage of the heathen. The works of his hands are verity and judgment; all his commandments are sure. (Ps 111:6-7 KJV)
Is the principle behind all God’s 613 commandments still valid?
They are upheld forever and ever; They are done in truth and uprightness. (Ps 111:8 LSB)
Was the old covenant made at Sinai intended to be eternal? Did it specify just ten or all 613 commandments of the old testament?
He has sent redemption to His people; He has ordained His covenant forever; Holy and awesome is His name. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; All those who follow His commandments have a good understanding; His praise endures forever. (Ps 111:9-10 NASB)
Why was a new covenant necessary? Who broke the old covenant?
It will not be like the covenant I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand to lead them out of Egypt, because they broke my covenant, though I was a husband to them,” declares the Lord. (Jer 31:32 NIV)
How central is the new covenant to our Christian experience?
Likewise He also took the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is shed for you. (Luke 22:20 NKJV)
Who was at fault in breaking the terms of the old covenant?
But when God found fault with the people, he said: “The day is coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and Judah. (Heb 8:8 NLT)
If the old covenant was meant to be upheld forever and ever, what happened? Who broke the terms of the covenant? You decide!
Yahweh said to Adonai (Ps 110)
Why is this Psalm quoted or alluded to over two dozen times in the New Testament? What special meaning about the Messiah is here? Let’s look at Psalm 110.
A Psalm by David. (WEB)
If Yahweh spoke to my Lord, who is He? Who sits at God the Father’s right hand and will rule over His enemies?
The Lord [Yahweh] said to my Lord [Adonai], “Sit at My right hand, Till I make Your enemies Your footstool.” The Lord shall send the rod of Your strength out of Zion. Rule in the midst of Your enemies! (Ps 110:1-2 NKJV Mat 22:44)
Who is a priest forever, after the order of Melchizedek?
When you go to war, your people will serve you willingly. You are arrayed in holy garments, and your strength will be renewed each day like the morning dew. The Lord has taken an oath and will not break his vow: “You are a priest forever in the order of Melchizedek.” (Ps 110:3-4 NLT)
Who will crush kings on that day and judge nations and the ruler of the earth?
The Lord is at your right hand. He will crush kings in the day of his wrath. He will judge among the nations. He will heap up dead bodies. He will crush the ruler of the whole earth. He will drink of the brook on the way; therefore he will lift up his head. (Ps 110:5-7 WEB)
How did Jesus explain that this Psalm was about the Christ, the Messiah?
Now as the Pharisees were gathering, Jesus asked them, “What do you think about the Christ? Whose son is he?” “David’s son,” they replied. He said, “Then how is it that David, inspired by the Holy Spirit, called him Lord when he said, The Lord said to my lord, ‘Sit at my right side until I turn your enemies into your footstool’? If David calls him Lord, how can he be David’s son?” Nobody was able to answer him. And from that day forward nobody dared to ask him anything. (Mat 22:41-46 CEB)
Why is this Psalm quoted or alluded to over two dozen times in the New Testament? What special meaning about the Messiah is here? You decide!
A Psalm by David. (WEB)
If Yahweh spoke to my Lord, who is He? Who sits at God the Father’s right hand and will rule over His enemies?
The Lord [Yahweh] said to my Lord [Adonai], “Sit at My right hand, Till I make Your enemies Your footstool.” The Lord shall send the rod of Your strength out of Zion. Rule in the midst of Your enemies! (Ps 110:1-2 NKJV Mat 22:44)
Who is a priest forever, after the order of Melchizedek?
When you go to war, your people will serve you willingly. You are arrayed in holy garments, and your strength will be renewed each day like the morning dew. The Lord has taken an oath and will not break his vow: “You are a priest forever in the order of Melchizedek.” (Ps 110:3-4 NLT)
Who will crush kings on that day and judge nations and the ruler of the earth?
The Lord is at your right hand. He will crush kings in the day of his wrath. He will judge among the nations. He will heap up dead bodies. He will crush the ruler of the whole earth. He will drink of the brook on the way; therefore he will lift up his head. (Ps 110:5-7 WEB)
How did Jesus explain that this Psalm was about the Christ, the Messiah?
Now as the Pharisees were gathering, Jesus asked them, “What do you think about the Christ? Whose son is he?” “David’s son,” they replied. He said, “Then how is it that David, inspired by the Holy Spirit, called him Lord when he said, The Lord said to my lord, ‘Sit at my right side until I turn your enemies into your footstool’? If David calls him Lord, how can he be David’s son?” Nobody was able to answer him. And from that day forward nobody dared to ask him anything. (Mat 22:41-46 CEB)
Why is this Psalm quoted or alluded to over two dozen times in the New Testament? What special meaning about the Messiah is here? You decide!
