Nowata Methodists Podcast

Psalm 110 is a famous psalm about Jesus. Jesus himself quotes it when presenting to the authorities of his day a line of questioning they were unable to answer because they did not understand the need or fulfillment of Christ. The Psalter is a prophetic book pointing directly to Jesus, even if he is never named. The same can be said of the entire Old Testament, as I hope you see after walking through all of it together. Jesus fulfills all the yearnings of the Hebrew scriptures. I hope you enjoy these pointers towards your Savior.

Psalm 106

Hallelujah!

Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good;

His loving devotion endures forever.

Who can describe the mighty acts of the LORD

or fully proclaim His praise?

Blessed are those who uphold justice,

who practice righteousness at all times.

Remember me, O LORD, in Your favor to Your people;

visit me with Your salvation,

that I may see the prosperity of Your chosen ones,

and rejoice in the gladness of Your nation,

and give glory with Your inheritance.

We have sinned like our fathers;

we have done wrong and acted wickedly.

Our fathers in Egypt did not grasp Your wonders

or remember Your abundant kindness;

but they rebelled by the sea,

there at the Red Sea.

Yet He saved them for the sake of His name,

to make His power known.

He rebuked the Red Sea, and it dried up;

He led them through the depths as through a desert.

He saved them from the hand that hated them;

He redeemed them from the hand of the enemy.

The waters covered their foes;

not one of them remained.

Then they believed His promises

and sang His praise.

Yet they soon forgot His works

and failed to wait for His counsel.

They craved intensely in the wilderness

and tested God in the desert.

So He granted their request,

but sent a wasting disease upon them.

In the camp they envied Moses,

as well as Aaron, the holy one of the LORD.

The earth opened up and swallowed Dathan;

it covered the assembly of Abiram.

Then fire blazed through their company;

flames consumed the wicked.

At Horeb they made a calf

and worshiped a molten image.

They exchanged their Glory

for the image of a grass-eating ox.

They forgot God their Savior,

who did great things in Egypt,

wondrous works in the land of Ham,

and awesome deeds by the Red Sea.

So He said He would destroy them—

had not Moses His chosen one

stood before Him in the breach

to divert His wrath from destroying them.

They despised the pleasant land;

they did not believe His promise.

They grumbled in their tents

and did not listen to the voice of the LORD.

So He raised His hand and swore

to cast them down in the wilderness,

to disperse their offspring among the nations

and scatter them throughout the lands.

They yoked themselves to Baal of Peor

and ate sacrifices offered to lifeless gods.

So they provoked the LORD to anger with their deeds,

and a plague broke out among them.

But Phinehas stood and intervened,

and the plague was restrained.

It was credited to him as righteousness

for endless generations to come.

At the waters of Meribah they angered the LORD,

and trouble came to Moses because of them.

For they rebelled against His Spirit,

and Moses spoke rashly with his lips.

They did not destroy the peoples

as the LORD had commanded them,

but they mingled with the nations

and adopted their customs.

They worshiped their idols,

which became a snare to them.

They sacrificed their sons

and their daughters to demons.

They shed innocent blood—

the blood of their sons and daughters,

whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan,

and the land was polluted with blood.

They defiled themselves by their actions

and prostituted themselves by their deeds.

So the anger of the LORD burned against His people,

and He abhorred His own inheritance.

He delivered them into the hand of the nations,

and those who hated them ruled over them.

Their enemies oppressed them,

and subdued them under their hand.

Many times He rescued them,

but they were bent on rebellion

and sank down in their iniquity.

Nevertheless He heard their cry;

He took note of their distress.

And He remembered His covenant with them,

and relented by the abundance of His loving devotion.

He made them objects of compassion

to all who held them captive.

Save us, O LORD our God,

and gather us from the nations,

that we may give thanks to Your holy name,

that we may glory in Your praise.

Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel,

from everlasting to everlasting.

Let all the people say, “Amen!”

Hallelujah!

Psalm 107

Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good;

His loving devotion endures forever.

Let the redeemed of the LORD say so,

whom He has redeemed from the hand of the enemy

and gathered from the lands,

from east and west, from north and south.

Some wandered in desert wastelands,

finding no path to a city in which to dwell.

They were hungry and thirsty;

their soul fainted within them.

Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble,

and He delivered them from their distress.

He led them on a straight path

to reach a city where they could live.

Let them give thanks to the LORD for His loving devotion

and His wonders to the sons of men.

For He satisfies the thirsty

and fills the hungry with good things.

Some sat in darkness and in the shadow of death,

prisoners in affliction and chains,

because they rebelled against the words of God

and despised the counsel of the Most High.

He humbled their hearts with hard labor;

they stumbled, and there was no one to help.

Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble,

and He saved them from their distress.

He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death

and broke away their chains.

Let them give thanks to the LORD for His loving devotion

and His wonders to the sons of men.

For He has broken down the gates of bronze

and cut through the bars of iron.

Fools, in their rebellious ways,

and through their iniquities, suffered affliction.

They loathed all food

and drew near to the gates of death.

Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble,

and He saved them from their distress.

He sent forth His word and healed them;

He rescued them from the Pit.

Let them give thanks to the LORD for His loving devotion

and His wonders to the sons of men.

Let them offer sacrifices of thanksgiving

and declare His works with rejoicing.

Others went out to sea in ships,

conducting trade on the mighty waters.

They saw the works of the LORD,

and His wonders in the deep.

For He spoke and raised a tempest

that lifted the waves of the sea.

They mounted up to the heavens, then sunk to the depths;

their courage melted in their anguish.

They reeled and staggered like drunkards,

and all their skill was useless.

Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble,

and He brought them out of their distress.

He calmed the storm to a whisper,

and the waves of the sea were hushed.

They rejoiced in the silence,

and He guided them to the harbor they desired.

Let them give thanks to the LORD for His loving devotion

and His wonders to the sons of men.

Let them exalt Him in the assembly of the people

and praise Him in the council of the elders.

He turns rivers into deserts,

springs of water into thirsty ground,

and fruitful land into fields of salt,

because of the wickedness of its dwellers.

He turns a desert into pools of water

and a dry land into flowing springs.

He causes the hungry to settle there,

that they may establish a city in which to dwell.

They sow fields and plant vineyards

that yield a fruitful harvest.

He blesses them, and they multiply greatly;

He does not let their herds diminish.

When they are decreased and humbled

by oppression, evil, and sorrow,

He pours out contempt on the nobles

and makes them wander in a trackless wasteland.

But He lifts the needy from affliction

and increases their families like flocks.

The upright see and rejoice,

and all iniquity shuts its mouth.

Let him who is wise pay heed to these things

and consider the loving devotion of the LORD.

Psalm 108

My heart is steadfast, O God;

I will sing and make music with all my being.

Awake, O harp and lyre!

I will awaken the dawn.

I will praise You, O LORD, among the nations;

I will sing Your praises among the peoples.

For Your loving devotion extends beyond the heavens,

and Your faithfulness reaches to the clouds.

Be exalted, O God, above the heavens;

may Your glory cover all the earth.

Respond and save us with Your right hand,

that Your beloved may be delivered.

God has spoken from His sanctuary:

“I will triumph!

I will parcel out Shechem

and apportion the Valley of Succoth.

Gilead is Mine, and Manasseh is Mine;

Ephraim is My helmet, Judah is My scepter.

Moab is My washbasin;

upon Edom I toss My sandal;

over Philistia I shout in triumph.”

Who will bring me to the fortified city?

Who will lead me to Edom?

Have You not rejected us, O God?

Will You no longer march out, O God, with our armies?

Give us aid against the enemy,

for the help of man is worthless.

With God we will perform with valor,

and He will trample our enemies.

Psalm 109

O God of my praise,

be not silent.

For wicked and deceitful mouths open against me;

they speak against me with lying tongues.

They surround me with hateful words

and attack me without cause.

In return for my love they accuse me,

but I am a man of prayer.

They repay me evil for good,

and hatred for my love.

Set over him a wicked man;

let an accuser stand at his right hand.

When he is tried, let him be found guilty,

and may his prayer be regarded as sin.

May his days be few;

may another take his position.

May his children be fatherless

and his wife a widow.

May his children wander as beggars,

seeking sustenance far from their ruined homes.

May the creditor seize all he owns,

and strangers plunder the fruits of his labor.

May there be no one to extend kindness to him,

and no one to favor his fatherless children.

May his descendants be cut off;

may their name be blotted out from the next generation.

May the iniquity of his fathers be remembered before the LORD,

and the sin of his mother never be blotted out.

May their sins always remain before the LORD,

that He may cut off their memory from the earth.

For he never thought to show kindness,

but pursued the poor and needy and brokenhearted,

even to their death.

The cursing that he loved,

may it fall on him;

the blessing in which he refused to delight,

may it be far from him.

The cursing that he wore like a coat,

may it soak into his body like water,

and into his bones like oil.

May it be like a robe wrapped about him,

like a belt tied forever around him.

May this be the LORD’s reward to my accusers,

to those who speak evil against me.

But You, O GOD, the Lord,

deal kindly with me for the sake of Your name;

deliver me by the goodness of Your loving devotion.

For I am poor and needy;

my heart is wounded within me.

I am fading away like a lengthening shadow;

I am shaken off like a locust.

My knees are weak from fasting,

and my body grows lean and gaunt.

I am an object of scorn to my accusers;

when they see me, they shake their heads.

Help me, O LORD my God;

save me according to Your loving devotion.

Let them know that this is Your hand,

that You, O LORD, have done it.

Though they curse, You will bless.

When they rise up, they will be put to shame,

but Your servant will rejoice.

May my accusers be clothed with disgrace;

may they wear their shame like a robe.

With my mouth I will thank the LORD profusely;

I will praise Him in the presence of many.

For He stands at the right hand of the needy one,

to save him from the condemners of his soul.

Psalm 110

The LORD said to my Lord:

“Sit at My right hand

until I make Your enemies

a footstool for Your feet.”

The LORD extends Your mighty scepter from Zion:

“Rule in the midst of Your enemies.”

Your people shall be willing

on Your day of battle.

Arrayed in holy splendor, from the womb of the dawn,

to You belongs the dew of Your youth.

The LORD has sworn

and will not change His mind:

“You are a priest forever

in the order of Melchizedek.”

The Lord is at Your right hand;

He will crush kings in the day of His wrath.

He will judge the nations, heaping up the dead;

He will crush the leaders far and wide.

He will drink from the brook by the road;

therefore He will lift up His head.

