Outbless Weekly

Send us Fan Mail

Psalm, Chapter 47

God, the King of the Earth.

For the music director. A Psalm of the sons of Korah.

47 Clap your hands, all you peoples;
 Shout to God with a voice of joy.

-        The title of this message is God, the King of the Earth

-        This is a declaration “GOD” that is who we are talking about

o   The King of the Earth (this is His title in this Chapter)

o   Just in case you are wondering who is really in charge of this Earth

o   It is GOD, the One True God not man and not the devil of his minions

-        For the music director (the one in charge of making music and get God’s people to sing)

-        A Psalm of the sons of Korah

o   Sons of Korah were super grateful and sang louder and praised a bit more with very grateful heart because they came from a family who were swallowed up alive in the earth because they opposed Moses and tried to take over.  Korah sons were kept alive and 7-generations later were being used to lead worship in the tabernacle.  They knew the dark past of their family and yet the bright light of blessing of leading worship – saved by God’s grace!

-        Call your hands, all you peoples (this means get your body moving to the music)

-        Shout to God with a voice of joy (shout don’t sing; this means turn it up)

o   The idea is that we jump to our feet and clap and shout and praise (He is worthy!)

o   The face the God is the King of the Earth and no one else is GLORIOUS!

o   When you use our hands and your mouth to praise God it might be a good idea to consider WHO HE IS and WHAT HE HAS DONE and THAT HE IS COMING SOON

o   Let your praise and attitude reflect that (PUT SOME GRATITUDE IN YOUR PRAISE)

 2 For the Lord Most High is to be feared,
 A great King over all the earth.

-        For the Lord Most High is to be feared

o   this is God almighty you're talking about

o   this is the one who created everything that has life and breath in it

o   this is the one who created the sun and the moon and the stars in the heavens

o   this is the one who created the earth and all the plants and vegetables and fruit

o   this is the one you created all the animals of every kind

o   this is the one who created man himself and breathe the breath of life in him

o   this is the one who speaks and the earth quakes

o   this is the one you can hear in the sound of Thunder and see a small taste of His power in the lightning

o   surely when you consider who He is, He is to be feared

o   Woe is me for I am but a mere man

Intro to Outbless Weekly

Thanks for listening to Outbless.com

Send us Fan Mail

Psalm, Chapter 46

God, the Refuge of His People.

For the music director. A Psalm of the sons of Korah, [a]set to Alamoth. A Song.

46 God is our refuge and strength,
 A [b]very ready help in [c]trouble.

-          The title of this message is God, the refuge of His people

-          Refuge means “a condition of being safe or sheltered from pursuit, danger or trouble”

-          It is for the music director (this would be the person responsible for making sure that the music that's played sounds great and would be pleasing to God; this would require practice)

-          a Psalm of the sons of Korah

o   we remember the sons of Kora were super grateful that they were still alive because their ancestors were swallowed up in the earth when they opposed Moses and Aaron and tried to take over. 7 generations later they became warriors and musicians and we're in charge the worship in the Tabernacle. they sing a little louder than normal; a little more grateful; knowing the devastation from which they came in the glorious position they are currently in (by God's grace)

o   set to Alamoth. A Song

§  Alamoth is a reference to sound of young girls giggling or having fun

§  It may also mean “soprano voices of young women” like at a wedding

-          God is our refuge and strength

o   These words would be sung by young women (soprano)

o   these young women understand their God is the source of their refuge and strength; refuge is really another name for safety and strength

o   this is what most young women truly want (safety and strength to protect them)

-          a very ready help in trouble

o   A very ready help (this means he is ready to respond in an instant); on alert

o   In trouble (when trouble comes; God opens the door and deals with it)

 2 Therefore we will not fear, though the earth shakes
 And the mountains slip into the heart of the [d]sea;
3 Though its waters roar and foam,
Though the mountains quake at its swelling pride. Selah

-          Therefore (because God is our refuge and strength)

-          we will not fear, though the earth shakes (trusting God even in an earthquake)

-          in the mountains slip into the heart of the sea (this would be a massive earthquake)

o   when the mountains slip into the sea it's an end of the world event

-          though its waters roar and foam

o   the ocean can sometimes roar and foam when it's stirred radically by waves or storms (the ocean can sometimes be truly terrifying)

-          though the mountains quake at its swelling pride. Selah

Intro to Outbless Weekly

Thanks for listening to Outbless.com

Send us Fan Mail

Psalm, Chapter 45

A Song Celebrating the King’s Marriage.