Rescue (Ps 109)
Will God punish the enemies of His people and rescue the faithful? Let’s begin in Psalm 109.
For the Chief Musician. A Psalm by David. (WEB)
Do people ever gossip about us, tell lies, words of hate and attack us without cause?
Be not silent, O God of my praise! For wicked and deceitful mouths are opened against me, speaking against me with lying tongues. They encircle me with words of hate, and attack me without cause. In return for my love they accuse me, but I give myself to prayer. So they reward me evil for good, and hatred for my love. (Ps 109:1-5 ESV)
Do we ever wish that God would punish our enemies? Is that God’s justice to a lifestyle of hatred, unless people repent?
Set a wicked person over him; let an accuser stand at his right hand. When he is judged, let him be found guilty, and let his prayer be counted as sin. Let his days be few; let another take over his position. Let his children be fatherless and his wife a widow. Let his children wander as beggars, searching for food far from their demolished homes. Let a creditor seize all he has; let strangers plunder what he has worked for. Let no one show him kindness, and let no one be gracious to his fatherless children. Let the line of his descendants be cut off; let their name be blotted out in the next generation. Let his ancestors’ guilt be remembered before the Lord, and do not let his mother’s sin be blotted out. Let their sins always remain before the Lord, and let Him erase all memory of them from the earth. (Ps 109:6-15 HCSB)
Do wicked people act in love? What do they think about the poor and needy? Is a telltale sign their use of bad language?
For he didn’t think to extend gracious love; he harassed to death the poor, the needy, and the broken hearted. He loved to curse—may his curses return upon him! He took no delight in blessing others—so may blessings be far from him. He wore curses like a garment—may they enter his inner being like water and his bones like oil. May those curses wrap around him like a garment, or like a belt that one always wears. May this be the way the Lord repays my accuser, those who speak evil against me. (Ps 109:16-20 ISV)
Will God deliver the poor and needy, the wounded of heart?
But do thou for me, O God the Lord, for thy name's sake: because thy mercy is good, deliver thou me. For I am poor and needy, and my heart is wounded within me. I am gone like the shadow when it declineth: I am tossed up and down as the locust. My knees are weak through fasting; and my flesh faileth of fatness. I became also a reproach unto them: when they looked upon me they shaked their heads. (Ps 109:21-25 KJV)
Do we want God to save us in such a public way that He gets the glory for it?
Help me, O Yahweh my God; Save me according to Your lovingkindness. And let them know that this is Your hand; You, O Yahweh, have done it. Let them curse, but You bless; They arise and will be put to shame, But Your slave shall be glad. Let my accusers be clothed with dishonor, And let them wrap themselves with their own shame as with a robe. (Ps 109:26-29 LSB)
Do we publicly praise God when He saves us from those who would condemn us to death?
With my mouth I will give thanks abundantly to the Lord; And I will praise Him in the midst of many. For He stands at the right hand of the needy, To save him from those who judge [condemn] his soul. (Ps 109:30-31 NASB)
Does salvation include a rescue from those who hate us?
salvation from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us—to show mercy to our ancestors and to remember his holy covenant, the oath he swore to our father Abraham: to rescue us from the hand of our enemies, and to enable us to serve him without fear (Luke 1:71-74 NIV)
Will God punish the enemies of His people and rescue the faithful? You decide!
For the Chief Musician. A Psalm by David. (WEB)
Do people ever gossip about us, tell lies, words of hate and attack us without cause?
Be not silent, O God of my praise! For wicked and deceitful mouths are opened against me, speaking against me with lying tongues. They encircle me with words of hate, and attack me without cause. In return for my love they accuse me, but I give myself to prayer. So they reward me evil for good, and hatred for my love. (Ps 109:1-5 ESV)
Do we ever wish that God would punish our enemies? Is that God’s justice to a lifestyle of hatred, unless people repent?
Set a wicked person over him; let an accuser stand at his right hand. When he is judged, let him be found guilty, and let his prayer be counted as sin. Let his days be few; let another take over his position. Let his children be fatherless and his wife a widow. Let his children wander as beggars, searching for food far from their demolished homes. Let a creditor seize all he has; let strangers plunder what he has worked for. Let no one show him kindness, and let no one be gracious to his fatherless children. Let the line of his descendants be cut off; let their name be blotted out in the next generation. Let his ancestors’ guilt be remembered before the Lord, and do not let his mother’s sin be blotted out. Let their sins always remain before the Lord, and let Him erase all memory of them from the earth. (Ps 109:6-15 HCSB)
Do wicked people act in love? What do they think about the poor and needy? Is a telltale sign their use of bad language?