Psalm 111

Hallelujah!

I will give thanks to the LORD with all my heart

in the council of the upright and in the assembly.

Great are the works of the LORD;

they are pondered by all who delight in them.

Splendid and majestic is His work;

His righteousness endures forever.

He has caused His wonders to be remembered;

the LORD is gracious and compassionate.

He provides food for those who fear Him;

He remembers His covenant forever.

He has shown His people the power of His works

by giving them the inheritance of the nations.

The works of His hands are truth and justice;

all His precepts are trustworthy.

They are upheld forever and ever,

enacted in truth and uprightness.

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 who follow His precepts gain rich understanding.

His praise endures forever!

Psalms of praise for today, even as they acknowledge the miserable state that the Lord can often require for us to be in. Multiple exhortations to sing unto the Lord. Depictions of the everyday occurrences that seem mundane but are actually quite miraculous, requiring God’s direct activity to take place. The Psalter is not just a book of songs, but of great theological depth. Consider today’s words!

Psalm 99

The LORD reigns;

let the nations tremble!

He is enthroned above the cherubim;

let the earth quake!

Great is the LORD in Zion;

He is exalted above all the peoples.

Let them praise Your great and awesome name—

He is holy!

The mighty King loves justice.

You have established equity;

You have exercised justice

and righteousness in Jacob.

Exalt the LORD our God,

and worship at His footstool;

He is holy!

Moses and Aaron were among His priests;

Samuel was among those who called on His name.

They called to the LORD and He answered.

He spoke to them from the pillar of cloud;

they kept His decrees and the statutes He gave them.

O LORD our God, You answered them.

You were a forgiving God to them,

yet an avenger of their misdeeds.

Exalt the LORD our God

and worship at His holy mountain,

for the LORD our God is holy.

Psalm 100

Make a joyful noise to the LORD,

all the earth.

Serve the LORD with gladness;

come into His presence with joyful songs.

Know that the LORD is God.

It is He who made us, and we are His;

we are His people, and the sheep of His pasture.

Enter His gates with thanksgiving

and His courts with praise;

give thanks to Him and bless His name.

For the LORD is good,

and His loving devotion endures forever;

His faithfulness continues to all generations.

Psalm 101

I will sing of Your loving devotion and justice;

to You, O LORD, I will sing praises.

I will ponder the way that is blameless—

when will You come to me?

I will walk in my house

with integrity of heart.

I will set no worthless thing

before my eyes.

I hate the work of those who fall away;

it shall not cling to me.

A perverse heart shall depart from me;

I will know nothing of evil.

Whoever slanders his neighbor in secret,

I will put to silence;

the one with haughty eyes and a proud heart,

I will not endure.

My eyes favor the faithful of the land,

that they may dwell with me;

he who walks in the way of integrity

shall minister to me.

No one who practices deceit

shall dwell in my house;

no one who tells lies

shall stand in my presence.

Every morning I will remove all the wicked of the land,

that I may cut off every evildoer from the city of the LORD.

Psalm 102

Hear my prayer, O LORD;

let my cry for help come before You.

Do not hide Your face from me

in my day of distress.

Incline Your ear to me;

answer me quickly when I call.

For my days vanish like smoke,

and my bones burn like glowing embers.

My heart is afflicted, and withered like grass;

I even forget to eat my bread.

Through my loud groaning

my flesh clings to my bones.

I am like a desert owl,

like an owl among the ruins.

I lie awake;

I am like a lone bird on a housetop.

All day long my enemies taunt me;

they ridicule me and curse me.

For I have eaten ashes like bread

and mixed my drink with tears

because of Your indignation and wrath,

for You have picked me up and cast me aside.

My days are like lengthening shadows,

and I wither away like grass.

But You, O LORD, sit enthroned forever;

Your renown endures to all generations.

You will rise up and have compassion on Zion,

for it is time to show her favor—

the appointed time has come.

For Your servants delight in her stones

and take pity on her dust.

So the nations will fear the name of the LORD,

and all the kings of the earth will fear Your glory.

For the LORD will rebuild Zion;

He has appeared in His glory.

He will turn toward the prayer of the destitute;

He will not despise their prayer.

Let this be written for the generation to come,

so that a people not yet created may praise the LORD.

For He looked down from the heights of His sanctuary;

the LORD gazed out from heaven to earth

to hear a prisoner’s groaning,

to release those condemned to death,

that they may proclaim the name of the LORD in Zion

and praise Him in Jerusalem,

when peoples and kingdoms assemble

to serve the LORD.

He has broken my strength on the way;

He has cut short my days.

I say: “O my God, do not take me in the midst of my days!

Your years go on through all generations.

In the beginning You laid the foundations of the earth,

and the heavens are the work of Your hands.

They will perish, but You remain;

they will all wear out like a garment.

Like clothing You will change them,

and they will be passed on.

But You remain the same,

and Your years will never end.

The children of Your servants will dwell securely,

and their descendants will be established before You.”

Psalm 103

Bless the LORD, O my soul;

all that is within me, bless His holy name.

Bless the LORD, O my soul,

and do not forget all His kind deeds—

He who forgives all your iniquities

and heals all your diseases,

who redeems your life from the Pit

and crowns you with loving devotion and compassion,

who satisfies you with good things,

so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.

The LORD executes righteousness

and justice for all the oppressed.

He made known His ways to Moses,

His deeds to the people of Israel.

The LORD is compassionate and gracious,

slow to anger, abounding in loving devotion.

He will not always accuse us,

nor harbor His anger forever.

He has not dealt with us according to our sins

or repaid us according to our iniquities.

For as high as the heavens are above the earth,

so great is His loving devotion for those who fear Him.

As far as the east is from the west,

so far has He removed our transgressions from us.

As a father has compassion on his children,

so the LORD has compassion on those who fear Him.

For He knows our frame;

He is mindful that we are dust.

As for man, his days are like grass—

he blooms like a flower of the field;

when the wind passes over, it vanishes,

and its place remembers it no more.

But from everlasting to everlasting

the loving devotion of the LORD

extends to those who fear Him,

and His righteousness to their children’s children—

to those who keep His covenant

and remember to obey His precepts.

The LORD has established His throne in heaven,

and His kingdom rules over all.

Bless the LORD, all His angels mighty in strength

who carry out His word,

who hearken to the voice of His command.

Bless the LORD, all His hosts,

you servants who do His will.

Bless the LORD, all His works

in all places of His dominion.

Bless the LORD, O my soul!

Psalm 104

Bless the LORD, O my soul!

O LORD my God, You are very great;

You are clothed with splendor and majesty.

He wraps Himself in light as with a garment;

He stretches out the heavens like a tent,

laying the beams of His chambers

in the waters above,

making the clouds His chariot,

walking on the wings of the wind.

He makes the winds His messengers,

flames of fire His servants.

He set the earth on its foundations,

never to be moved.

You covered it with the deep like a garment;

the waters stood above the mountains.

At Your rebuke the waters fled;

at the sound of Your thunder they hurried away—

the mountains rose and the valleys sank

to the place You assigned for them—

You set a boundary they cannot cross,

that they may never again cover the earth.

He sends forth springs in the valleys;

they flow between the mountains.

They give drink to every beast of the field;

the wild donkeys quench their thirst.

The birds of the air nest beside the springs;

they sing among the branches.

He waters the mountains from His chambers;

the earth is satisfied by the fruit of His works.

He makes the grass grow for the livestock

and provides crops for man to cultivate,

bringing forth food from the earth:

wine that gladdens the heart of man,

oil that makes his face to shine,

and bread that sustains his heart.

The trees of the LORD have their fill,

the cedars of Lebanon that He planted,

where the birds build their nests;

the stork makes her home in the cypresses.

The high mountains are for the wild goats,

the cliffs a refuge for the rock badgers.

He made the moon to mark the seasons;

the sun knows when to set.

You bring darkness, and it becomes night,

when all the beasts of the forest prowl.

The young lions roar for their prey

and seek their food from God.

The sun rises, and they withdraw;

they lie down in their dens.

Man goes forth to his work

and to his labor until evening.

How many are Your works, O LORD!

In wisdom You have made them all;

the earth is full of Your creatures.

Here is the sea, vast and wide,

teeming with creatures beyond number,

living things both great and small.

There the ships pass,

and Leviathan, which You formed to frolic there.

All creatures look to You

to give them their food in due season.

When You give it to them,

they gather it up;

when You open Your hand,

they are satisfied with good things.

When You hide Your face,

they are terrified;

when You take away their breath,

they die and return to dust.

When You send Your Spirit,

they are created,

and You renew

the face of the earth.

May the glory of the LORD endure forever;

may the LORD rejoice in His works.

He looks on the earth,

and it trembles;

He touches the mountains,

and they smolder.

I will sing to the LORD all my life;

I will sing praise to my God while I have my being.

May my meditation be pleasing to Him,

for I rejoice in the LORD.

May sinners vanish from the earth

and the wicked be no more.

Bless the LORD, O my soul.

Hallelujah!

Ten days left! All that is left is the Psalter. Let's binge on some Hebrew poetry. Beautiful!

Psalm 1

Blessed is the man

who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked,

or set foot on the path of sinners,

or sit in the seat of mockers.

But his delight is in the Law of the LORD,

and on His law he meditates day and night.

He is like a tree planted by streams of water,

yielding its fruit in season,

whose leaf does not wither,

and who prospers in all he does.

Not so the wicked!

For they are like chaff driven off by the wind.

Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,

nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.

For the LORD guards the path of the righteous,

but the way of the wicked will perish.

Psalm 93

The LORD reigns! He is robed in majesty;

the LORD has clothed and armed Himself with strength.

The world indeed is firmly established;

it cannot be moved.

Your throne was established long ago;

You are from all eternity.

The floodwaters have risen, O LORD;

the rivers have raised their voice;

the seas lift up their pounding waves.

Above the roar of many waters—

the mighty breakers of the sea—

the LORD on high is majestic.

Your testimonies are fully confirmed;

holiness adorns Your house, O LORD,

for all the days to come.

Psalm 94

O LORD, God of vengeance,

O God of vengeance, shine forth.

Rise up, O Judge of the earth;

render a reward to the proud.

How long will the wicked, O LORD,

how long will the wicked exult?

They pour out arrogant words;

all workers of iniquity boast.

They crush Your people, O LORD;

they oppress Your heritage.

They kill the widow and the foreigner;

they murder the fatherless.