For the choir director; according to the [a]Shoshannim. A [b]Maskil of the sons of Korah. A Song of Love.

45 My heart [c]overflows with a good theme;
I [d]address my [e]verses to the [f]King;
My tongue is the pen of a ready writer.

-          The title of this chapter is a song celebrating the King's marriage

-          a song it's normally sung as a result of joy

-          and this song is about the King's marriage (Jesus is arcane and his bride is the church)

-          this song is for acquired director (hey choir director his job is to get the people of God to get on their feet and to sing praises to the Lord because of his outrageous generous blessings)

-          then we read this very odd sentence according to the shoshannim

o   shoshannin is a white Lilly; it comes from the root word shoshanna which means rose in Hebrew. This is a picture of how God loves His bridge and will adorn her or maker her white as a lilly

-          In this title we also learn that this chapter is a Maskil of the sons of the Korah and also a song of love

o   Korah was the grandson of Kohath, and he began to run with another group of Reubenite malcontents, namely, Dathan and Abiram, sons of Eliab, and On, son of Peleth. In pride, they roused a group of 250 men together to challenge the right of Moses and Aaron to the priesthood (Numbers 16). 

o   Moses confronted them and the ground under them split apart and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them and their households, and all those associated with Korah, together with their possessions. They went down alive into the realm of the dead, with everything they owned; the earth closed over them, and they perished and were gone from the community

o   The sons of Korah were too young to understand and even though their relatives died, God had mercy and saved the sons.  Seven generations later, the prophet Samuel arose from the line of Korah, the genealogy of which is recorded in 1 Chronicles 6:31–38 and 1 Samuel 1:1, 20. The Korahites became doorkeepers and custodians for the tabernacle (1 Chronicles 9:19–21; 1 Chronicles 2.) One group of Korahites (1 Chronicles 12:6) joined King David in various military exploits and won the reputation of being expert warriors. However, the most remarkable thing to note about the sons of Korah is that during the time of King David, they became the great leaders in choral and orchestral music in the tabernacle

Intro to Outbless Weekly

Thanks for listening to Outbless.com

Send us Fan Mail

Psalm, Chapter 44

Former Times of Help and Present Troubles.

For the music director. A [a]Maskil of the sons of Korah.

44 God, we have heard with our ears,
 Our fathers have told us
 The work that You did in their days,
 In the days of old.

-        The title of this message is former times of help and present troubles

-        if you remember your former times of hell it will give you confidence to deal with your present troubles (Gods previous faithfulness and help build your faith for future events)

-        this was written for the music director again (that would be the man or woman in charge of getting God's people to praise)

-        we see the term Maskil of the sons of Korah (We learned about this in chapter 42 the word Maskil means enlightened one or when he was learned from experience; sons of Korah came from millennials that was destroyed by God and yet he had mercy on their sons and eventually put them into ministry and specifically in the music ministry; as a result they sang louder with greater joy remembering the dark place they came from in the wondrous place of light they now abide in.

-        God we have heard with our ears, our fathers have told us

o   this means they listened to their fathers (there is a level obedience implied)

o   there is a level of humility and desire to learn from their fathers implied)

-        the work that You did in their days, in the days of old

o   the Jewish people became good storytellers and they told the stories of God's miracles to each generation

o   They would have been taught stories about Moses in the parting of the Red Sea or Noah in the flood or the 400 years in bondage in Egypt.

o   they listened; they learned; they taught their children the same

o   this is a great pattern to replicate throughout our generations

 2 You with Your own hand drove out the nations;
 Then You planted them;
 You afflicted the peoples,
 Then You let them go free.

-        You with your own hand drove out the nations

o   remember God went in front of the Jews as they traveled into the promised land and God routed out the people before them by His power and might.

