You Can Read the Bible

In the Daily Reader for Psalms 1-8, I pointed out that one of the joys of reading this book all the way through is picking up on themes and artistic flourishes that bind certain Psalms together. Although each Psalm stands individually, they are compiled in such a way that indicates intention to the whole work.

This is evident in the final five chapters today, Psalms 10 through 14. First, thematically, each of these Psalms deals in some way with wickedness. Whether it’s a call to “Arise, O LORD; O God, lift up your hand; forget not the afflicted…”; or acknowledgement that “The fool says in his heart: ‘There is no God…’”; or a desperate plea: “Consider and answer me, O LORD my God; light up my eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death…”, the elements form an aggregated reflection on what it is like to live in a broken world.

And these chapters have at least one artistic flourish: in each one there’s a question. 10 and 13, both Psalms of lament, begin with a question that asks why the LORD has not yet acted on behalf of the righteous: “Why, O LORD, do you stand far away?” In the others, the question is buried; for example, in Psalm 14, the composer asks, “Have they no knowledge – all the evildoers – who eat up my people as they eat bread, and do not call upon the LORD?” This could be a rhetorical technique, or it could hold deeper meaning, or it could, in fact, be simple artistry. But it is fascinating the think about the intentions behind these flourishes, like studying the brush strokes of a painter.

This conversation about God’s response to the wicked is launched after a majestic tribute to the LORD in chapter 9. On the heels of “O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth.” The Psalmist personally gives “thanks to the LORD with my whole heart; I will recount all of your wonderful deeds.” In the Hebrew, this is an acrostic poem, with each stanza beginning with a successive letter of the alphabet. Throughout, the LORD is celebrated as “a stronghold for the oppressed… and those who know Your name put their trust in You, for you, O LORD, have not forsaken those who seek you…”

Our verse for this week is 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 9 through 14. Now let’s read it!