They say, “The LORD does not see;

the God of Jacob pays no heed.”

Take notice, O senseless among the people!

O fools, when will you be wise?

He who affixed the ear, can He not hear?

He who formed the eye, can He not see?

He who admonishes the nations, does He not discipline?

He who teaches man, does He lack knowledge?

The LORD knows the thoughts of man,

that they are futile.

Blessed is the man You discipline, O LORD,

and teach from Your law,

to grant him relief from days of trouble,

until a pit is dug for the wicked.

For the LORD will not forsake His people;

He will never abandon His heritage.

Surely judgment will again be righteous,

and all the upright in heart will follow it.

Who will rise up for me against the wicked?

Who will stand for me against the workers of iniquity?

Unless the LORD had been my helper,

I would soon have dwelt in the abode of silence.

If I say, “My foot is slipping,”

Your loving devotion, O LORD, supports me.

When anxiety overwhelms me,

Your consolation delights my soul.

Can a corrupt throne be Your ally—

one devising mischief by decree?

They band together against the righteous

and condemn the innocent to death.

But the LORD has been my stronghold,

and my God is my rock of refuge.

He will bring upon them their own iniquity

and destroy them for their wickedness.

The LORD our God will destroy them.

Psalm 95

Come, let us sing for joy to the LORD;

let us shout to the Rock of our salvation!

Let us enter His presence with thanksgiving;

let us make a joyful noise to Him in song.

For the LORD is a great God,

a great King above all gods.

In His hand are the depths of the earth,

and the mountain peaks belong to Him.

The sea is His, for He made it,

and His hands formed the dry land.

O come, let us worship and bow down;

let us kneel before the LORD our Maker.

For He is our God,

and we are the people of His pasture,

the sheep under His care.

Today, if you hear His voice,

do not harden your hearts

as you did at Meribah,

in the day at Massah in the wilderness,

where your fathers tested and tried Me,

though they had seen My work.

For forty years I was angry with that generation,

and I said, “They are a people whose hearts go astray,

and they have not known My ways.”

So I swore on oath in My anger,

“They shall never enter My rest.”

Psalm 96

Sing to the LORD a new song;

sing to the LORD, all the earth.

Sing to the LORD, bless His name;

proclaim His salvation day after day.

Declare His glory among the nations,

His wonderful deeds among all peoples.

For great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised;

He is to be feared above all gods.

For all the gods of the nations are idols,

but it is the LORD who made the heavens.

Splendor and majesty are before Him;

strength and beauty fill His sanctuary.

Ascribe to the LORD, O families of the nations,

ascribe to the LORD glory and strength.

Ascribe to the LORD the glory due His name;

bring an offering and enter His courts.

Worship the LORD in the splendor of His holiness;

tremble before Him, all the earth.

Declare among the nations: “The LORD reigns!”

The world is firmly established; it cannot be moved;

He will judge the peoples with equity.

Let the heavens be glad

and the earth rejoice;

let the sea resound,

and all that fills it.

Let the fields exult,

and all that is in them.

Then all the trees of the forest

will sing for joy before the LORD,

for He is coming—

He is coming to judge the earth.

He will judge the world in righteousness

and the peoples in His faithfulness.

Psalm 97

The LORD reigns, let the earth rejoice;

let the distant shores be glad.

Clouds and darkness surround Him;

righteousness and justice are His throne’s foundation.

Fire goes before Him

and consumes His foes on every side.

His lightning illuminates the world;

the earth sees and trembles.

The mountains melt like wax

at the presence of the LORD,

before the Lord of all the earth.

The heavens proclaim His righteousness;

all the peoples see His glory.

All worshipers of images are put to shame—

those who boast in idols.

Worship Him, all you gods!

Zion hears and rejoices,

and the towns of Judah exult

because of Your judgments, O LORD.

For You, O LORD, are Most High over all the earth;

You are exalted far above all gods.

Hate evil, O you who love the LORD!

He preserves the souls of His saints;

He delivers them from the hand of the wicked.

Light shines on the righteous,

gladness on the upright in heart.

Rejoice in the LORD, you righteous ones,

and praise His holy name.

Psalm 98

Sing to the LORD a new song,

for He has done wonders;

His right hand and holy arm

have gained Him the victory.

The LORD has proclaimed His salvation

and revealed His righteousness to the nations.

He has remembered His love and faithfulness

to the house of Israel;

all the ends of the earth

have seen the salvation of our God.

Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth;

break forth—let your cry ring out, and sing praises!

Sing praises to the LORD with the lyre,

in melodious song with the harp.

With trumpets and the blast of the ram’s horn

shout for joy before the LORD, the King.

Let the sea resound, and all that fills it,

the world, and all who dwell in it.

Let the rivers clap their hands,

let the mountains sing together for joy

before the LORD,

for He comes to judge the earth.

He will judge the world with righteousness

and the peoples with equity.

“For you remember, brothers, our labor and hardship, how working night and day so as not to be a burden to any of you, we proclaimed to you the gospel of God. You are witnesses, and so is God, of how devoutly and righteously and blamelessly we behaved toward you believers; just as you know how we were exhorting and encouraging and bearing witness to each one of you as a father would his own children, so that you would walk in a manner worthy of the God who calls you into His own kingdom and glory.” - 1st Thessalonians 2:9-12

This week we continue our way through 1st Thessalonians with chapter 2.

Hebrew wisdom has always annoyed me. I prefer English. It is how my brain is organized. Yet over the years, the Psalter has been reforming my brain. I increasingly find things interesting that I once found tedious. I increasingly have patience for things that I once found contradictory and tiresome. God is changing me, partly outside of the scriptures, but also partly through them. When one follows the Lord, one increasingly cares about the things of God more and more, while previous interests and passions languish. This is as it should be. He must increase as we decrease.

Psalm 87

He has founded His city

on the holy mountains.

The LORD loves the gates of Zion

more than all the dwellings of Jacob.

Glorious things are ascribed to you,

O city of God.

Selah

“I will mention Rahab and Babylon

among those who know Me—

along with Philistia, Tyre, and Cush —

when I say, ‘This one was born in Zion.’ ”

And it will be said of Zion:

“This one and that one were born in her,

and the Most High Himself will establish her.”

The LORD will record in the register of the peoples:

“This one was born in Zion.”

Selah

Singers and pipers will proclaim,

“All my springs of joy are in You.”

Psalm 88

O LORD, the God of my salvation,

day and night I cry out before You.

May my prayer come before You;

incline Your ear to my cry.

For my soul is full of troubles,

and my life draws near to Sheol.

I am counted among those descending to the Pit.

I am like a man without strength.

I am forsaken among the dead,

like the slain who lie in the grave,

whom You remember no more,

who are cut off from Your care.

You have laid me in the lowest Pit,

in the darkest of the depths.

Your wrath weighs heavily upon me;

all Your waves have submerged me.

Selah

You have removed my friends from me;

You have made me repulsive to them;

I am confined and cannot escape.

My eyes grow dim with grief.

I call to You daily, O LORD;

I spread out my hands to You.

Do You work wonders for the dead?

Do departed spirits rise up to praise You?

Selah

Can Your loving devotion be proclaimed in the grave,

Your faithfulness in Abaddon ?

Will Your wonders be known in the darkness,

or Your righteousness in the land of oblivion?

But to You, O LORD, I cry for help;

in the morning my prayer comes before You.

Why, O LORD, do You reject me?

Why do You hide Your face from me?

From my youth I was afflicted and near death.

I have borne Your terrors; I am in despair.

Your wrath has swept over me;

Your terrors have destroyed me.

All day long they engulf me like water;

they enclose me on every side.

You have removed my beloved and my friend;

darkness is my closest companion.

Psalm 89

I will sing of the loving devotion of the LORD forever;

with my mouth I will proclaim Your faithfulness to all generations.

For I have said, “Loving devotion is built up forever;

in the heavens You establish Your faithfulness.”

You said, “I have made a covenant with My chosen one,

I have sworn to David My servant:

‘I will establish your offspring forever

and build up your throne for all generations.’ ”

Selah

The heavens praise Your wonders, O LORD—

Your faithfulness as well—

in the assembly of the holy ones.

For who in the skies can compare with the LORD?

Who among the heavenly beings is like the LORD?

In the council of the holy ones, God is greatly feared,

and awesome above all who surround Him.

O LORD God of Hosts, who is like You?

O mighty LORD, Your faithfulness surrounds You.

You rule the raging sea;

when its waves mount up, You still them.

You crushed Rahab like a carcass;

You scattered Your enemies with Your mighty arm.

The heavens are Yours, and also the earth.

The earth and its fullness You founded.

North and south You created;

Tabor and Hermon shout for joy at Your name.

Mighty is Your arm; strong is Your hand.

Your right hand is exalted.

Righteousness and justice are the foundation of Your throne;

loving devotion and faithfulness go before You.

Blessed are those who know the joyful sound,

who walk, O LORD, in the light of Your presence.

They rejoice in Your name all day long,

and in Your righteousness they exult.

For You are the glory of their strength,

and by Your favor our horn is exalted.

Surely our shield belongs to the LORD,

and our king to the Holy One of Israel.

You once spoke in a vision;

to Your godly ones You said,

“I have bestowed help on a warrior;

I have exalted one chosen from the people.

I have found My servant David;

with My sacred oil I have anointed him.

My hand will sustain him;

surely My arm will strengthen him.

No enemy will exact tribute;

no wicked man will oppress him.

I will crush his foes before him

and strike down those who hate him.

My faithfulness and loving devotion will be with him,

and through My name his horn will be exalted.

I will set his hand over the sea,

and his right hand upon the rivers.

He will call to Me, ‘You are my Father,

my God, the Rock of my salvation.’

I will indeed appoint him as My firstborn,

the highest of the kings of the earth.

I will forever preserve My loving devotion for him,

and My covenant with him will stand fast.

I will establish his line forever,

his throne as long as the heavens endure.

If his sons forsake My law

and do not walk in My judgments,

if they violate My statutes

and fail to keep My commandments,

I will attend to their transgression with the rod,

and to their iniquity with stripes.

But I will not withdraw My loving devotion from him,

nor ever betray My faithfulness.

I will not violate My covenant

or alter the utterance of My lips.

Once and for all I have sworn by My holiness—

I will not lie to David—

his offspring shall endure forever,

and his throne before Me like the sun,

like the moon, established forever,

a faithful witness in the sky.”

Selah

Now, however, You have spurned and rejected him;

You are enraged by Your anointed one.