-        Then he planted them (this means that God established the Jews in their new land)

-        you have afflicted the peoples, then you let them go free

o   God allows affliction to come to those who are committing sin but when they repent and ask for forgiveness God heals them and sets them free again

o   As we read about the Jewish people traveling toward the promised land or even during the time in which they were trying to establish themselves in the land they continued to get caught up in sin and God's judgment would come upon them swiftly until they repented; then the cycle of freedom and blessing would start over again until they stumbled back into their sinful ways (the cycle repeats)

Intro to Outbless Weekly

Thanks for listening to Outbless.com

Send us Fan Mail

Psalm, Chapter 43

Prayer for Help.

43 Vindicate me, God, and plead my case against an ungodly nation;
[a]Save me from the deceitful and unjust person!

-          The title of this message is prayer for help

o   this is great instruction for all of us to heed

o   when you need help it's time to pray!

-          Vindicate me, God

o   To vindicate someone means to clear someone of blame or suspicion with supporting arguments or proof

o   David is asking God to clear his reputation among men

o   David knew that he was flawed and had sinned; but he also knew that he had repented truly in his heart and was forgiven

-          and plead my case against an ungodly nation

o   notice that David is looking to the Lord to plead his case

o   the Lord is your defense attorney and mine too

o   He will plead your case and prove you're innocent by his own blood

o   notice the case was against an ungodly nation (the collective of worldly powers against an individual chosen by God and washed in the blood of the lamb)

o   when God is on your side even when the entire nation is against you; you will win!

-          save me from the deceitful and unjust person!

o   David is asking specifically to be saved from the deceitful

o   people who are deceitful say one thing when they intend to do another

o   it's premeditated; it has bad intention; it is designed to harm

o   and unjust person It is one who lies to pervert justice (to cause an opposite result then what should be)

o   David is not only asking for God to save him but this implies that David understands and knows that God is able to do so (even against those people who are lying against him and making things up that never happened)

2 For You are the God of my strength; why have You rejected me?
 Why do I go about mourning [b]because of the oppression of the enemy?

-          For you are the God of my strength

o   David is declaring that if he has any strength it came from God

-          why Have you rejected me?

o   David feels rejected but feelings can lie to you (this is a reflection of the continual fight between the mind where the flesh and the spirit which chooses to believe God's word instead of what it understands in the natural)

-          Why do I go about mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?

o   David is questioning his own actions

o   it seems he's catching himself morning over the oppression of the enemy

o   this means in the flesh he was giving in to his fears propagated by his enemies

o   the reason he is questioning this is because he knows better (he should trust God instead)

Intro to Outbless Weekly

Thanks for listening to Outbless.com

Send us Fan Mail

Psalm, Chapter 42

Thirsting for God in Trouble and Exile.

For the music director. A [a]Maskil of the sons of Korah.

-          Before we read chapter 42 we must unpack the title of this message

-          First we have Thirsting for God in Trouble and Exile

o   When you thirst for water you feel dry and barren like you are evaporating

o   To thirst is a powerful metaphor for this internal desire or need for God

o   We note that it happens in Trouble and Exile

o   We don’t know what kind of trouble this speaks of but we do know that exile is the state of being barred from one’s native country, typically for political or punitive reasons (they had to flee their homeland and live in foreign land is the idea)

-          This Psalm is written for the music director (the man or woman charged with directing the music, the praise, the worship of God with musical instruments and voices)

o   You might say “the man responsible to get people to praise”

-          I is referred to as a “Maskil of the sons of Korah”

o   A Maskil is one who is enlightened, a scholar or one who serves with discretion because of some lesson learned or experience

o   So to fully understand this chapter we must learn “what was the enlightenment of the sons of Korah”

So the summarization of the sons of Korah is this:

our own songs of renewed purpose and redemption should flow out of a heart of humility as we remember the fallen state from which He raised us and the redemption that we experience through His grace.