For he didn’t think to extend gracious love; he harassed to death the poor, the needy, and the broken hearted. He loved to curse—may his curses return upon him! He took no delight in blessing others—so may blessings be far from him. He wore curses like a garment—may they enter his inner being like water and his bones like oil. May those curses wrap around him like a garment, or like a belt that one always wears. May this be the way the Lord repays my accuser, those who speak evil against me. (Ps 109:16-20 ISV)
Will God deliver the poor and needy, the wounded of heart?
But do thou for me, O God the Lord, for thy name's sake: because thy mercy is good, deliver thou me. For I am poor and needy, and my heart is wounded within me. I am gone like the shadow when it declineth: I am tossed up and down as the locust. My knees are weak through fasting; and my flesh faileth of fatness. I became also a reproach unto them: when they looked upon me they shaked their heads. (Ps 109:21-25 KJV)
Do we want God to save us in such a public way that He gets the glory for it?
Help me, O Yahweh my God; Save me according to Your lovingkindness. And let them know that this is Your hand; You, O Yahweh, have done it. Let them curse, but You bless; They arise and will be put to shame, But Your slave shall be glad. Let my accusers be clothed with dishonor, And let them wrap themselves with their own shame as with a robe. (Ps 109:26-29 LSB)
Do we publicly praise God when He saves us from those who would condemn us to death?
With my mouth I will give thanks abundantly to the Lord; And I will praise Him in the midst of many. For He stands at the right hand of the needy, To save him from those who judge [condemn] his soul. (Ps 109:30-31 NASB)
Does salvation include a rescue from those who hate us?
salvation from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us—to show mercy to our ancestors and to remember his holy covenant, the oath he swore to our father Abraham: to rescue us from the hand of our enemies, and to enable us to serve him without fear (Luke 1:71-74 NIV)
Will God punish the enemies of His people and rescue the faithful? You decide!
Battle Ready (Psalm 108)
If we are about to face a great battle, should singing praises to God be our first step? Let’s look at Psalm 108.
A Song. A Psalm by David. (WEB)
Are we steadfast in singing praises to God among the nations?
O God, my heart is steadfast; I will sing and give praise, even with my glory. Awake, lute and harp! I will awaken the dawn. I will praise You, O Lord, among the peoples, And I will sing praises to You among the nations. For Your mercy is great above the heavens, And Your truth reaches to the clouds. (Ps 108:1-4 NKJV)
Is God exalted above the highest heavens? Will He rescue His beloved people?
Be exalted, O God, above the highest heavens. May your glory shine over all the earth. Now rescue your beloved people. Answer and save us by your power. (Ps 108:5-6 NLT)
What does God say about Israel and the surrounding nations?
God has spoken from his sanctuary: “In triumph, I will divide Shechem, and measure out the valley of Succoth. Gilead is mine. Manasseh is mine. Ephraim also is my helmet. Judah is my scepter. Moab is my wash pot. I will toss my sandal on Edom. I will shout over Philistia.” (Ps 108:7-9 WEB)
Who alone is our true help in battle, guaranteeing victory?
I wish someone would bring me to a fortified city! I wish someone would lead me to Edom!” But you have rejected us, God, haven’t you? You, God, no longer accompany our armies. Give us help against the enemy—human help is worthless. With God we will triumph: God is the one who will trample our adversaries. (Ps 108:10-13 CEB)
Is thankfulness an important way to begin any prayer asking for God to protect us in battle?
Don't worry about anything, but pray about everything. With thankful hearts offer up your prayers and requests to God. Then, because you belong to Christ Jesus, God will bless you with peace that no one can completely understand. And this peace will control the way you think and feel. (Phil 4:6-7 CEV)
If we are about to face a great battle, should singing praises to God be our first step? You decide!
A Song. A Psalm by David. (WEB)
Are we steadfast in singing praises to God among the nations?
O God, my heart is steadfast; I will sing and give praise, even with my glory. Awake, lute and harp! I will awaken the dawn. I will praise You, O Lord, among the peoples, And I will sing praises to You among the nations. For Your mercy is great above the heavens, And Your truth reaches to the clouds. (Ps 108:1-4 NKJV)
Is God exalted above the highest heavens? Will He rescue His beloved people?