You have renounced the covenant with Your servant

and sullied his crown in the dust.

You have broken down all his walls;

You have reduced his strongholds to rubble.

All who pass by plunder him;

he has become a reproach to his neighbors.

You have exalted the right hand of his foes;

You have made all his enemies rejoice.

You have bent the edge of his sword

and have not sustained him in battle.

You have ended his splendor

and cast his throne to the ground.

You have cut short the days of his youth;

You have covered him with shame.

Selah

How long, O LORD?

Will You hide Yourself forever?

Will Your wrath keep burning like fire?

Remember the briefness of my lifespan!

For what futility You have created all men!

What man can live and never see death?

Can he deliver his soul from the power of Sheol?

Selah

Where, O Lord, is Your loving devotion of old,

which You faithfully swore to David?

Remember, O Lord, the reproach of Your servants,

which I bear in my heart from so many people—

how Your enemies have taunted, O LORD,

and have mocked every step of Your anointed one!

Blessed be the LORD forever!

Amen and amen.

Psalm 91

He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High

will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.

I will say to the LORD, “You are my refuge and my fortress,

my God, in whom I trust.”

Surely He will deliver you

from the snare of the fowler,

and from the deadly plague.

He will cover you with His feathers;

under His wings you will find refuge;

His faithfulness is a shield and rampart.

You will not fear the terror of the night,

nor the arrow that flies by day,

nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness,

nor the calamity that destroys at noon.

Though a thousand may fall at your side,

and ten thousand at your right hand,

no harm will come near you.

You will only see it with your eyes

and witness the punishment of the wicked.

Because you have made the LORD your dwelling—

my refuge, the Most High—

no evil will befall you,

no plague will approach your tent.

For He will command His angels concerning you

to guard you in all your ways.

They will lift you up in their hands,

so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.

You will tread on the lion and cobra;

you will trample the young lion and serpent.

“Because he loves Me, I will deliver him;

because he knows My name, I will protect him.

When he calls out to Me,

I will answer him;

I will be with him in trouble.

I will deliver him and honor him.

With long life I will satisfy him

and show him My salvation.”

Psalm 92

It is good to praise the LORD,

and to sing praises to Your name, O Most High,

to proclaim Your loving devotion in the morning

and Your faithfulness at night

with the ten-stringed harp

and the melody of the lyre.

For You, O LORD, have made me glad by Your deeds;

I sing for joy at the works of Your hands.

How great are Your works, O LORD,

how deep are Your thoughts!

A senseless man does not know,

and a fool does not understand,

that though the wicked sprout like grass,

and all evildoers flourish,

they will be forever destroyed.

But You, O LORD, are exalted forever!

For surely Your enemies, O LORD,

surely Your enemies will perish;

all evildoers will be scattered.

But You have exalted my horn like that of a wild ox;

with fine oil I have been anointed.

My eyes see the downfall of my enemies;

my ears hear the wailing of my wicked foes.

The righteous will flourish like a palm tree,

and grow like a cedar in Lebanon.

Planted in the house of the LORD,

they will flourish in the courts of our God.

In old age they will still bear fruit;

healthy and green they will remain,

to proclaim, “The LORD is upright; He is my Rock,

and in Him there is no unrighteousness.”

Financial stewardship, giving generously, has always been an issue. Christian leadership has always exhorted true believers to give graciously for God’s glory and the good of others. Worldly people have always taken offense, being recalcitrant and self-justifying while trying to figure out how to give the least. The Lord loves a cheerful giver. That is what we are expected to be.

This is a very uncomfortable part of scripture, not just because of the money bits, but because Paul is calling them out for the way they are talking about him when he isn’t around. He overtly threatens them, saying that when he returns, he won’t be the weakling they have been trying to make him. He stands on his integrity. We Christians do not get to uncharitably dismiss the example of those who came before. It is for us to believe and obey the Lord, and to submit to godly leadership.

2 Corinthians 8

Now, brothers, we want you to know about the grace that God has given the churches of Macedonia. In the terrible ordeal they suffered, their abundant joy and deep poverty overflowed into rich generosity.

For I testify that they gave according to their ability and even beyond it. Of their own accord, they earnestly pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the saints.

And not only did they do as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then to us, because it was the will of God.

So we urged Titus to help complete your act of grace, just as he had started it.

But just as you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness, and in the love we inspired in you —see that you also excel in this grace of giving.

I am not making a demand, but I am testing the sincerity of your love in comparison to the earnestness of others.

For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, so that you through His poverty might become rich.

And this is my opinion about what is helpful for you in this matter: Last year you were the first not only to give, but even to have such a desire.

Now finish the work, so that you may complete it just as eagerly as you began, according to your means.

For if the eagerness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what he does not have.

It is not our intention that others may be relieved while you are burdened, but that there may be equality.

At the present time, your surplus will meet their need, so that in turn their surplus will meet your need. Then there will be equality. As it is written:

“He who gathered much had no excess,

and he who gathered little had no shortfall.”

But thanks be to God, who put into the heart of Titus the same devotion I have for you. For not only did he welcome our appeal, but he is eagerly coming to you of his own volition.

Along with Titus we are sending the brother who is praised by all the churches for his work in the gospel.

More than that, this brother was chosen by the churches to accompany us with the offering —the gracious gift we administer to honor the Lord Himself and to show our eagerness to help.

We hope to avoid any criticism of the way we administer this generous gift. For we are taking great care to do what is right, not only in the eyes of the Lord, but also in the eyes of men.

And we are sending along with them our brother whose earnestness has been proven many times and in many ways, and now even more so by his great confidence in you.

As for Titus, he is my partner and fellow worker among you. As for our brothers, they are messengers of the churches, to the glory of Christ.

In full view of the churches, then, show these men the proof of your love and the reason for our boasting about you.

2 Corinthians 9

Now about the service to the saints, there is no need for me to write to you.

For I know your eagerness to help, and I have been boasting to the Macedonians that since last year you in Achaia were prepared to give. And your zeal has stirred most of them to do likewise.

But I am sending the brothers in order that our boasting about you in this matter should not prove empty, but that you will be prepared, just as I said.

Otherwise, if any Macedonians come with me and find you unprepared, we—to say nothing of you—would be ashamed of having been so confident.

So I thought it necessary to urge the brothers to visit you beforehand and make arrangements for the bountiful gift you had promised. This way, your gift will be prepared generously and not begrudgingly.

Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously.

Each one should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not out of regret or compulsion. For God loves a cheerful giver.

And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things, at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. As it is written:

“He has scattered abroad His gifts to the poor;

His righteousness endures forever.”

Now He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your store of seed and will increase the harvest of your righteousness.

You will be enriched in every way to be generous on every occasion, so that through us your giving will produce thanksgiving to God.

For this ministry of service is not only supplying the needs of the saints, but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanksgiving to God.

Because of the proof this ministry provides, the saints will glorify God for your obedient confession of the gospel of Christ, and for the generosity of your contribution to them and to all the others.

And their prayers for you will express their affection for you, because of the surpassing grace God has given you. Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!

2 Corinthians 10

Now by the mildness and gentleness of Christ, I appeal to you—I, Paul, who am humble when face to face with you, but bold when away.

I beg you that when I come I may not need to be as bold as I expect toward those who presume that we live according to the flesh.

For though we live in the flesh, we do not wage war according to the flesh.

The weapons of our warfare are not the weapons of the world. Instead, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.

We tear down arguments and every presumption set up against the knowledge of God; and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.

And we will be ready to punish every act of disobedience, as soon as your obedience is complete.

You are looking at outward appearances. If anyone is confident that he belongs to Christ, he should remind himself that we belong to Christ just as much as he does.

For even if I boast somewhat excessively about the authority the Lord gave us for building you up rather than tearing you down, I will not be ashamed.

I do not want to seem to be trying to frighten you by my letters.

For some say, “His letters are weighty and forceful, but his physical presence is unimpressive, and his speaking is of no account.”

Such people should consider that what we are in our letters when absent, we will be in our actions when present.

We do not dare to classify or compare ourselves with some who commend themselves. When they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they show their ignorance.

We, however, will not boast beyond our limits, but only within the field of influence that God has assigned to us—a field that reaches even to you.

We are not overstepping our bounds, as if we had not come to you. Indeed, we were the first to reach you with the gospel of Christ.

Neither do we boast beyond our limits in the labors of others. But we hope that as your faith increases, our area of influence among you will greatly increase as well,

so that we can preach the gospel in the regions beyond you. Then we will not be boasting in the work already done in another man’s territory.

Rather, “Let him who boasts boast in the Lord.” For it is not the one who commends himself who is approved, but the one whom the Lord commends.

2 Corinthians 11

I hope you will bear with a little of my foolishness, but you are already doing that. I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy. For I promised you to one husband, to present you as a pure virgin to Christ.

I am afraid, however, that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent’s cunning, your minds may be led astray from your simple and pure devotion to Christ.

For if someone comes and proclaims a Jesus other than the One we proclaimed, or if you receive a different spirit than the One you received, or a different gospel than the one you accepted, you put up with it way too easily.

I consider myself in no way inferior to those “super-apostles.”

Although I am not a polished speaker, I am certainly not lacking in knowledge. We have made this clear to you in every way possible.

Was it a sin for me to humble myself in order to exalt you, because I preached the gospel of God to you free of charge?

I robbed other churches by accepting their support in order to serve you.

And when I was with you and in need, I was not a burden to anyone; for the brothers who came from Macedonia supplied my needs. I have refrained from being a burden to you in any way, and I will continue to do so.

As surely as the truth of Christ is in me, this boasting of mine will not be silenced in the regions of Achaia. Why? Because I do not love you? God knows I do!

But I will keep on doing what I am doing, in order to undercut those who want an opportunity to be regarded as our equals in the things of which they boast.

For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, masquerading as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light.

It is not surprising, then, if his servants masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will correspond to their actions.

I repeat: Let no one take me for a fool. But if you do, then receive me as a fool, so that I too may boast a little.

In this confident boasting of mine, I am not speaking as the Lord would, but as a fool. Since many are boasting according to the flesh, I too will boast.

For you gladly tolerate fools, since you are so wise.

In fact, you even put up with anyone who enslaves you or exploits you or takes advantage of you or exalts himself or strikes you in the face.

To my shame I concede that we were too weak for that!

Speaking as a fool, however, I can match what anyone else dares to boast about. Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they descendants of Abraham? So am I.