 -          Now having this understanding, we begin Chapter 42

42 As the deer [b]pants for the water brooks,
So my soul [c]pants for You, God.

-          As the deep pants for the water brooks

o   Deer run for their life from predators

o   They get dehydrated and tired and they must have water

o   When the deep pants for the water brooks he/she is desperate for it

-          So my soul pants for You, God

o   The metaphor of the thirsty deer is used to describe the urgency for which our innermost being needs God

 2 My soul thirsts for God, for the living God;
 When shall I come and [d]appear before God?

-          My soul thirsts for God, for the living God

o   Your soul is that part which is spiritual and lives forever

o   It is the deepest part of who you are

o   It is your spirit crying out (as deep cries to deep)

-          When shall I come and appear before God?

o   In other words, your soul can’s wait to see God (face to face)

o   To see Him; and to be seen by Him; to have fellowship with one another

Intro to Outbless Weekly

Thanks for listening to Outbless.com

Send us Fan Mail

Psalm, Chapter 41

The Psalmist in Sickness Complains of Enemies and False Friends.

For the choir director. A Psalm of David.

41 How blessed is he who considers the [a]helpless;
The Lord will deliver him in a day of [b]trouble.

-          The title of this message is the psalmist in sickness complains of enemies and false friends

-          first we notice that the psalmist is sick (he is not feeling well and most of us are likely to complain about other people or other things when we're sick)

o   his complaint is about enemies and false friends

o   enemies are those who are obviously against you intentionally

o   false friends are people pretending to be your friend but are wishing you harm

o   the devil is the father of all lies and the king of deception

-          Now in verse one David begins writing under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit 

-          how blessed is he who considers the helpless

o   those who are sick are often helpless

-          the Lord will deliver him in a day in trouble

o   the Lord will deliver him (take him from the day of trouble to a better place)

o   in reference to the helpless these must be weak or sick or both

o   The Lord will heal and protect and bless is implied 

§  When we are weak, the Lord is strong (our defender)

 2 The Lord will protect him and keep him alive,
 And he shall [c]be called blessed upon the earth;
And do not give him over to the desire of his enemies.

-          The Lord will protect him and keep him alive

-          the words are plain and simple

o   the Lord will protect him (against that which is attacking)

o   and keep him alive (this is healing from sickness)

-          and he shall be called blessed upon the earth

-          the one whom God heals

o   this is the one that shall be called blessed

o   upon the earth (that means now in this life)

-          and do not give him over to the desire of his enemies

o   in other words the plans his enemies have made will not come to pass

o   because God is in charge not man

Intro to Outbless Weekly

Thanks for listening to Outbless.com

Send us Fan Mail

Psalm, Chapter 40

God Sustains His Servant.

For the music director. A Psalm of David.

40 I waited [a]patiently for the Lord;
And He reached down to me and heard my cry.

-        The title of this message is God sustains his servant

o   God sustains means that He provides everything that you need

o   this is a great promise from God but it only applies to his servants

§  those serving Him

-        I waited patiently for the Lord

o   David waited patiently, how about you?

o   are you waiting patiently for the Lord or something else or not at all

-        and He reached down to me and heard my cry

o   I love that the word says that God reached down to me

o   this means that he is not so far away that he can't reach down and touch you or help you

o   he was also close enough and attentive enough to hear David’s cry

o   do you realize that God could reach down and touch you as well?

o   do you realize that even though he's got almighty he's still willing to reach down and hear your cry and know what's going on in your life and help you?

 2 He brought me up out of the pit of [b]destruction, out of the mud;
And He set my feet on a rock, making my footsteps firm.

-        he brought me up out of the pit of destruction, how did the mud

o   our own sin is what causes us to go down into the pit or get stuck in the mud

o   but God will bring you up out of the pit of destruction and out of the mud

-        and He set my feet on a rock making my footsteps firm

o   sometimes the world feels like a very shaky place

o   life itself can have many twists and turns and uncertainties

o   but God will set your feet in a rock (Jesus is called the rock)

o   making my footsteps firm (that means you are walking on solid ground and it's not shaking and it's not moving - this would be the narrow road that leads into heaven)

3 He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God;
 Many will see and fear
 And will trust in the Lord.

-        He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God

o   it seems that God puts a new song in your mouth right after he pulls you out of the pit and put your feet on solid ground (in other words right after He saves you again)

o   you will be so glad that you will get a new song and you'll be singing it to God who saved you

-        many will see him fear

o   this is a reference to those who are watching you walk through the valleys of life

o   when they see how you cry out to God and how God answers you and shows up, they will see Him and fear (realizing He is real)

-        And will trust in the Lord

o   when people see how God saves other people, they learn to trust Him also

o   This is why it is so important to share what God does in your life with others around you (otherwise how will they see)

Intro to Outbless Weekly

Thanks for listening to Outbless.com

Send us Fan Mail

Psalm, Chapter 39

The Vanity of Life.

