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    Sing To The Lord: A Guide for the Interpretation of Selected Psalms, Book IV (90-106)
    Sing To The Lord: A Guide for the Interpretation of Selected Psalms, Book IV (90-106)
    Sing To The Lord: A Guide for the Interpretation of Selected Psalms, Book IV (90-106)
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    Sing To The Lord: A Guide for the Interpretation of Selected Psalms, Book IV (90-106)

    By William Lawson

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    About this ebook

    Christians love the Book of Psalms and often turn to it during times of urgent need. The reason is that they often see the psalmist struggling with the same issues they face. In Sing To The LORD I have interpreted 7 psalms from Psalms Book IV (90-106). I hope and pray these interpretations will help you with the struggles you are going through.
    In Ears to Hear: A Guide for the Interpretation of the Bible I provide principles, methods, and procedures for Christians and ministers as they seek to hear God speak through the Bible and communicate the message of the Bible to those who need a word from God. This guide supplements Ears to Hear by illustrating the principles, methods, and procedures introduced in that guide through practicing them on the Book of Psalms. This is the third volume of my interpretation of the Book of Psalms. The first volume is called I Will Exalt You and contains my introductory study of the Psalms and my interpretations of 14 selected psalms from Psalms Book I (1-41). The second volume contains my interpretations of 12 selected psalms from Psalms Book II (42-72). The third volume contains my interpretations of 7 selected psalms from Psalms Book III (73-89). This fourth volume contains my interpretations of 7 selected psalms from Psalms Book IV (90-106). It is my earnest desire that you would not only benefit from my study of Psalms but that you would also use the methodologies illustrated within this book in your interpretation of the Bible.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherWilliam Lawson
    Release dateAug 7, 2020
    ISBN9781005423728
    Sing To The Lord: A Guide for the Interpretation of Selected Psalms, Book IV (90-106)
    Author

    William Lawson

    William H. (Bill) Lawson is a proud graduate of California Baptist University (BA), Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary (MDiv), and the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary (PhD). He taught briefly at SBTS and then served with the International Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention and taught the Bible in Baptist seminaries throughout Asia for over 30 years. He has written numerous books including Ears to Hear: A Guide for the Interpretation of the Bible, Obedient unto Death: A Guide for the Interpretation of Paul's Epistle to the Philippians and The Lion Roars: A Guide for the Interpretation of the Book of Amos. He is now retired and living at The End of the Lane where he is writing books and painting/drawing pictures.

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      Book preview

      Sing To The Lord - William Lawson

      SING TO THE LORD

      A Guide for the Interpretation of Selected Psalms

      Book Four (90-106)

      By William H. Lawson

      ####

      Title and Cover

      The title comes from Psalm 96,

      "Sing a new song to the LORD!

      Sing to the Lord, all the earth!" (Psalm 96:1)

      The cover shows a Tamil Christian Singing to the Lord.

      ####

      Copyright 2020 William H. Lawson

      Smashwords Edition

      ####

      Dedicated to my students and colleagues in Asia.

      May you always have a song in your hearts for the Lord.

      TABLE OF CONTENTS

      CHAPTER ONE: TEACH US TO NUMBER OUR DAYS (Psalm 90)

      CHAPTER TWO: HE IS MY REFUGE AND MY FORTRESS (Psalm 91)

      CHAPTER THREE: DO NOT HARDEN YOUR HEARTS (Psalm 95)

      CHAPTER FOUR: SING TO THE LORD (Psalm 96)

      CHAPTER FIVE: I WILL LIVE WITH INTEGRITY (Psalm101)

      CHAPTER SIX: BLESS THE LORD, MY SOUL (Psalm 103)

      CHAPTER SEVEN: WE HAVE SINNED (Psalm 106)

      SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY

      ABOUT THE AUTHOR

      PREFACE

      Christians and even ministers often struggle to hear God speak through the Bible. The problem in part is that sound principles and methods for interpreting the Bible are not known or practiced. Instead, everyone does what is right in their own eyes.

      In Ears to Hear: A Guide for the Interpretation of the Bible I provide principles, methods, and procedures for Christians and ministers as they seek to hear God speak through the Bible and communicate the message of the Bible to those who need a word from God. This guide supplements Ears to Hear by illustrating the principles, methods, and procedures introduced in that guide through practicing them on the Book of Psalms. Other volumes are also available that illustrate these principles, methods, and procedures on other biblical books including Obedient unto Death: A Guide for the Interpretation of Paul's Epistle to the Philippians and The Lion Roars: A Guide for the Interpretation of the Book of Amos.