Are they servants of Christ? I am speaking like I am out of my mind, but I am so much more: in harder labor, in more imprisonments, in worse beatings, in frequent danger of death.

Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one.

Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked. I spent a night and a day in the open sea.

In my frequent journeys, I have been in danger from rivers and from bandits, in danger from my countrymen and from the Gentiles, in danger in the city and in the country, in danger on the sea and among false brothers,

in labor and toil and often without sleep, in hunger and thirst and often without food, in cold and exposure.

Apart from these external trials, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches. Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is led into sin, and I do not burn with grief?

If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness. The God and Father of the Lord Jesus, who is forever worthy of praise, knows that I am not lying.

In Damascus, the governor under King Aretas secured the city of the Damascenes in order to arrest me.

But I was lowered in a basket through a window in the wall and escaped his grasp.

2 Corinthians 12

I must go on boasting. Although there is nothing to gain, I will go on to visions and revelations from the Lord.

I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven. Whether it was in the body or out of it I do not know, but God knows.

And I know that this man—whether in the body or out of it I do not know, but God knows— was caught up to Paradise. The things he heard were too sacred for words, things that man is not permitted to tell.

I will boast about such a man, but I will not boast about myself, except in my weaknesses.

Even if I wanted to boast, I would not be a fool, because I would be speaking the truth. But I refrain, so no one will credit me with more than he sees in me or hears from me,

or because of these surpassingly great revelations.

So to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me.

But He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is perfected in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly in my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest on me.

That is why, for the sake of Christ, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

I have become a fool, but you drove me to it. In fact, you should have commended me, since I am in no way inferior to those “super-apostles,” even though I am nothing.

The true marks of an apostle—signs, wonders, and miracles—were performed among you with great perseverance.

In what way were you inferior to the other churches, except that I was not a burden to you? Forgive me this wrong!

See, I am ready to come to you a third time, and I will not be a burden, because I am not seeking your possessions, but you. For children should not have to save up for their parents, but parents for their children.

And for the sake of your souls, I will most gladly spend my money and myself. If I love you more, will you love me less?

Be that as it may, I was not a burden to you; but crafty as I am, I caught you by trickery. Did I exploit you by anyone I sent you?

I urged Titus to visit you, and I sent our brother with him. Did Titus exploit you in any way? Did we not walk in the same Spirit and follow in the same footsteps?

Have you been thinking all along that we were making a defense to you? We speak before God in Christ, and all of this, beloved, is to build you up.

For I am afraid that when I come, I may not find you as I wish, and you may not find me as you wish. I fear that there may be quarreling, jealousy, rage, rivalry, slander, gossip, arrogance, and disorder.

I am afraid that when I come again, my God will humble me before you, and I will be grieved over many who have sinned earlier and have not repented of their acts of impurity, sexual immorality, and debauchery.

2 Corinthians 13

This is the third time I am coming to you. “Every matter must be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.”

I already warned you the second time I was with you. So now in my absence I warn those who sinned earlier and everyone else: If I return, I will not spare anyone,

since you are demanding proof that Christ is speaking through me. He is not weak in dealing with you, but is powerful among you.

For He was indeed crucified in weakness, yet He lives by God’s power. And though we are weak in Him, yet by God’s power we will live with Him to serve you.

Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Can’t you see for yourselves that Jesus Christ is in you—unless you actually fail the test?

And I hope you will realize that we have not failed the test.

Now we pray to God that you will not do anything wrong—not that we will appear to have stood the test, but that you will do what is right, even if we appear to have failed.

For we cannot do anything against the truth, but only for the truth. In fact, we rejoice when we are weak but you are strong, and our prayer is for your perfection.

This is why I write these things while absent, so that when I am present I will not need to be severe in my use of the authority that the Lord gave me for building you up, not for tearing you down.

Finally, brothers, rejoice! Aim for perfect harmony, encourage one another, be of one mind, live in peace. And the God of love and peace will be with you.

Greet one another with a holy kiss.

All the saints send you greetings.

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with all of you.

Corinth was a tough town. In Paul’s first letter to them, he chewed them out pretty hard for allowing a man to participate in their fellowship while in willful sexual sin. His tone was sharp. In this letter, he seems to be doing damage control that was related to his having shamed them. He seems to be anticipating that they carry resentment and brokenness towards him, but he praises them for having rightly felt godly shame and for having stayed loyal to him. This is the first half of the letter. It has plenty to meditate on with respect to the kind of lives we are to lead here, the role of suffering, and how it is that we have to bear with one another within the church. We are given this treasure in clay jars. Receive such treasure as a temple of the Living Lord, as indeed you are when you walk in Christ.

2 Corinthians 1

Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother,

To the church of God in Corinth, together with all the saints throughout Achaia:

Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort,

who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.

For just as the sufferings of Christ overflow to us, so also through Christ our comfort overflows.

If we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which accomplishes in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we experience.

And our hope for you is sure, because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so also you will share in our comfort.

We do not want you to be unaware, brothers, of the hardships we encountered in the province of Asia. We were under a burden far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired even of life.

Indeed, we felt we were under the sentence of death, in order that we would not trust in ourselves, but in God, who raises the dead.

He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and He will deliver us. In Him we have placed our hope that He will yet again deliver us,

as you help us by your prayers. Then many will give thanks on our behalf for the favor shown us in answer to their prayers.

And this is our boast: Our conscience testifies that we have conducted ourselves in the world, and especially in relation to you, in the holiness and sincerity that are from God—not in worldly wisdom, but in the grace of God.

For we do not write you anything that is beyond your ability to read and understand. And I hope that you will understand us completely,

as you have already understood us in part, so that you may boast of us just as we will boast of you in the day of our Lord Jesus.

Confident of this, I planned to visit you first, so that you might receive a double blessing.

I wanted to visit you on my way to Macedonia, and to return to you from Macedonia, and then to have you help me on my way to Judea.

When I planned this, did I do it carelessly? Or do I make my plans by human standards, so as to say “Yes, yes” when I really mean “No, no”?

But as surely as God is faithful, our message to you is not “Yes” and “No.”

For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was proclaimed among you by me and Silvanus and Timothy, was not “Yes” and “No,” but in Him it has always been “Yes.”

For all the promises of God are “Yes” in Christ. And so through Him, our “Amen” is spoken to the glory of God.

Now it is God who establishes both us and you in Christ. He anointed us, placed His seal on us, and put His Spirit in our hearts as a pledge of what is to come.

I call God as my witness that it was in order to spare you that I did not return to Corinth.

Not that we lord it over your faith, but we are fellow workers with you for your joy, because it is by faith that you stand firm.

2 Corinthians 2

So I made up my mind not to make another painful visit to you. For if I grieve you, who is left to cheer me but those whom I have grieved?

I wrote as I did so that on my arrival I would not be saddened by those who ought to make me rejoice. I had confidence in all of you, that you would share my joy.

For through many tears I wrote you out of great distress and anguish of heart, not to grieve you but to let you know how much I love you.

Now if anyone has caused grief, he has not grieved me but all of you—to some degree, not to overstate it. The punishment imposed on him by the majority is sufficient for him.

So instead, you ought to forgive and comfort him, so that he will not be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow. Therefore I urge you to reaffirm your love for him.

My purpose in writing you was to see if you would stand the test and be obedient in everything.

If you forgive anyone, I also forgive him. And if I have forgiven anything, I have forgiven it in the presence of Christ for your sake,

in order that Satan should not outwit us. For we are not unaware of his schemes.

Now when I went to Troas to preach the gospel of Christ and a door stood open for me in the Lord,

I had no peace in my spirit, because I did not find my brother Titus there. So I said goodbye to them and went on to Macedonia.

But thanks be to God, who always leads us triumphantly as captives in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of Him.

For we are to God the sweet aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing.

To the one, we are an odor of death and demise; to the other, a fragrance that brings life. And who is qualified for such a task?

For we are not like so many others, who peddle the word of God for profit. On the contrary, in Christ we speak before God with sincerity, as men sent from God.

2 Corinthians 3

Are we beginning to commend ourselves again? Or do we need, like some people, letters of recommendation to you or from you?

You yourselves are our letter, inscribed on our hearts, known and read by everyone.

It is clear that you are a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.

Such confidence before God is ours through Christ. Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim that anything comes from us, but our competence comes from God.

And He has qualified us as ministers of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.

Now if the ministry of death, which was engraved in letters on stone, came with such glory that the Israelites could not gaze at the face of Moses because of its fleeting glory,

will not the ministry of the Spirit be even more glorious? For if the ministry of condemnation was glorious, how much more glorious is the ministry of righteousness!

Indeed, what was once glorious has no glory now in comparison to the glory that surpasses it.

For if what was fading away came with glory, how much greater is the glory of that which endures!

Therefore, since we have such a hope, we are very bold. We are not like Moses, who would put a veil over his face to keep the Israelites from gazing at the end of what was fading away.

But their minds were closed. For to this day the same veil remains at the reading of the old covenant. It has not been lifted, because only in Christ can it be removed.

And even to this day when Moses is read, a veil covers their hearts. But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away.

Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.

And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into His image with intensifying glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.

2 Corinthians 4

Therefore, since God in His mercy has given us this ministry, we do not lose heart.

Instead, we have renounced secret and shameful ways. We do not practice deceit, nor do we distort the word of God. On the contrary, by open proclamation of the truth, we commend ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God.

And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing.

The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers so they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.

For we do not proclaim ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake.

For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made His light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

Now we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this surpassingly great power is from God and not from us.

We are hard pressed on all sides, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed.

We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body.

For we who are alive are always consigned to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our mortal body.

So then, death is at work in us, but life is at work in you.

And in keeping with what is written: “I believed, therefore I have spoken,” we who have the same spirit of faith also believe and therefore speak,

knowing that the One who raised the Lord Jesus will also raise us with Jesus and present us with you in His presence.

All this is for your benefit, so that the grace that is extending to more and more people may overflow in thanksgiving, to the glory of God.

Therefore we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, yet our inner self is being renewed day by day.

For our light and momentary affliction is producing for us an eternal glory that is far beyond comparison.

So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

2 Corinthians 5

Now we know that if the earthly tent we live in is dismantled, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands. For in this tent we groan, longing to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling,

because when we are clothed, we will not be found naked. So while we are in this tent, we groan under our burdens, because we do not wish to be unclothed but clothed, so that our mortality may be swallowed up by life.

And God has prepared us for this very purpose and has given us the Spirit as a pledge of what is to come.

