You Can Read the Bible Guided Podcast

As individual units, the Psalms sometimes take up as their theme an attribute of the LORD, as though the Psalmist took up his pen and, meditating on one quality of the LORD’s nature or character, put this contemplation to verse.  Each of our Psalms today seems to focus on one of these qualities. 

The theme of Psalm 32 is the LORD’s forgiveness:  I acknowledged my sin to you, and I did not cover my iniquity; I said, "I will confess my transgressions to the LORD," and you forgave the iniquity of my sin.  In 33, it’s the LORD’s power: By the word of the LORD the heavens were made, and by the breath of his mouth all their host.  He gathers the waters of the sea as a heap; he puts the deeps in storehouses.

Psalm 34 focuses on the LORD’s attentiveness:  This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him and saved him out of all his troubles.  And Psalm 35 reminds us that He is the ultimate Judge:  Vindicate me, O LORD, my God, according to your righteousness, and let them not rejoice over me!

In Psalm 36, the LORD is constant, dependable: Your steadfast love, O LORD, extends to the heavens, your faithfulness to the clouds.  In fact look for the number of times the word “steadfast” appears here.  And in Psalm 37, He is trustworthy.  Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him, and he will act.  He will bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your justice as the noonday.

Notice, as we often have, that the primary subject of the Bible is the LORD.  Though the Psalms are drawn from the prayers and experiences of their writers, and though they are infused with creativity and artistic flourish, their purpose is to grab our attention and direct it beyond them, to see and worship the LORD Himself. 

Our verses for this week are Galatians 5:22-23: But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.

Psalms 32 through 37.  Now let’s read it!

As individual units, the Psalms sometimes take up as their theme an attribute of the LORD, as though the Psalmist took up his pen and, meditating on one quality of the LORD’s nature or character, put this contemplation to verse.  Each of our Psalms today seems to focus on one of these qualities. 

The theme of Psalm 32 is the LORD’s forgiveness:  I acknowledged my sin to you, and I did not cover my iniquity; I said, "I will confess my transgressions to the LORD," and you forgave the iniquity of my sin.  In 33, it’s the LORD’s power: By the word of the LORD the heavens were made, and by the breath of his mouth all their host.  He gathers the waters of the sea as a heap; he puts the deeps in storehouses.

Psalm 34 focuses on the LORD’s attentiveness:  This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him and saved him out of all his troubles.  And Psalm 35 reminds us that He is the ultimate Judge:  Vindicate me, O LORD, my God, according to your righteousness, and let them not rejoice over me!

In Psalm 36, the LORD is constant, dependable: Your steadfast love, O LORD, extends to the heavens, your faithfulness to the clouds.  In fact look for the number of times the word “steadfast” appears here.  And in Psalm 37, He is trustworthy.  Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him, and he will act.  He will bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your justice as the noonday.

Notice, as we often have, that the primary subject of the Bible is the LORD.  Though the Psalms are drawn from the prayers and experiences of their writers, and though they are infused with creativity and artistic flourish, their purpose is to grab our attention and direct it beyond them, to see and worship the LORD Himself. 

Our verses for this week are Galatians 5:22-23: But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.

Psalms 32 through 37.  Now let’s read it!

Think back to the inspirational direction in other sections of the Bible.  In the narratives, the writer is telling us a story; there is occasional reflection, but mostly the story is just presented, selectively, of course, but walking a path with a beginning and an end.  The prophets, meanwhile, were motivated by the “Word of the LORD.”  There was narrative woven throughout, and almost always a contemporary story to which the prophet was responding, but the voice from above, conveyed through the mouth and pen of the prophet, stimulated the product.

Take notice that wisdom literature is different altogether.  Most of what we saw in Job, and what we’re seeing in Psalms, is human reflection on their experience of the Divine.  Some Psalms, like 26 and 30 today, are directed toward the LORD.  Others, like 27 and 29, are directed at other worshippers.  And still others, like 28 and 31, switch between the two.  But all of them are written from the perspective of a worshipper of the LORD.  This makes them accessible, personal, near, in a way that might be more intimate than other scriptures. 

But this intimacy carries risk.  Listen to this from Psalm 30: “Sing praises to the LORD, O you His saints, and give thanks to His holy name.  For His anger is but for a moment, and His favor is for a lifetime.”  There are two clauses here that are not independent.  “Sing…and give thanks…” is the exhortation, but this is because of the LORD’s attributes.  In other words, to the Psalmist, the LORD’s character naturally leads to – even demands – a response. 