      This is the fourth volume of my interpretation of the Book of Psalms. The first volume is called I Will Exalt You and contains my introductory study of the Psalms and my interpretations of 14 selected psalms from Psalms Book I (1-41). The second volume is called My Soul Thirsts for God and contains my interpretations of 12 selected psalms from Psalms Book II (42-72). The third volume is called Cause Your Face to Shine and contains my interpretations of 7 selected psalms from Psalms Book III (73-89). This fourth volume is called Sing to the LORD and contains my interpretations of 7 selected psalms from Psalms Book IV (90-106).

      It is my earnest desire that you will not only benefit from my study of Psalms but that you will also use the methodologies illustrated within this book in your interpretation of the Bible.

      William H. Lawson

      CHAPTER ONE

      TEACH US TO NUMBER OUR DAYS

      Psalm 90

      Study of the Passage

      Text and Translation

      A Prayer of Moses the Man of God.

      1Lord, you yourself have been our dwelling place

      Throughout all generations.

      2Before the mountains were born

      And you gave birth to the earth and the world,

      From everlasting to everlasting you [are] God.

      3You turn man (Enosh) back to dust

      And say, "Return, sons of man (Adam)."

      4For a thousand years in your eyes [are] like a day that passes,

      Or a watch in the night.

      5You sweep men away, they are asleep;

      They [are] like the grass that doesn't last--

      6In the morning it flourishes but doesn't last,

      But by evening it is withered and dried up.

      7Indeed we are ended by your anger

      And dismayed by your rage.

      8You have set our iniquities before you,

      Our secret [sin] before the light of your face.

      9Indeed all our days pass in your outburst;

      We finish our years with a moan.

      10The time of our years [is] seventy years

      Or eighty years if with strength;

      Yet the pride of them is struggle and sorrow.

      Indeed they pass quickly and we fly away.

      11Who knows the power of your anger?

      Your outburst [is] like your fear.

      12Teach [us] to number our days rightly,

      That we may gain a heart of wisdom.

      13Return, LORD! How long?

      Have compassion on your servants.

      14Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love,

      That we may sing for joy and be glad all our days.

      15Make us glad like the days you have humbled us,

      Our many years of trouble.

      16May your deeds be shown to your servants,

      Your splendor to their sons.

      17May the delight of the Lord our God be upon us;

      Establish the work of our hands for us!

      Establish it, the work of our hands.

      Situation and Purpose

      The psalm reflects a situation in which the psalmist along with the worshipers have sinned against God and experienced his wrath. The superscription identifies this psalm as a prayer of Moses and certainly what is described about the situation fits Moses and the wilderness generation. However, I have chosen not to use that specific background as the basis for my interpretation (See Spurgeon who does use that specific background). Their lives are filled with struggle and sorrow. They have been humbled and troubled for many years. They feel overwhelmed and distraught because of their experience of God's fury. The psalmist also seems to be preoccupied with the fleeting nature of life. He feels like God is far removed and does not care for them. The psalmist responds to this situation by indirectly commending reliance and fear of God and praying for God to teach them and return and bless them. Therefore, the purpose of the psalm is to lead worshipers to rely on and fear God and pray for God to teach them wisdom and return and bless them.

      Literary Context and Role

      The Book of Psalms has little discernible strategy. For the most part the psalms appear to be arranged in random order. Nonetheless, the Book of Psalms is divided into 5 books. This psalm is the first psalm of the fourth book (90-106). This book also contains little discernible strategy. Therefore, placing these psalms in their literary context and determining their role within that context is not very productive. VanGemeren believes that the fourth book is united in that the psalms therein address key issues such human sin and frailty and God's wrath and justice (VanGemeren, Kindle Location 21361). However, these issues are so broad and diverse that the relationship is tenuous. Tate believes that all of the psalms in 90-100 are a subset that are dominated by kingship-of-Yahweh ideas (Tate, 453). However, sometimes these kingship-of-Yahweh ideas are rather vague. He also relates Psalms 90 and 91 closely together, The prayer of Ps 90 is answered by the confident instruction of Ps 91 (Tate, 459; See also Estes, 196). This psalm is identified as A Prayer of Moses the Man of God in the superscription. This is the only psalm identified with Moses in the superscription.