Therefore we are always confident, although we know that while we are at home in the body, we are away from the Lord. For we walk by faith, not by sight.

We are confident, then, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord. So we aspire to please Him, whether we are here in this body or away from it.

For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive his due for the things done in the body, whether good or bad.

Therefore, since we know what it means to fear the Lord, we try to persuade men. What we are is clear to God, and I hope it is clear to your conscience as well.

We are not commending ourselves to you again. Instead, we are giving you an occasion to be proud of us, so that you can answer those who take pride in appearances rather than in the heart.

If we are out of our mind, it is for God; if we are of sound mind, it is for you. For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that One died for all, therefore all died.

And He died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died for them and was raised again.

So from now on we regard no one according to the flesh. Although we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer.

Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away. Behold, the new has come!

All this is from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation:

that God was reconciling the world to Himself in Christ, not counting men’s trespasses against them. And He has committed to us the message of reconciliation.

Therefore we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making His appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ: Be reconciled to God.

God made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.

2 Corinthians 6

As God’s fellow workers, then, we urge you not to receive God’s grace in vain. For He says:

“In the time of favor I heard you,

and in the day of salvation I helped you.”

Behold, now is the time of favor; now is the day of salvation!

We put no obstacle in anyone’s way, so that no one can discredit our ministry.

Rather, as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: in great endurance; in troubles, hardships, and calamities;

in beatings, imprisonments, and riots; in labor, sleepless nights, and hunger; in purity, knowledge, patience, and kindness; in the Holy Spirit and in sincere love;

in truthful speech and in the power of God; with the weapons of righteousness in the right hand and in the left;

through glory and dishonor, slander and praise; viewed as imposters, yet genuine; as unknown, yet well-known; dying, and yet we live on; punished, yet not killed;

sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; poor, yet making many rich; having nothing, and yet possessing everything.

We have spoken freely to you, Corinthians. Our hearts are open wide. It is not our affection, but yours, that is restrained.

As a fair exchange, I ask you as my children: Open wide your hearts also.

Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership can righteousness have with wickedness? Or what fellowship does light have with darkness?

What harmony is there between Christ and Belial? Or what does a believer have in common with an unbeliever?

What agreement can exist between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said:

“I will dwell with them

and walk among them,

and I will be their God,

and they will be My people.”

“Therefore come out from among them

and be separate, says the Lord.

Touch no unclean thing,

and I will receive you.”

And:

“I will be a Father to you,

and you will be My sons and daughters,

says the Lord Almighty.”

2 Corinthians 7

Therefore, beloved, since we have these promises, let us cleanse ourselves from everything that defiles body and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.

Make room for us in your hearts. We have wronged no one, we have corrupted no one, we have exploited no one.

I do not say this to condemn you. I have said before that you so occupy our hearts that we live and die together with you.

Great is my confidence in you; great is my pride in you; I am filled with encouragement; in all our troubles my joy overflows.

For when we arrived in Macedonia, our bodies had no rest, but we were pressed from every direction—conflicts on the outside, fears within.

But God, who comforts the downcast, comforted us by the arrival of Titus,

and not only by his arrival, but also by the comfort he had received from you. He told us about your longing, your mourning, and your zeal for me, so that I rejoiced all the more.

Even if I caused you sorrow by my letter, I do not regret it. Although I did regret it, I now see that my letter caused you sorrow, but only for a short time.

And now I rejoice, not because you were made sorrowful, but because your sorrow led you to repentance. For you felt the sorrow that God had intended, and so were not harmed in any way by us.

Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation without regret, but worldly sorrow brings death.

Consider what this godly sorrow has produced in you: what earnestness, what eagerness to clear yourselves, what indignation, what alarm, what longing, what zeal, what vindication! In every way you have proved yourselves to be innocent in this matter.

So even though I wrote to you, it was not on account of the one who did wrong or the one who was harmed, but rather that your earnestness on our behalf would be made clear to you in the sight of God.

On account of this, we are encouraged.

In addition to our own encouragement, we were even more delighted by the joy of Titus. For his spirit has been refreshed by all of you.

Indeed, I was not embarrassed by anything I had boasted to him about you. But just as everything we said to you was true, so our boasting to Titus has proved to be true as well.

And his affection for you is even greater when he remembers that you were all obedient as you welcomed him with fear and trembling.

I rejoice that I can have complete confidence in you.

We have already seen a heavenly woman seated on the son with the moon as her footstool. Then we saw the w***e of Babylon, the embodiment of a certain wicked city. Today, we see the heavenly city Jerusalem, dressed as a bride. The final judgment is enacted after a millennium and two final battles (though neither of those battles at all stand effectively against the Lord.) We close out the time with a reminder of the promises made through the promises of the prophet Isaiah. The fulfillment of these visions is the yearning of every true Christian heart.

Revelation 19

After this I heard a sound like the roar of a great multitude in heaven, shouting:

“Hallelujah!

Salvation and glory and power belong to our God!

For His judgments are true and just.

He has judged the great prostitute

who corrupted the earth with her immorality.

He has avenged the blood of His servants

that was poured out by her hand.”

And a second time they called out:

“Hallelujah!

Her smoke rises forever and ever.”

And the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God who sits on the throne, saying:

“Amen, Hallelujah!”

Then a voice came from the throne, saying:

“Praise our God,

all you who serve Him,

and those who fear Him,

small and great alike!”

And I heard a sound like the roar of a great multitude, like the rushing of many waters, and like a mighty rumbling of thunder, crying out:

“Hallelujah!

For the Lord our God the Almighty reigns.

Let us rejoice and be glad

and give Him the glory.

For the marriage of the Lamb has come,

and His bride has made herself ready.

She was given clothing of fine linen,

bright and pure.”

For the fine linen she wears is the righteous acts of the saints.

Then the angel told me to write, “Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.” And he said to me, “These are the true words of God.”

So I fell at his feet to worship him. But he told me, “Do not do that! I am a fellow servant with you and your brothers who rely on the testimony of Jesus. Worship God! For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.”

Then I saw heaven standing open, and there before me was a white horse. And its rider is called Faithful and True. With righteousness He judges and wages war.

He has eyes like blazing fire, and many royal crowns on His head. He has a name written on Him that only He Himself knows.

He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and His name is The Word of God.

The armies of heaven, dressed in fine linen, white and pure, follow Him on white horses.

And from His mouth proceeds a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and He will rule them with an iron scepter. He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty.

And He has a name written on His robe and on His thigh:

KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.

Then I saw an angel standing in the sun, and he cried out in a loud voice to all the birds flying overhead, “Come, gather together for the great supper of God,

so that you may eat the flesh of kings and commanders and mighty men, of horses and riders, of everyone slave and free, small and great.”

Then I saw the beast and the kings of the earth with their armies assembled to wage war against the One seated on the horse, and against His army.

But the beast was captured along with the false prophet, who on its behalf had performed signs deceiving those who had the mark of the beast and worshiped its image. Both the beast and the false prophet were thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning sulfur.

And the rest were killed with the sword that proceeded from the mouth of the One seated on the horse.

And all the birds gorged themselves on their flesh.

Revelation 20

Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven with the key to the Abyss, holding in his hand a great chain.

He seized the dragon, that ancient serpent who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years.

And he threw him into the Abyss, shut it, and sealed it over him, so that he could not deceive the nations until the thousand years were complete. After that, he must be released for a brief period of time.

Then I saw the thrones, and those seated on them had been given authority to judge. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their testimony of Jesus and for the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or its image, and had not received its mark on their foreheads or hands. And they came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.

The rest of the dead did not come back to life until the thousand years were complete. This is the first resurrection.

Blessed and holy are those who share in the first resurrection! The second death has no power over them, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and will reign with Him for a thousand years.

When the thousand years are complete, Satan will be released from his prison,

and will go out to deceive the nations in the four corners of the earth—Gog and Magog—to assemble them for battle. Their number is like the sand of the seashore.

And they marched across the broad expanse of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city. But fire came down from heaven and consumed them.

And the devil who had deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur, into which the beast and the false prophet had already been thrown. There they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.

Then I saw a great white throne and the One seated on it. Earth and heaven fled from His presence, and no place was found for them.

And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne.

And there were open books, and one of them was the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their deeds, as recorded in the books.

The sea gave up its dead, and Death and Hades gave up their dead, and each one was judged according to his deeds.

Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death—the lake of fire.

And if anyone was found whose name was not written in the Book of Life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.

Revelation 21

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and earth had passed away, and the sea was no more.

I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.

And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying:

“Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man,

and He will dwell with them.

They will be His people,

and God Himself will be with them as their God.

‘He will wipe away every tear from their eyes,’

and there will be no more death

or mourning or crying or pain,

for the former things have passed away.”

And the One seated on the throne said, “Behold, I make all things new.” Then He said, “Write this down, for these words are faithful and true.”

And He told me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To the thirsty I will give freely from the spring of the water of life.

The one who overcomes will inherit all things, and I will be his God, and he will be My son.

But to the cowardly and unbelieving and abominable and murderers and sexually immoral and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, their place will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur. This is the second death.”

Then one of the seven angels with the seven bowls full of the seven final plagues came and said to me, “Come, I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb.”

And he carried me away in the Spirit to a mountain great and high, and showed me the holy city of Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God,

shining with the glory of God. Its radiance was like a most precious jewel, like a jasper, as clear as crystal.

The city had a great and high wall with twelve gates inscribed with the names of the twelve tribes of Israel, and twelve angels at the gates.

There were three gates on the east, three on the north, three on the south, and three on the west.

The wall of the city had twelve foundations bearing the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.

The angel who spoke with me had a golden measuring rod to measure the city and its gates and walls.

The city lies foursquare, with its width the same as its length. And he measured the city with the rod, and all its dimensions were equal—12,000 stadia in length and width and height.

And he measured its wall to be 144 cubits, by the human measure the angel was using.

The wall was made of jasper, and the city itself of pure gold, as pure as glass. The foundations of the city walls were adorned with every kind of precious stone:

The first foundation was jasper,

the second sapphire,

the third chalcedony,

the fourth emerald,

the fifth sardonyx,

the sixth carnelian,

the seventh chrysolite,

the eighth beryl,

the ninth topaz,

the tenth chrysoprase,

the eleventh jacinth,

and the twelfth amethyst.

And the twelve gates were twelve pearls, with each gate consisting of a single pearl. The main street of the city was pure gold, as clear as glass.

But I saw no temple in the city, because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple.

