Showing posts with label Background. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Background. Show all posts

Saturday, 7 November 2015

Background to Psalms 106

Praise ye the Lord. O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.
Who can utter the mighty acts of the Lord? who can shew forth all his praise?
Blessed are they that keep judgment, and he that doeth righteousness at all times.
Remember me, O Lord, with the favour that thou bearest unto thy people: O visit me with thy salvation;
That I may see the good of thy chosen, that I may rejoice in the gladness of thy nation, that I may glory with thine inheritance.
We have sinned with our fathers, we have committed iniquity, we have done wickedly.
Our fathers understood not thy wonders in Egypt; they remembered not the multitude of thy mercies; but provoked him at the sea, even at the Red sea.
Nevertheless he saved them for his name's sake, that he might make his mighty power to be known.
He rebuked the Red sea also, and it was dried up: so he led them through the depths, as through the wilderness.
And he saved them from the hand of him that hated them, and redeemed them from the hand of the enemy.
And the waters covered their enemies: there was not one of them left.
Then believed they his words; they sang his praise.

They soon forgat his works; they waited not for his counsel:
But lusted exceedingly in the wilderness, and tempted God in the desert.
And he gave them their request; but sent leanness into their soul.
They envied Moses also in the camp, and Aaron the saint of the Lord.
The earth opened and swallowed up Dathan and covered the company of Abiram.
And a fire was kindled in their company; the flame burned up the wicked.
They made a calf in Horeb, and worshipped the molten image.
Thus they changed their glory into the similitude of an ox that eateth grass.
They forgat God their saviour, which had done great things in Egypt;
Wondrous works in the land of Ham, and terrible things by the Red sea.
Therefore he said that he would destroy them, had not Moses his chosen stood before him in the breach, to turn away his wrath, lest he should destroy them.
Yea, they despised the pleasant land, they believed not his word:
But murmured in their tents, and hearkened not unto the voice of the Lord.
Therefore he lifted up his hand against them, to overthrow them in the wilderness:
To overthrow their seed also among the nations, and to scatter them in the lands.
They joined themselves also unto Baalpeor, and ate the sacrifices of the dead.
Thus they provoked him to anger with their inventions: and the plague brake in upon them.
Then stood up Phinehas, and executed judgment: and so the plague was stayed.
And that was counted unto him for righteousness unto all generations for evermore.
They angered him also at the waters of strife, so that it went ill with Moses for their sakes:
Because they provoked his spirit, so that he spake unadvisedly with his lips.
They did not destroy the nations, concerning whom the Lord commanded them:
But were mingled among the heathen, and learned their works.
And they served their idols: which were a snare unto them.

Guess how this psalm ends...
Bye! WORD UP
The End.

Background to Psalms 105

As we read of the history of God's people in the Old Testament, let's look at the history and mission in our own countries. Listen to a talk about New Zealand by Mark Grace, Val Goold and Lyndon Drake, here. 


Pray for your country.



Background to Psalms 104

Praise the Lord, my soul!
    O Lord, my God, how great you are!
You are clothed with majesty and glory;
    you cover yourself with light.
You have spread out the heavens like a tent
    and built your home on the waters above.[a]
You use the clouds as your chariot
    and ride on the wings of the wind.
You use the winds as your messengers
    and flashes of lightning as your servants.
You have set the earth firmly on its foundations,
    and it will never be moved.
You placed the ocean over it like a robe,
    and the water covered the mountains.
When you rebuked the waters, they fled;
    they rushed away when they heard your shout of command.
They flowed over the mountains and into the valleys,
    to the place you had made for them.
You set a boundary they can never pass,
    to keep them from covering the earth again.
You make springs flow in the valleys,
    and rivers run between the hills.
They provide water for the wild animals;
    there the wild donkeys quench their thirst.
In the trees near by,
    the birds make their nests and sing.
From the sky you send rain on the hills,
    and the earth is filled with your blessings.
You make grass grow for the cattle
    and plants for us to use,
so that we can grow our crops
    and produce wine to make us happy,
    olive oil to make us cheerful,
    and bread to give us strength.