I’m covering this because I don’t want you to take the Psalms lightly.  This is the worship book – the book of songs and prayers – that has been used by the worshippers of the LORD for thousands of years.  If, as Psalm 29 declares, “the LORD sits enthroned as king forever…,” then the Psalmist’s call to “Ascribe to the LORD the glory due His name” applies to every generation that follows. 

Our verses for this week are Galatians 5:22-23: But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.

Psalms 26 through 31.  Now let’s read it!

Think back to the inspirational direction in other sections of the Bible.  In the narratives, the writer is telling us a story; there is occasional reflection, but mostly the story is just presented, selectively, of course, but walking a path with a beginning and an end.  The prophets, meanwhile, were motivated by the “Word of the LORD.”  There was narrative woven throughout, and almost always a contemporary story to which the prophet was responding, but the voice from above, conveyed through the mouth and pen of the prophet, stimulated the product.

Take notice that wisdom literature is different altogether.  Most of what we saw in Job, and what we’re seeing in Psalms, is human reflection on their experience of the Divine.  Some Psalms, like 26 and 30 today, are directed toward the LORD.  Others, like 27 and 29, are directed at other worshippers.  And still others, like 28 and 31, switch between the two.  But all of them are written from the perspective of a worshipper of the LORD.  This makes them accessible, personal, near, in a way that might be more intimate than other scriptures. 

But this intimacy carries risk.  Listen to this from Psalm 30: “Sing praises to the LORD, O you His saints, and give thanks to His holy name.  For His anger is but for a moment, and His favor is for a lifetime.”  There are two clauses here that are not independent.  “Sing…and give thanks…” is the exhortation, but this is because of the LORD’s attributes.  In other words, to the Psalmist, the LORD’s character naturally leads to – even demands – a response. 

I’m covering this because I don’t want you to take the Psalms lightly.  This is the worship book – the book of songs and prayers – that has been used by the worshippers of the LORD for thousands of years.  If, as Psalm 29 declares, “the LORD sits enthroned as king forever…,” then the Psalmist’s call to “Ascribe to the LORD the glory due His name” applies to every generation that follows. 

Our verses for this week are Galatians 5:22-23: But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.

Psalms 26 through 31.  Now let’s read it!

Coming down the slope of yesterday’s “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O LORD, my rock and my redeemer,” the worshipper in Psalm 20 rejoices, “Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God.”

Listen for the stories embedded in these Psalms, especially in 20 and 21.  Psalm 20 is a word of encouragement from one to another, like a letter from one who knows that his friend is in trouble.  Psalm 21 remains in the second person, but now the author speaks directly to God Himself.  It’s even possible, given their sequence, that Psalm 21 is a response to the situation that spurred the exhortation in Psalm 20. 

Psalms 22, 23, and 24 form a triumvirate of well-known verses that stand on their own and are bound in a unique unit.  Psalm 22 is deeply personal and emotive: “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me…?”  The writer blames God for not answering, for not asserting Himself while he is “poured out like water…for dogs encompass me; a company of evildoers encircles me…”  He is no more afraid to complain to the LORD than he is to remind Him that “In you our fathers trusted; they trusted, and you delivered them.”

Notice also in Psalm 22, as you will in numerous other Psalms, that lament, even anger toward the LORD, is intermingled with gratitude and worship.  If the Jewish writers thought themselves unfaithful for expressing disappointment and fear, it is not reflected in their writing.  Indeed, listen closely to these prayers: when disappointed, even accusatory, the Psalmist is so not because the LORD is powerless, but because the LORD is Sovereign, yet chooses, for His own reasons, not to act. 

Our verses for this week are Galatians 5:22-23: But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.

Psalms 20 through 25.  Now let’s read it!

Coming down the slope of yesterday’s “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O LORD, my rock and my redeemer,” the worshipper in Psalm 20 rejoices, “Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God.”

Listen for the stories embedded in these Psalms, especially in 20 and 21.  Psalm 20 is a word of encouragement from one to another, like a letter from one who knows that his friend is in trouble.  Psalm 21 remains in the second person, but now the author speaks directly to God Himself.  It’s even possible, given their sequence, that Psalm 21 is a response to the situation that spurred the exhortation in Psalm 20. 

Psalms 22, 23, and 24 form a triumvirate of well-known verses that stand on their own and are bound in a unique unit.  Psalm 22 is deeply personal and emotive: “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me…?”  The writer blames God for not answering, for not asserting Himself while he is “poured out like water…for dogs encompass me; a company of evildoers encircles me…”  He is no more afraid to complain to the LORD than he is to remind Him that “In you our fathers trusted; they trusted, and you delivered them.”