And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, because the glory of God illuminates the city, and the Lamb is its lamp.

By its light the nations will walk, and into it the kings of the earth will bring their glory. Its gates will never be shut at the end of the day, because there will be no night there.

And into the city will be brought the glory and honor of the nations.

But nothing unclean will ever enter it, nor anyone who practices an abomination or a lie, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life.

Revelation 22

Then the angel showed me a river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb

down the middle of the main street of the city. On either side of the river stood a tree of life, bearing twelve kinds of fruit and yielding a fresh crop for each month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations.

No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be within the city, and His servants will worship Him.

They will see His face, and His name will be on their foreheads.

There will be no more night in the city, and they will have no need for the light of a lamp or of the sun. For the Lord God will shine on them, and they will reign forever and ever.

Then the angel said to me, “These words are faithful and true. The Lord, the God of the spirits of the prophets, has sent His angel to show His servants what must soon take place.”

“Behold, I am coming soon. Blessed is the one who keeps the words of prophecy in this book.”

And I am John, who heard and saw these things. And when I had heard and seen them, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who had shown me these things.

But he said to me, “Do not do that! I am a fellow servant with you and your brothers the prophets, and with those who keep the words of this book. Worship God!”

Then he told me, “Do not seal up the words of prophecy in this book, because the time is near.

Let the unrighteous continue to be unrighteous, and the vile continue to be vile; let the righteous continue to practice righteousness, and the holy continue to be holy.”

“Behold, I am coming soon, and My reward is with Me, to give to each one according to what he has done.

I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.”

Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they may have the right to the tree of life and may enter the city by its gates.

But outside are the dogs, the sorcerers, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.

“I, Jesus, have sent My angel to give you this testimony for the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, the bright Morning Star.”

The Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” Let the one who hears say, “Come!” And let the one who is thirsty come, and the one who desires the water of life drink freely.

I testify to everyone who hears the words of prophecy in this book: If anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book.

And if anyone takes away from the words of this book of prophecy, God will take away his share in the tree of life and the holy city, which are described in this book.

He who testifies to these things says, “Yes, I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!

The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all the saints.

Amen.

Psalm 85

You showed favor to Your land, O LORD;

You restored Jacob from captivity.

You forgave the iniquity of Your people;

You covered all their sin.

Selah

You withheld all Your fury;

You turned from Your burning anger.

Restore us, O God of our salvation,

and put away Your displeasure toward us.

Will You be angry with us forever?

Will You draw out Your anger to all generations?

Will You not revive us again,

that Your people may rejoice in You?

Show us Your loving devotion, O LORD,

and grant us Your salvation.

I will listen to what God the LORD will say;

for He will surely speak peace to His people and His saints;

He will not let them return to folly.

Surely His salvation is near to those who fear Him,

that His glory may dwell in our land.

Loving devotion and faithfulness have joined together;

righteousness and peace have kissed.

Faithfulness sprouts from the earth,

and righteousness looks down from heaven.

The LORD will indeed provide what is good,

and our land will yield its increase.

Righteousness will go before Him

to prepare the way for His steps.

Psalm 86

Incline Your ear, O LORD, and answer me,

for I am poor and needy.

Preserve my soul, for I am godly.

You are my God; save Your servant who trusts in You.

Be merciful to me, O Lord,

for I call to You all day long.

Bring joy to Your servant,

for to You, O Lord, I lift up my soul.

For You, O Lord, are kind and forgiving,

rich in loving devotion to all who call on You.

Hear my prayer, O LORD,

and attend to my plea for mercy.

In the day of my distress I call on You,

because You answer me.

O Lord, there is none like You among the gods,

nor any works like Yours.

All the nations You have made

will come and bow before You, O Lord,

and they will glorify Your name.

For You are great and perform wonders;

You alone are God.

Teach me Your way, O LORD,

that I may walk in Your truth.

Give me an undivided heart,

that I may fear Your name.

I will praise You, O Lord my God, with all my heart;

I will glorify Your name forever.

For great is Your loving devotion to me;

You have delivered me from the depths of Sheol.

The arrogant rise against me, O God;

a band of ruthless men seeks my life,

with no regard for You.

But You, O Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God,

slow to anger, abounding in loving devotion and faithfulness.

Turn to me and have mercy;

grant Your strength to Your servant;

save the son of Your maidservant.

Show me a sign of Your goodness,

that my enemies may see and be ashamed;

for You, O LORD, have helped me and comforted me.

Isaiah 60

Arise, shine, for your light has come,

and the glory of the LORD rises upon you.

For behold, darkness covers the earth,

and thick darkness is over the peoples;

but the LORD will rise upon you,

and His glory will appear over you.

Nations will come to your light,

and kings to the brightness of your dawn.

Lift up your eyes and look around:

They all gather and come to you;

your sons will come from afar,

and your daughters will be carried on the arm.

Then you will look and be radiant,

and your heart will tremble and swell with joy,

because the riches of the sea will be brought to you,

and the wealth of the nations will come to you.

Caravans of camels will cover your land,

young camels of Midian and Ephah,

and all from Sheba will come,

bearing gold and frankincense

and proclaiming the praises of the LORD.

All the flocks of Kedar will be gathered to you;

the rams of Nebaioth will serve you

and go up on My altar with acceptance;

I will adorn My glorious house.

Who are these who fly like clouds,

like doves to their shelters?

Surely the islands will wait for Me,

with the ships of Tarshish in the lead,

to bring your children from afar,

with their silver and gold,

to the honor of the LORD your God,

the Holy One of Israel,

for He has glorified you.

Foreigners will rebuild your walls,

and their kings will serve you.

Although I struck you in anger,

yet in favor I will show you mercy.

Your gates will always stand open;

they will never be shut, day or night,

so that the wealth of the nations may be brought into you,

with their kings being led in procession.

For the nation or kingdom that will not serve you will perish;

it will be utterly destroyed.

The glory of Lebanon will come to you—

its cypress, elm, and boxwood together—

to adorn the place of My sanctuary,

and I will glorify the place of My feet.

The sons of your oppressors

will come and bow down to you;

all who reviled you

will fall facedown at your feet

and call you the City of the LORD,

Zion of the Holy One of Israel.

Whereas you have been forsaken and despised,

with no one passing through,

I will make you an everlasting pride,

a joy from age to age.

You will drink the milk of nations

and nurse at the breasts of royalty;

you will know that I, the LORD, am your Savior

and your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob.

Instead of bronze I will bring you gold;

I will bring silver in place of iron,

bronze instead of wood,

and iron instead of stones.

I will appoint peace as your governor

and righteousness as your ruler.

No longer will violence be heard in your land,

nor ruin or destruction within your borders.

But you will name your walls Salvation

and your gates Praise.

No longer will the sun be your light by day,

nor the brightness of the moon shine on your night;

for the LORD will be your everlasting light,

and your God will be your splendor.

Your sun will no longer set,

and your moon will not wane;

for the LORD will be your everlasting light,

and the days of your sorrow will cease.

Then all your people will be righteous;

they will possess the land forever;

they are the branch of My planting,

the work of My hands,

so that I may be glorified.

The least of you will become a thousand,

and the smallest a mighty nation.

I am the LORD;

in its time I will accomplish it quickly.

Yesterday we read of a vision of a heavenly woman of virtue, sitting in the heavenly realm, who gives birth to Christ and then is protected from the assaults of Satan the dragon. Today we read of Satan, the beast, and the false prophet, then we turn to the w***e of Babylon, who is a mystical figure whose evil matches the righteousness of the the heavenly woman from yesterday. God’s justice is done and the wicked refuse to repent. What an account!

Revelation 13

Then I saw a beast with ten horns and seven heads rising out of the sea. There were ten royal crowns on its horns and blasphemous names on its heads.

The beast I saw was like a leopard, with the feet of a bear and the mouth of a lion. And the dragon gave the beast his power and his throne and great authority.

One of the heads of the beast appeared to be mortally wounded. But the mortal wound was healed, and the whole world marveled and followed the beast.

They worshiped the dragon who had given authority to the beast, and they worshiped the beast, saying, “Who is like the beast, and who can wage war against it?”

The beast was given a mouth to speak arrogant and blasphemous words, and authority to act for 42 months.

And the beast opened its mouth to speak blasphemies against God and to slander His name and His tabernacle—those who dwell in heaven.

Then the beast was permitted to wage war against the saints and to conquer them, and it was given authority over every tribe and people and tongue and nation.

And all who dwell on the earth will worship the beast—all whose names have not been written from the foundation of the world in the Book of Life belonging to the Lamb who was slain.

He who has an ear, let him hear:

“If anyone is destined for captivity,

into captivity he will go;

if anyone is to die by the sword,

by the sword he must be killed.”

Here is a call for the perseverance and faith of the saints.

Then I saw another beast rising out of the earth. This beast had two horns like a lamb, but spoke like a dragon.

And this beast exercised all the authority of the first beast and caused the earth and those who dwell in it to worship the first beast, whose mortal wound had been healed.

And the second beast performed great signs to cause even fire from heaven to come down to earth in the presence of the people.

Because of the signs it was given to perform on behalf of the first beast, it deceived those who dwell on the earth, telling them to make an image to the beast that had been wounded by the sword and yet had lived.

The second beast was permitted to give breath to the image of the first beast, so that the image could speak and cause all who refused to worship it to be killed.

And the second beast required all people small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hand or on their forehead,

so that no one could buy or sell unless he had the mark—the name of the beast or the number of its name.

Here is a call for wisdom: Let the one who has insight calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man, and that number is 666.

Revelation 14

Then I looked and saw the Lamb standing on Mount Zion, and with Him 144,000 who had His name and His Father’s name written on their foreheads.

And I heard a sound from heaven like the roar of many waters and the loud rumbling of thunder. And the sound I heard was like harpists strumming their harps.

And they sang a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and the elders. And no one could learn the song except the 144,000 who had been redeemed from the earth.

These are the ones who have not been defiled with women, for they are virgins. They follow the Lamb wherever He goes. They have been redeemed from among men as firstfruits to God and to the Lamb.

And no lie was found in their mouths; they are blameless.

Then I saw another angel flying overhead, with the eternal gospel to proclaim to those who dwell on the earth—to every nation and tribe and tongue and people.

And he said in a loud voice, “Fear God and give Him glory, because the hour of His judgment has come. Worship the One who made the heavens and the earth and the sea and the springs of waters.”

Then a second angel followed, saying, “Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great, who has made all the nations drink the wine of the passion of her immorality.”