Psalms 9 - 14

For the Chief Musician. Set to "The Death of the Son." A Psalm by David. I will give thanks to Jehovah with my whole heart. I will tell of all your marvelous works. I will be glad and rejoice in you. I will sing praise to your name, O Most High. When my enemies turn back, they stumble and perish in your presence. For you have maintained my just cause. You sit on the throne judging righteously. You have rebuked the nations. You have destroyed the wicked. You have blotted out their name forever and ever. The enemy is overtaken by endless ruin. The very memory of the cities which you have overthrown has perished. But Jehovah reigns forever. He has prepared his throne for judgment. He will judge the world in righteousness. He will administer judgment to the peoples in uprightness. Jehovah will also be a high tower for the oppressed; a high tower in times of trouble. Those who know your name will put their trust in you, for you, Jehovah, have not forsaken those who seek you. Sing praises to Jehovah, who dwells in Zion, and declare among the people what he has done. For he who avenges blood remembers them. He doesn't forget the cry of the afflicted. Have mercy on me, Jehovah. See my affliction by those who hate me, and lift me up from the gates of death, that I may show all of your praise. I will rejoice in your salvation in the gates of the daughter of Zion. The nations have sunk down in the pit that they made. In the net which they hid, their own foot is taken. Jehovah has made himself known. He has executed judgment. The wicked is snared by the work of his own hands. Meditation. Selah. The wicked shall be turned back to Sheol, even all the nations that forget God. For the needy shall not always be forgotten, nor the hope of the poor perish forever. Arise, Jehovah! Don't let man prevail. Let the nations be judged in your sight. Put them in fear, Jehovah. Let the nations know that they are only men. Selah. Why do you stand far off, Jehovah? Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble? In arrogance, the wicked hunt down the weak. They are caught in the schemes that they devise. For the wicked boasts of his heart's cravings. He blesses the greedy and condemns Jehovah. The wicked, in the pride of his face, has no room in his thoughts for God. His ways are prosperous at all times. He is arrogant, and your laws are far from his sight. As for all his adversaries, he sneers at them. He says in his heart, "I shall not be shaken. For generations I shall have no trouble." His mouth is full of cursing, deceit, and oppression. Under his tongue is mischief and iniquity. He lies in wait near the villages. From ambushes, he murders the innocent. His eyes are secretly set against the helpless. He lurks in secret as a lion in his ambush. He lies in wait to catch the helpless. He catches the helpless when he draws him in his net. The helpless are crushed. They collapse. They fall under his strength. He says in his heart, "God has forgotten. He hides his face. He will never see it." Arise, Jehovah! God, lift up your hand! Don't forget the helpless. Why does the wicked person condemn God, and say in his heart, "God won't call me into account"? But you do see trouble and grief. You consider it to take it into your hand. You help the victim and the fatherless. Break the arm of the wicked. As for the evil man, seek out his wickedness until you find none. Jehovah is King forever and ever! The nations will perish out of his land. Jehovah, you have heard the desire of the humble. You will prepare their heart. You will cause your ear to hear, to judge the fatherless and the oppressed, that man who is of the earth may terrify no more. For the Chief Musician. By David. In Jehovah, I take refuge. How can you say to my soul, "Flee as a bird to your mountain"? For, behold, the wicked bend their bows. They set their arrows on the strings, that they may shoot in darkness at the upright in heart. If the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do? Jehovah is in his holy temple. Jehovah is on his throne in heaven. His eyes observe. His eyes examine the children of men. Jehovah examines the righteous, but his soul hates the wicked and him who loves violence. On the wicked he will rain blazing coals; fire, sulfur, and scorching wind shall be the portion of their cup. For Jehovah is righteous. He loves righteousness. The upright shall see his face. For the Chief Musician; upon an eight-stringed lyre. A Psalm of David. Help, Jehovah; for the godly man ceases. For the faithful fail from among the children of men. Everyone lies to his neighbor. They speak with flattering lips, and with a double heart. May Jehovah cut off all flattering lips, and the tongue that boasts, who have said, "With our tongue we will prevail. Our lips are our own. Who is lord over us?" "Because of the oppression of the weak and because of the groaning of the needy, I will now arise," says Jehovah; "I will set him in safety from those who malign him." Jehovah's words are flawless words, as silver refined in a clay furnace, purified seven times. You will keep them, Jehovah. You will preserve them from this generation forever. The wicked walk on every side, when what is vile is exalted among the sons of men. For the Chief Musician. A Psalm by David. How long, Jehovah? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? How long shall I take counsel in my soul, having sorrow in my heart every day? How long shall my enemy triumph over me? Behold, and answer me, Jehovah, my God. Give light to my eyes, lest I sleep in death; lest my enemy say, "I have prevailed against him;" lest my adversaries rejoice when I fall. But I trust in your loving kindness. My heart rejoices in your salvation. I will sing to Jehovah, because he has been good to me. For the Chief Musician. By David. The fool has said in his heart, "There is no God." They are corrupt. They have done abominable deeds. There is no one who does good. Jehovah looked down from heaven on the children of men, to see if there were any who understood, who sought after God. They have all gone aside. They have together become corrupt. There is no one who does good, no, not one. Have all the workers of iniquity no knowledge, who eat up my people as they eat bread, and don't call on Jehovah? There they were in great fear, for God is in the generation of the righteous. You frustrate the plan of the poor, because Jehovah is his refuge. Oh that the salvation of Israel would come out of Zion! When Jehovah restores the fortunes of his people, then Jacob shall rejoice, and Israel shall be glad.

You Can Read the Bible

Gn

Genesis

Ex

Exodus

Lv

Leviticus

Nm

Numbers

Dt

Deuteronomy

Jo

Joshua

Jg

Judges

Ru

Ruth

1Sm

1 Samuel

2Sm

2 Samuel

1Kg

1 Kings

2Kg

2 Kings

1Ch

1 Chronicles

2Ch

2 Chronicles

Er

Ezra

Ne

Nehemiah

Es

Esther

Jb

Job

Ps

Psalms

Pr

Proverbs

Ec

Ecclesiastes

Sg

Song of Songs

Is

Isaiah

Je

Jeremiah

Lm

Lamentations

Ez

Ezekiel

Dn

Daniel

Hs

Hosea

Jl

Joel

Am

Amos

Ob

Obadiah

Jo

Jonah

Mi

Micah

Na

Nahum

Hb

Habakkuk

Zp

Zephaniah

Hg

Haggai

Zc

Zechariah

Mc

Malachi

Mt