Be exalted, O God, above the highest heavens. May your glory shine over all the earth. Now rescue your beloved people. Answer and save us by your power. (Ps 108:5-6 NLT)
What does God say about Israel and the surrounding nations?
God has spoken from his sanctuary: “In triumph, I will divide Shechem, and measure out the valley of Succoth. Gilead is mine. Manasseh is mine. Ephraim also is my helmet. Judah is my scepter. Moab is my wash pot. I will toss my sandal on Edom. I will shout over Philistia.” (Ps 108:7-9 WEB)
Who alone is our true help in battle, guaranteeing victory?
I wish someone would bring me to a fortified city! I wish someone would lead me to Edom!” But you have rejected us, God, haven’t you? You, God, no longer accompany our armies. Give us help against the enemy—human help is worthless. With God we will triumph: God is the one who will trample our adversaries. (Ps 108:10-13 CEB)
Is thankfulness an important way to begin any prayer asking for God to protect us in battle?
Don't worry about anything, but pray about everything. With thankful hearts offer up your prayers and requests to God. Then, because you belong to Christ Jesus, God will bless you with peace that no one can completely understand. And this peace will control the way you think and feel. (Phil 4:6-7 CEV)
If we are about to face a great battle, should singing praises to God be our first step? You decide!
Give Thanks (Psalm 107)
How often do we give thanks to God? Let’s begin in Psalm 107.
From what adversary has He ultimately redeemed us, an act returning a lost inheritance, such as Boaz did for Ruth through marriage?
Give thanks to Yahweh [the Lord], for he is good, for his loving kindness endures forever. Let the redeemed by Yahweh say so, whom he has redeemed from the hand of the adversary, and gathered out of the lands, from the east and from the west, from the north and from the south. (Ps 107:1-3 WEB)
Are we wandering in a spiritual desert wasteland looking for a home?
Some of the redeemed had wandered into the desert, into the wasteland. They couldn’t find their way to a city or town. They were hungry and thirsty; their lives were slipping away. So they cried out to the Lord in their distress, and God delivered them from their desperate circumstances. God led them straight to human habitation. Let them thank the Lord for his faithful love and his wondrous works for all people, because God satisfied the one who was parched with thirst, and he filled up the hungry with good things! (Ps 107:4-9 CEB)
Do we suffer in this world because of our own past sins? Can God rescue us?
Some of you were prisoners suffering in deepest darkness and bound by chains, because you had rebelled against God Most High and refused his advice. You were worn out from working like slaves, and no one came to help. You were in serious trouble, but you prayed to the Lord, and he rescued you. He brought you out of the deepest darkness and broke your chains. (Ps 107:10-14 CEV)
Do we thank the Lord for setting us free from the bondage to sin?
Let them thank the Lord for his steadfast love, for his wondrous works to the children of man! For he shatters the doors of bronze and cuts in two the bars of iron. (Ps 107:15-16 ESV)
Do our own sins cause much of our suffering? Who alone can rescue us?
Fools suffered affliction because of their rebellious ways and their sins. They loathed all food and came near the gates of death. Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble; He saved them from their distress. He sent His word and healed them; He rescued them from the Pit. Let them give thanks to the Lord for His faithful love and His wonderful works for all humanity. Let them offer sacrifices of thanksgiving and announce His works with shouts of joy. (Ps 107:17-22 HCSB)
Do those who go to sea witness the great power of God in the oceans and realize that prayer to God is their only resource?
Those who go down to the sea in ships, who work in the great waters, witnessed the works of the Lord—his awesome deeds in the ocean’s depth. He spoke and stirred up a windstorm that made its waves surge. The people ascended skyward and descended to the depths, their courage melting away in their peril. They reeled and staggered like a drunkard, as all their wisdom became useless. Yet when they cried out to the Lord in their trouble, the Lord brought them out of their distress. He calmed the storm and its waves quieted down. So they rejoiced that the waves became quiet, and he led them to their desired haven. (Ps 107:23-30 ISV)
How soon does it take us to praise the Lord, exalting Him over everything else?
Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men! Let them exalt him also in the congregation of the people, and praise him in the assembly of the elders. (Ps 107:31-32 KJV)
Who turns deserts, which were once a curse for sin, into fruitful land, a blessing?
He makes rivers into a wilderness And springs of water into a thirsty ground; A fruitful land into a salt waste, Because of the evil of those who inhabited it. He makes a wilderness into a pool of water And a dry land into springs of water; And there He causes the hungry to inhabit, So that they may establish an inhabited city, And sow fields and plant vineyards, And produce a fruitful harvest. Also He blesses them and they multiply greatly, And He does not let their cattle decrease. (Ps 107:33-38 LSB)
When God’s people are oppressed, does He have plans to rescue the poor from the contemptuous and greedy?