For the choir director, for [a]Jeduthun. A Psalm of David.

39 I said, “I will guard my ways
 That I may not sin with my tongue;
 I will guard my mouth as with a muzzle
 While the wicked are in my presence.”

-          The title of this message is the vanity of life

-          Vanity can be defined as excessive pride in or admiration of one's own appearance or achievements; Your appearance and your achievements won't last very long

-          For the choir director (this would be the person in charge of getting people on their feet to praise God almighty for saving us from ourselves and our sin)

-          for Jeduthun (Jeduthun means “to praise”)

o   The act of singing with your mouth if I'm true love and joy that is within your heart towards your creator, the almighty God and your Savior.

o   when you truly understand that God sent His one and his only Son to come down from heaven and die a painful death on across in order to pay for your sin and mine so that whosoever would believe in the name of Jesus Christ could be forgiven for all of their sins be made righteous in God's sight and gain entrance into heaven for all eternity (All because of what Jesus did not because of our own track record; you cannot help but give true and real praise to God)

-          now beginning in verse one

o   I said, I will guard my ways

§  to guard your ways means that you are careful not to go outside the guidelines or the guard lines if you would of that which is disclosed in the Bible by God as instruction for you and how to live a blessed and happy life

§  it does not come naturally four by nature we are sinful and selfish and prone to do the wrong thing and please the flesh

§  so you must guard your ways; to learn the ways of the Lord; and then try to live within the guardrails; because God knows the best way for you to live and abundant and blessed life (truly His ways are better than your own)

o   That I may not sin with my tongue

§  to send with your tongue means that you say the wrong things or speak the wrong things; words are powerful it can be used to cut others down or to judge or condemn or to bless edify

§  the tongue is the great writer on the massive ship of life slight turns and variances literally change destinations

o   I will guard my mouth as with a muzzle

§  a muzzle is used on an angry dog to prevent it from biting

§  you might say that a muzzle is used to prevent harm

§  we need to realize that we can cause real harm with our mouth; Therefore, we actually need a muzzle made from the word of God

o   while the wicked are in my presence

§  these truths are especially true when the wicked are in your presence meaning they are near you

§  wicked people in close proximity can incite you or encourage you to do or say the wrong thing (so be careful who you are hanging around)

Intro to Outbless Weekly

Thanks for listening to Outbless.com

Send us Fan Mail

Psalm, Chapter 38

Prayer of a Suffering Penitent.

A Psalm of David, for a memorial.

38 O Lord, rebuke me not in Your wrath,
 And chasten me not in Your burning anger.
 2 For Your arrows have sunk deep into me,
 And Your hand has pressed down on me.

-          The title of this chapter is prayer of a suffering penitent

-          a penitent is one who repents

-          his suffering penitent would be one who is suffering because of their sins and is now at the place where they want to turn from their sin and ask God for forgiveness

o   Sometimes our current suffering may be a direct result of our sin

o   the correct action would be to become penitent; to repent

o   this means that you turn from your sin and go the opposite way

-          oh Lord, rebuke me not in Your wrath

o   apparently David understands that he deserves rebuke

o   but he is asking for some level of mercy because he does not want God to do it in His wrath (this would be very severe)

-          and chasing me not in Your burning anger

o   apparently David also understood the guide could or may chasten him

o   this means to correct him (it implies physical)

o   it would be like when a son or daughter knows that he or she is done wrong and dad tells them to go upstairs and wait for him (they know a spanking is likely coming)

-          for Your arrows have some deep into me

o   this means the pain of God's rebuke and chastening is already being felt

o   sometimes we might even punish ourselves because we know we did wrong

-          and Your hand is pressed down on me

o   the reference to God ham makes it very personal

o   to press down means to apply pressure (it is definitely a form of correction)

-          are you feeling like God is chasing you or correcting you?

o   do you feel like His hand is coming down on you?

o   if so, the quicker you repent and truly mean it in your heart, the better!

Intro to Outbless Weekly

Thanks for listening to Outbless.com