Notice also in Psalm 22, as you will in numerous other Psalms, that lament, even anger toward the LORD, is intermingled with gratitude and worship.  If the Jewish writers thought themselves unfaithful for expressing disappointment and fear, it is not reflected in their writing.  Indeed, listen closely to these prayers: when disappointed, even accusatory, the Psalmist is so not because the LORD is powerless, but because the LORD is Sovereign, yet chooses, for His own reasons, not to act. 

Our verses for this week are Galatians 5:22-23: But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.

Psalms 20 through 25.  Now let’s read it!

Therefore my heart is glad, and my whole being rejoices; my flesh also dwells secure.  For you will not abandon my soul to Sheol, or let your holy one see corruption.  – Psalm 16:9-10

The term “Sheol” occurs 63 times in the Bible, all of which are found in the Old Testament.  Of those, over half occur in the books of Job, Psalms, and Proverbs.  This makes sense: wisdom literature is where you’d expect to find conversations about death. 

Nowhere in the Old Testament, however, do we find a direct, worked-out understanding of the afterlife.  Listen to David’s lament in Psalm 6: “In death there is no remembrance of You.  In Sheol who will give You praise?”  and to the celebration in Psalm 9 that “The wicked shall return to Sheol, all the nations that forget God.”  Today, Sheol is active in inducing fear: “the cords of Sheol entangled me; the snares of death confronted me…”

You can hear that, in the minds of each writer, Sheol is not just the destination of the wicked, but is synonymous with death itself.  Look through Job and Proverbs – in fact look through every reference in the Old Testament – and you’ll conclude that Sheol is everyone’s destination, but not a place to be hoped for. 

One of the principles we hold to at You Can Read the Bible is to allow the characters and writers to think and feel in their own moment.  It is unfair to imagine future understandings back into their lives, which would reorient their writings (and even their actions) around concepts that never occurred to them.  Even though the concept of the afterlife developed over time, and is more thoroughly discussed in the New Testament, this is how God decided to reveal His word.   I encourage you to remember what is in the back of the minds of the writers and characters when they consider death, and the shadow it casts over life.

Today the pendulum swings from yesterday’s discussion of wickedness to a celebration of the hope known by the righteous.  The theme of refuge is noticeable throughout, as is the LORD’s capacity to rescue and guide.  The readings seemingly drive toward a climax in Psalm 19, when the focus expands from the personal to the cosmic, marveling that the heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.

Our verses for this week are Galatians 5:22-23: But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.

Psalms 15 through 19.  Now let’s read it!

Therefore my heart is glad, and my whole being rejoices; my flesh also dwells secure.  For you will not abandon my soul to Sheol, or let your holy one see corruption.  – Psalm 16:9-10

The term “Sheol” occurs 63 times in the Bible, all of which are found in the Old Testament.  Of those, over half occur in the books of Job, Psalms, and Proverbs.  This makes sense: wisdom literature is where you’d expect to find conversations about death. 

Nowhere in the Old Testament, however, do we find a direct, worked-out understanding of the afterlife.  Listen to David’s lament in Psalm 6: “In death there is no remembrance of You.  In Sheol who will give You praise?”  and to the celebration in Psalm 9 that “The wicked shall return to Sheol, all the nations that forget God.”  Today, Sheol is active in inducing fear: “the cords of Sheol entangled me; the snares of death confronted me…”

You can hear that, in the minds of each writer, Sheol is not just the destination of the wicked, but is synonymous with death itself.  Look through Job and Proverbs – in fact look through every reference in the Old Testament – and you’ll conclude that Sheol is everyone’s destination, but not a place to be hoped for. 

One of the principles we hold to at You Can Read the Bible is to allow the characters and writers to think and feel in their own moment.  It is unfair to imagine future understandings back into their lives, which would reorient their writings (and even their actions) around concepts that never occurred to them.  Even though the concept of the afterlife developed over time, and is more thoroughly discussed in the New Testament, this is how God decided to reveal His word.   I encourage you to remember what is in the back of the minds of the writers and characters when they consider death, and the shadow it casts over life.

Today the pendulum swings from yesterday’s discussion of wickedness to a celebration of the hope known by the righteous.  The theme of refuge is noticeable throughout, as is the LORD’s capacity to rescue and guide.  The readings seemingly drive toward a climax in Psalm 19, when the focus expands from the personal to the cosmic, marveling that the heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.

Our verses for this week are Galatians 5:22-23: But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.

Psalms 15 through 19.  Now let’s read it!