The Company You Keep

Leave me, you evildoers, so that I may comply with the commandments of my God.  Psalm 119:115  NASB Leave me – soor.  Leave, go away, depart.  Yes, but also “to turn off (lit. or fig.):—be [-head], bring, call back, decline, depart, eschew, get [you], go (aside), × grievous, lay away (by), leave undone, be past, pluck…

Stand Up and Be Counted

I have sworn and I will confirm it, that I will keep Your righteous judgments.  Psalm 119:106  NASB Sworn/confirm – Are you ready?  Ready to swear an oath to God’s governance of the world?  Ready to stand up, be marked, be despised and rejected by men?  Are you willing to put your life on the line? …

Public Persona

Then I will not be ashamed when I look at all Your commandments.  Psalm 119:6  NASB Not be ashamed – It’s worth reiterating the difference between our contemporary, psychological idea of “shame” and the ancient Hebrew idea.  As we’ve discovered before: The primary meaning of this root is “to fall into disgrace, normally through failure, either…

Political Prayer

Lord, how my enemies have increased!  Many are rising up against me.  Psalm 3:1  NASB Enemies – Have you noticed how often the psalms speak about enemies?  This verse from the third psalm is just one example.  Psalms 4 and 5 contain the same idea, and, of course, so do many, many others.  These psalms are…

Biblical Social Media

In You, Lord, I have taken refuge; let me never be put to shame.  Psalm 71:1  NASB Put to shame – It isn’t surprising to find out that social media is one of the sources of psychological distress in young people.  A recent study confirms the negative effects on teenagers,[1] but I suspect that we adults…

End of the Age

For the anxious longing of the creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God. Romans 8:19  NASB The sons – Did you notice something odd about this verse?  With an apocalyptic expectation, we expect Paul’s declaration to proclaim that the creation waits for the revealing of the son of God.  Everything hangs on the return of…

Failure Rate

Let me not be put to shame, O Lord, for I call upon You; let the wicked be put to shame, let them be silent in Sheol  Psalm 31:17  NASB Shame– We’ve investigated the Hebrew word bôš several times in the past. John Oswalt notes: The primary meaning of this root is “to fall into disgrace, normally through failure, either of self or…