      Form and Function

      This psalm is identified as A Prayer of Moses the Man of God in the superscription. Indeed, the psalm exclusively contains words addressed by the psalmist to God, a rare occurrence in the Book of Psalms. It has traditionally been classified as a lament but I would prefer to classify it as a more complex liturgy. The psalmist is like the worship leader and he seeks to lead the worshipers into an authentic encounter with God. The worshipers are intended to do what the psalmist does based on what he says. The psalmist does seem to lament his situation in verses 1-11. However, I believe that the psalmist may be commending reliance on and fear of God to the worshipers in these verses. Within the context of worship the worshipers are intended to overhear what the psalmist says to God. In verse 1 the psalmist says, Lord, you have been our dwelling place throughout all generations. As the worshipers overhear these words they would be reminded of their reliance on God and encouraged to continue relying on him as the psalmist affirms the eternity of God and the mortality of man. In verse 11 the psalmist says, Your outburst [is] like your fear. Though my translation is ambiguous the CSB is probably correct when it translates Your fury matches the fear that is due you. As the worshipers overhear these words they would be encouraged to fear God based on the psalmist's affirmation of man's sin and God's anger. The psalm contains the psalmist's petition for God to teach them wisdom and return and bless them in verses 12-17. Through this petition the psalmist leads the worshipers to petition God to teach them wisdom and return and bless them.

      Strategy and Structure

      Most scholars regard verses 1-11 as the basis for the prayer in verses 12-17. Certainly these verses do provide the basis for the prayer, but I give more weight to verses 1 and 11, regarding them as commendations of relying on God and fearing his anger (See above). Thus I have divided the psalm into three parts. In the first he indirectly commends reliance on God based on the eternity of God and the mortality of man (1-6). In the second he commends fearing God based on man's sin and God's anger (7-11). In the third he leads the worshipers to pray for God to teach them wisdom and return and bless them based in part on the eternity of God and the mortality of man and God's anger and their constant struggle and the fleeting nature of life, but with additional reasons supplied as well.

      I. The Psalmist Indirectly Commends Reliance on God (1-6)

      A. The Psalmist Affirms that God Has Been Their Dwelling Place (1)

      B. The Psalmist Affirms that God Has Been from Everlasting (2)

      C. The Psalmist Affirms that God Turns Man Back to Dust (3)

      D. The Psalmist Explains that a Thousand Years Are Nothing to God (4)

      E. The Psalmist Affirms that God Sweeps Men Away like Grass (5-6)

      II. The Psalmist Indirectly Commends Fear of God (7-11)

      A. The Psalmist Affirms They Are Consumed and Dismayed by God's Anger (7)

      B. The Psalmist Affirms that that God Is Aware of Their Sin (8)

      C. The Psalmist Affirms that Life Lived in God's Wrath Is a Constant Struggle (9)

      D. The Psalmist Affirms that Life Is Short and Filled with Struggle and Sadness (10)

      E. The Psalmist Affirms that God's Anger Is Worthy of Fear (11)

      III. The Psalmist Prays for God to Teach Them and Return and Bless Them (12-17)

      A. The Psalmist Prays for God to Teach Them to Number Their Days Rightly (12)

      B. The Psalmist Prays for God to Return and Have Compassion (13)

      C. The Psalmist Prays for God to Satisfy Them with His Steadfast Love (14)

      D. The Psalmist Prays for God to Make Them Glad (15)

      E. The Psalmist Prays for God to Reveal His Deeds and Splendor (16)

      F. The Psalmist Prays for God to Bestow His Delight on Them (17)

      Message or Messages

      The worshipers should rely on God because he has been their secure dwelling place throughout all generations and he is the eternal God and they are mortal humans. The worshipers should fear God because God is aware of their sin, even their secret sins, life lived in God's wrath is a constant struggle, they do not know the power of his anger, and his outburst is worthy of fear. The worshipers should pray for God to teach them to make the best use of the time they have so that they can gain a heart of wisdom. The worshipers should pray for God to return and have compassion on them because he is their LORD and they are his servants. The worshipers should pray for God to satisfy them with his steadfast love so that they may be glad and sing for joy for their whole lives. The worshipers should pray for God to make them glad, reveal his deeds and splendor, and delight in them and bless their work because he is the Lord their God and they are his servants.

      Analysis of the Details

      The Psalmist Indirectly Commends

      Reliance on God

      The psalmist indirectly commends reliance on God in verses 1-6. Though these verses are spoken to God the worshipers are intended to overhear and encouraged to rely on God. He affirms that God has been their dwelling place, affirms that God has been from everlasting, affirms that God turns man back to dust, explains that a thousand years is nothing to God, and affirms that God sweeps men away like grass.

      The psalmist affirms that God has been their dwelling place. The psalmist affirms that God has been their dwelling place in verse 1, Lord, you yourself have been our dwelling place throughout all generations. He addresses God as Lord, a title that emphasizes God's sovereign control over everyone and everything. He emphasizes God's identify as their dwelling place by doubling the subject pronoun and the perfect state of the verb of being (Literally Lord, you you have been our dwelling place and indicated in translation

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