The cedars of Lebanon get plenty of rain—
    the Lord's own trees, which he planted.
There the birds build their nests;
    the storks nest in the fir trees.
The wild goats live in the high mountains,
    and the rock badgers hide in the cliffs.
You created the moon to mark the months;
    the sun knows the time to set.
You made the night, and in the darkness
    all the wild animals come out.
The young lions roar while they hunt,
    looking for the food that God provides.
When the sun rises, they go back
    and lie down in their dens.
Then people go out to do their work
    and keep working until evening.
Lord, you have made so many things!
    How wisely you made them all!
    The earth is filled with your creatures.
There is the ocean, large and wide,
    where countless creatures live,
    large and small alike.
The ships sail on it, and in it plays Leviathan,
    that sea monster which you made.
May the glory of the Lord last forever!
    May the Lord be happy with what he has made!
He looks at the earth, and it trembles;
    he touches the mountains, and they pour out smoke.
I will sing to the Lord all my life;
    as long as I live I will sing praises to my God.
May he be pleased with my song,
    for my gladness comes from him.
May sinners be destroyed from the earth;
    may the wicked be no more.
Praise the Lord, my soul!
Praise the Lord!

Listen to psalm 104 in Hebrew, Greek, African flavour, Dutch, Estonian tune (I think) and English :) Pray for the world. If you need help with prayer items, click Operation World.

Background to Psalms 103

Praise the Lord, my soul!
    All my being, praise his holy name!
Praise the Lord, my soul,
    and do not forget how kind he is.
He forgives all my sins
    and heals all my diseases.
He keeps me from the grave
    and blesses me with love and mercy.
He fills my life[b] with good things,
    so that I stay young and strong like an eagle.

The Lord judges in favour of the oppressed
    and gives them their rights.
He revealed his plans to Moses
    and let the people of Israel see his mighty deeds.
The Lord is merciful and loving,
    slow to become angry and full of constant love.
He does not keep on rebuking;
    he is not angry forever.
He does not punish us as we deserve
    or repay us according to our sins and wrongs.
As high as the sky is above the earth,
    so great is his love for those who honour him.
As far as the east is from the west,
    so far does he remove our sins from us.
As a father is kind to his children,
    so the Lord is kind to those who honour him.
He knows what we are made of;
    he remembers that we are dust.

As for us, our life is like grass.
We grow and flourish like a wild flower;
    then the wind blows on it, and it is gone—
    no one sees it again.
But for those who honor the Lord, his love lasts forever,
    and his goodness endures for all generations
of those who are true to his covenant
    and who faithfully obey his commands.

The Lord placed his throne in heaven;
    he is king over all.
Praise the Lord, you strong and mighty angels,
    who obey his commands,
    who listen to what he says.
Praise the Lord, all you heavenly powers,
    you servants of his, who do his will!
Praise the Lord, all his creatures
    in all the places he rules.
Praise the Lord, my soul!

Learn psalms 103 in another language--top 4 most widely spoken language in the world
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Background to Psalms 102

I pray to you, Lord!
    Please listen.
    Don’t hide from me
    in my time of trouble.
Pay attention to my prayer
    and quickly give an answer.

My days disappear like smoke,
    and my bones are burning
    as though in a furnace.
I am wasting away like grass,
    and my appetite is gone.
My groaning never stops,
    and my bones can be seen
    through my skin.
I am like a lonely owl
    in the desert
    or a restless sparrow
    alone on a roof.

My enemies insult me all day,
    and they use my name
    for a curse word.
Instead of food,
I have ashes to eat
    and tears to drink,
    because you are furious
    and have thrown me aside.
My life fades like a shadow
at the end of day
    and withers like grass.
Our Lord, you are King forever
    and will always be famous.
You will show pity to Zion
    because the time has come.
We, your servants,
    love each stone in the city,
    and we are sad to see them
    lying in the dirt.
Our Lord, the nations
    will honor you,
    and all kings on earth
    will praise your glory.
You will rebuild
    the city of Zion.
Your glory will be seen,
    and the prayers of the homeless
    will be answered.
Future generations must also
praise the Lord,
    so write this for them:
“From his holy temple,
    the Lord looked down
    at the earth.
He listened to the groans
    of prisoners,
    and he rescued everyone
    who was doomed to die.”
All Jerusalem should praise
    you, our Lord,
    when people from every nation
    meet to worship you.
I should still be strong,
    but you, Lord, have made
    an old person of me.
You will live forever!
Years mean nothing to you.
    Don’t cut my life in half!
In the beginning, Lord,
you laid the earth’s foundation
    and created the heavens.
They will all disappear
    and wear out like clothes.
You change them,
as you would a coat,
    but you last forever.
You are always the same.
    Years cannot change you.
Every generation of those
who serve you
    will live in your presence.

Wait on God. Pray together. Pray for those who are struggling.