And a third angel followed them, calling out in a loud voice, “If anyone worships the beast and its image, and receives its mark on his forehead or on his hand,

he too will drink the wine of God’s anger, poured undiluted into the cup of His wrath. And he will be tormented in fire and sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and of the Lamb.

And the smoke of their torment rises forever and ever. Day and night there is no rest for those who worship the beast and its image, or for anyone who receives the mark of its name.”

Here is a call for the perseverance of the saints who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus.

And I heard a voice from heaven telling me to write, “Blessed are the dead—those who die in the Lord from this moment on.”

“Yes,” says the Spirit, “they will rest from their labors, for their deeds will follow them.”

And I looked and saw a white cloud, and seated on the cloud was One like the Son of Man, with a golden crown on His head and a sharp sickle in His hand.

Then another angel came out of the temple, crying out in a loud voice to the One seated on the cloud, “Swing Your sickle and reap, because the time has come to harvest; for the crop of the earth is ripe.”

So the One seated on the cloud swung His sickle over the earth, and the earth was harvested.

Then another angel came out of the temple in heaven, and he too had a sharp sickle.

Still another angel, with authority over the fire, came from the altar and called out in a loud voice to the angel with the sharp sickle, “Swing your sharp sickle and gather the clusters of grapes from the vine of the earth, because its grapes are ripe.”

So the angel swung his sickle over the earth and gathered the grapes of the earth, and he threw them into the great winepress of God’s wrath.

And the winepress was trodden outside the city, and the blood that flowed from it rose as high as the bridles of the horses for a distance of 1,600 stadia.

Revelation 15

Then I saw another great and marvelous sign in heaven: seven angels with the seven final plagues, with which the wrath of God is completed.

And I saw something like a sea of glass mixed with fire, beside which stood those who had conquered the beast and its image and the number of its name. They were holding harps from God,

and they sang the song of God’s servant Moses and of the Lamb:

“Great and wonderful are Your works,

O Lord God Almighty!

Just and true are Your ways,

O King of the nations!

Who will not fear You, O Lord,

and glorify Your name?

For You alone are holy.

All nations will come and worship before You,

for Your righteous acts have been revealed.”

After this I looked, and the temple—the tabernacle of the Testimony—was opened in heaven.

And out of the temple came the seven angels with the seven plagues, dressed in clean and bright linen and girded with golden sashes around their chests.

Then one of the four living creatures gave the seven angels seven golden bowls full of the wrath of God, who lives forever and ever.

And the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God and from His power; and no one could enter the temple until the seven plagues of the seven angels were completed.

Revelation 16

Then I heard a loud voice from the temple saying to the seven angels, “Go, pour out on the earth the seven bowls of God’s wrath.”

So the first angel went and poured out his bowl on the earth, and loathsome, malignant sores broke out on those who had the mark of the beast and worshiped its image.

And the second angel poured out his bowl into the sea, and it turned to blood like that of the dead, and every living thing in the sea died.

And the third angel poured out his bowl into the rivers and springs of water, and they turned to blood. And I heard the angel of the waters say:

“Righteous are You, O Holy One,

who is and was,

because You have brought these judgments.

For they have spilled the blood of saints and prophets,

and You have given them blood to drink,

as they deserve.”

And I heard the altar reply:

“Yes, Lord God Almighty,

true and just are Your judgments.”

Then the fourth angel poured out his bowl on the sun, and it was given power to scorch the people with fire.

And the people were scorched by intense heat, and they cursed the name of God, who had authority over these plagues; yet they did not repent and give Him glory.

And the fifth angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast, and its kingdom was plunged into darkness, and men began to gnaw their tongues in anguish

and curse the God of heaven for their pains and sores; yet they did not repent of their deeds.

And the sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates, and its water was dried up to prepare the way for the kings of the East.

And I saw three unclean spirits that looked like frogs coming out of the mouths of the dragon, the beast, and the false prophet.

These are demonic spirits that perform signs and go out to all the kings of the earth, to assemble them for battle on the great day of God the Almighty.

“Behold, I am coming like a thief. Blessed is the one who remains awake and clothed, so that he will not go naked and let his shame be exposed.”

And they assembled the kings in the place that in Hebrew is called Armageddon.

Then the seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air, and a loud voice came from the throne in the temple, saying, “It is done!”

And there were flashes of lightning, and rumblings, and peals of thunder, and a great earthquake the likes of which had not occurred since men were upon the earth—so mighty was the great quake.

The great city was split into three parts, and the cities of the nations collapsed. And God remembered Babylon the great and gave her the cup of the wine of the fury of His wrath.

Then every island fled, and no mountain could be found.

And great hailstones weighing almost a hundred pounds each rained down on them from above. And men cursed God for the plague of hail, because it was so horrendous.

Revelation 17

Then one of the seven angels with the seven bowls came and said to me, “Come, I will show you the punishment of the great prostitute, who sits on many waters.

The kings of the earth were immoral with her, and those who dwell on the earth were intoxicated with the wine of her immorality.”

And the angel carried me away in the Spirit into a wilderness, where I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast that was covered with blasphemous names and had seven heads and ten horns.

The woman was dressed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls. She held in her hand a golden cup full of abominations and the impurities of her sexual immorality.

And on her forehead a mysterious name was written:

BABYLON THE GREAT,

THE MOTHER OF PROSTITUTES

AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.

I could see that the woman was drunk with the blood of the saints and witnesses for Jesus. And I was utterly amazed at the sight of her.

“Why are you so amazed?” said the angel. “I will tell you the mystery of the woman and of the beast that carries her, which has the seven heads and ten horns.

The beast that you saw—it was, and now is no more, but is about to come up out of the Abyss and go to its destruction. And those who dwell on the earth whose names were not written in the Book of Life from the foundation of the world will marvel when they see the beast that was, and is not, and yet will be.

This calls for a mind with wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman sits.

There are also seven kings. Five have fallen, one is, and the other has not yet come; but when he does come, he must remain for only a little while.

The beast that was, and now is not, is an eighth king, who belongs to the other seven and is going into destruction.

The ten horns you saw are ten kings who have not yet received a kingdom, but will receive one hour of authority as kings, along with the beast.

These kings have one purpose: to yield their power and authority to the beast.

They will make war against the Lamb, and the Lamb will triumph over them, because He is Lord of lords and King of kings; and He will be accompanied by His called and chosen and faithful ones.”

Then the angel said to me, “The waters you saw, where the prostitute was seated, are peoples and multitudes and nations and tongues.

And the ten horns and the beast that you saw will hate the prostitute. They will leave her desolate and naked, and will eat her flesh and burn her with fire.

For God has put it into their hearts to carry out His purpose by uniting to give their kingdom to the beast, until the words of God are fulfilled.

And the woman you saw is the great city that rules over the kings of the earth.”

Revelation 18

After this I saw another angel descending from heaven with great authority, and the earth was illuminated by his glory. And he cried out in a mighty voice:

“Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great!

She has become a lair for demons

and a haunt for every unclean spirit,

every unclean bird,

and every detestable beast.

All the nations have drunk the wine

of the passion of her immorality.

The kings of the earth were immoral with her,

and the merchants of the earth have grown wealthy

from the extravagance of her luxury.”

Then I heard another voice from heaven say:

“Come out of her, My people,

so that you will not share in her sins

or contract any of her plagues.

For her sins are piled up to heaven,

and God has remembered her iniquities.

Give back to her as she has done to others;

pay her back double for what she has done;

mix her a double portion in her own cup.

As much as she has glorified herself and lived in luxury,

give her the same measure of torment and grief.

In her heart she says, ‘I sit as queen;

I am not a widow and will never see grief.’

Therefore her plagues will come in one day—

death and grief and famine—

and she will be consumed by fire,

for mighty is the Lord God who judges her.”

Then the kings of the earth who committed sexual immorality and lived in luxury with her will weep and wail at the sight of the smoke rising from the fire that consumes her.

In fear of her torment, they will stand at a distance and cry out:

“Woe, woe to the great city,

the mighty city of Babylon!

For in a single hour

your judgment has come.”

And the merchants of the earth will weep and mourn over her, because there is no one left to buy their cargo—

cargo of gold, silver, precious stones, and pearls; of fine linen, purple, silk, and scarlet; of all kinds of citron wood and every article of ivory, precious wood, bronze, iron, and marble;

of cinnamon, spice, incense, myrrh, and frankincense; of wine, olive oil, fine flour, and wheat; of cattle, sheep, horses, and chariots; of slaves and souls of men. And they will say:

“The fruit of your soul’s desire

has departed from you;

all your luxury and splendor have vanished,

never to be seen again.”

The merchants who sold these things and grew their wealth from her will stand at a distance, in fear of her torment. They will weep and mourn, saying:

“Woe, woe to the great city,

clothed in fine linen and purple and scarlet,

adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls!

For in a single hour

such fabulous wealth has been destroyed!”

Every shipmaster, passenger, and sailor, and all who make their living from the sea, will stand at a distance

and cry out at the sight of the smoke rising from the fire that consumes her. “What city was ever like this great city?” they will exclaim.

Then they will throw dust on their heads as they weep and mourn and cry out:

“Woe, woe to the great city,

where all who had ships on the sea

were enriched by her wealth!

For in a single hour

she has been destroyed.”

Rejoice over her, O heaven,

O saints and apostles and prophets,

because God has pronounced for you

His judgment against her.

Then a mighty angel picked up a stone the size of a great millstone and cast it into the sea, saying:

“With such violence

the great city of Babylon will be cast down,

never to be seen again.

And the sound of harpists and musicians,

of flute players and trumpeters,

will never ring out in you again.

Nor will any craftsmen of any trade

be found in you again,

nor the sound of a millstone

be heard in you again.

The light of a lamp

will never shine in you again,

and the voices of a bride and bridegroom

will never call out in you again.

For your merchants were the great ones of the earth,

because all the nations were deceived by your sorcery.”

And there was found in her the blood of prophets and saints, and of all who had been slain on the earth.

“knowing, brothers beloved by God, your election, for our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full assurance; just as you know what kind of men we proved to be among you for your sake. You also became imitators of us and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction with the joy of the Holy Spirit, so that you became a model to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia.” - 1st Thessalonians 1:4-7 (LSB)

This week we started chapter 1 of the 1st Epistle to the Thessalonians. In this chapter Paul greats the church at Thessalonica in modern day Greece, and commends them for being models to all believers around in the area.