When they become few and lowly Because of oppression, misery, and sorrow, He pours contempt upon noblemen And makes them wander in a pathless wasteland. But He sets the needy securely on high, away from affliction, And makes his families like a flock. The upright see it and are glad; But all injustice shuts its mouth. Who is wise? He is to pay attention to these things, And consider the mercy of the Lord. (Ps 107:39-43 NASB)
How can we be saved from the troubles of this world for all eternity?
If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. (Rom 10:9-10 NIV)
How often do we give thanks to God? You decide!
From what adversary has He ultimately redeemed us, an act returning a lost inheritance, such as Boaz did for Ruth through marriage?
Give thanks to Yahweh [the Lord], for he is good, for his loving kindness endures forever. Let the redeemed by Yahweh say so, whom he has redeemed from the hand of the adversary, and gathered out of the lands, from the east and from the west, from the north and from the south. (Ps 107:1-3 WEB)
Are we wandering in a spiritual desert wasteland looking for a home?
Some of the redeemed had wandered into the desert, into the wasteland. They couldn’t find their way to a city or town. They were hungry and thirsty; their lives were slipping away. So they cried out to the Lord in their distress, and God delivered them from their desperate circumstances. God led them straight to human habitation. Let them thank the Lord for his faithful love and his wondrous works for all people, because God satisfied the one who was parched with thirst, and he filled up the hungry with good things! (Ps 107:4-9 CEB)
Do we suffer in this world because of our own past sins? Can God rescue us?
Some of you were prisoners suffering in deepest darkness and bound by chains, because you had rebelled against God Most High and refused his advice. You were worn out from working like slaves, and no one came to help. You were in serious trouble, but you prayed to the Lord, and he rescued you. He brought you out of the deepest darkness and broke your chains. (Ps 107:10-14 CEV)
Do we thank the Lord for setting us free from the bondage to sin?
Let them thank the Lord for his steadfast love, for his wondrous works to the children of man! For he shatters the doors of bronze and cuts in two the bars of iron. (Ps 107:15-16 ESV)
Do our own sins cause much of our suffering? Who alone can rescue us?
Fools suffered affliction because of their rebellious ways and their sins. They loathed all food and came near the gates of death. Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble; He saved them from their distress. He sent His word and healed them; He rescued them from the Pit. Let them give thanks to the Lord for His faithful love and His wonderful works for all humanity. Let them offer sacrifices of thanksgiving and announce His works with shouts of joy. (Ps 107:17-22 HCSB)
Do those who go to sea witness the great power of God in the oceans and realize that prayer to God is their only resource?
Those who go down to the sea in ships, who work in the great waters, witnessed the works of the Lord—his awesome deeds in the ocean’s depth. He spoke and stirred up a windstorm that made its waves surge. The people ascended skyward and descended to the depths, their courage melting away in their peril. They reeled and staggered like a drunkard, as all their wisdom became useless. Yet when they cried out to the Lord in their trouble, the Lord brought them out of their distress. He calmed the storm and its waves quieted down. So they rejoiced that the waves became quiet, and he led them to their desired haven. (Ps 107:23-30 ISV)
How soon does it take us to praise the Lord, exalting Him over everything else?
Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men! Let them exalt him also in the congregation of the people, and praise him in the assembly of the elders. (Ps 107:31-32 KJV)
Who turns deserts, which were once a curse for sin, into fruitful land, a blessing?
He makes rivers into a wilderness And springs of water into a thirsty ground; A fruitful land into a salt waste, Because of the evil of those who inhabited it. He makes a wilderness into a pool of water And a dry land into springs of water; And there He causes the hungry to inhabit, So that they may establish an inhabited city, And sow fields and plant vineyards, And produce a fruitful harvest. Also He blesses them and they multiply greatly, And He does not let their cattle decrease. (Ps 107:33-38 LSB)
When God’s people are oppressed, does He have plans to rescue the poor from the contemptuous and greedy?
When they become few and lowly Because of oppression, misery, and sorrow, He pours contempt upon noblemen And makes them wander in a pathless wasteland. But He sets the needy securely on high, away from affliction, And makes his families like a flock. The upright see it and are glad; But all injustice shuts its mouth. Who is wise? He is to pay attention to these things, And consider the mercy of the Lord. (Ps 107:39-43 NASB)
How can we be saved from the troubles of this world for all eternity?
If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. (Rom 10:9-10 NIV)
How often do we give thanks to God? You decide!
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