and we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him. Romans 8:28 (NIV) Of Those Who Love Him – Have you ever wondered how this verse can be true in a world that is so obviously filled with evil? Does it ever bother you that there are innumerable…
For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son Romans 8:29 Image – If it weren’t for the influence of the Old Testament, we might get a completely mistaken impression about this verse. In the Greek world, as in our world, an image is not the original. It…
In peace I will both lie down and sleep, for You alone, O LORD, make me to dwell in safety. Psalm 4:8 Make Me To Dwell – The Greek poet Theognis (500 BC) understood precisely the true condition of men when he said, “Not to be born is the best of all things for those…
And those who know Your name will put their trust in You, for you, O LORD, have not forsaken those who seek You. Psalm 9:10 Trust – “I promise to love, honor and obey . . until death do us part.” Recognize those words? Of course, if you look on the Internet for “traditional” wedding vows,…
In You our fathers trusted; they trusted and You delivered them. Psalm 22:4 Trusted – Pay very close attention to the implications in this verse, especially since what is says is so rare in Old Testament literature. While we find dozens of uses of the verb batach exhorting and commanding trust in God, there are…
Yet You are holy, O You are enthroned upon the praises of Israel. Psalm 22:3 Holy – Perhaps this is the wrong word for our inquiry. Perhaps we should have looked at the conjunctive “vav” (a single Hebrew letter attached to the word). It can be translated in a dozen different ways, usually “and,” “but,”…
O my God, I cry by day, but You do not answer; and by night, but I have no rest. Psalm 22:2 Do Not Answer – If you had to boil all of life’s heartaches down to a single characteristic, what would you choose? David provides the Biblical perspective in this Hebrew phrase, lo (not)…
My God, my God, why have You forsaken me? Psalm 22:1 (English) My God, my God – In the Bible, when God really wants someone’s attention, He calls the name twice. This doesn’t happen often, but when it does, it is critically important. “Abraham, Abraham” (Genesis 22:11), “Samuel, Samuel” (1 Samuel 3:10), “Saul, Saul” (Acts…
My God, my God, why have You forsaken me? Psalm 22:1 (English) Forsaken – If you want to understand the depth of David’s cry, you must know something about the verb he chooses. ‘Azav has a special history; a history that colors this opening line in lampblack. The first time we see ‘azav in Scripture…
For the choir director, upon the hind of the morning. A psalm of David. Psalm 22:1 (Hebrew text) The Hind of the Morning – If you thought the contemporary passion for praise and worship songs started in this generation, then you haven’t read the Psalms. In fact, Moses started the whole genre with his song…
