In the Hebrew Bible, whatever appears first in a clause or sentence is frequently placed in that position for the purpose of emphasis. This is especially true when the phrase is rearranged and written in an awkward, strange manner. This is precisely what we find in verse 1. There are three negatives set forth at the very beginning of three clauses: “not proud,” “not haughty,” and “nor do I involve myself.” David is communicating the depth of his feelings. The structure of his words reveals strong passion. The terms do too.
Read MoreTag Archives: Psalms
A Song of Sadness
Psalm 116 is the lament of a man surrounded by grief and sorrow, most likely because death has touched his life. Let’s take a few moments to probe a little deeper into a song of sadness.
The first line of the psalmist’s song is surprising. He writes, “I love the LORD, because . . . ” (116:1). In the nineteenth century, a young English girl, Elizabeth Barrett, suffered a spinal injury at age . . .
Read MorePainful Days
Are you in physical pain today? Someone reading this is in pain. Perhaps it’s you. Or maybe you know someone in pain. Pain rarely makes sense and often continues without relief. Throughout the ages, others who have endured pain have turned their attention from the temporary pain to things eternal by meditating on passages of […]
Read MoreIt’s All a Matter of Reputation
Eli! Eli! Lama Sabachthani? When Jesus called out from the Cross, some standing there thought He was calling for Elijah. They misunderstood – He was actually quoting what King David had written a thousand years beforehand. Matthew and Mark both explain that the Lord was actually citing the opening lines of Psalm 22. The fact […]
Read MoreHow Do I Overcome Anxiety?
Question: Last month, I thought I was having a heart attack. My pulse was racing, my palms were sweating, and I started breathing heavily, as if I were going to pass out. I went to the hospital, and they said my heart was fine—what I had experienced was a panic attack. Now I have anxiety […]
Read MoreDaily Tests
Mrs. Moses’s cookbook surely had a special section on “A Thousand-and-One Ways to Fix Manna.” Unless I miss my guess, she had tried them all . . . many times. What potatoes are to Ireland, apples are to Somerset, cod is to Grimsby, and porridge is to Scotland, manna was to the wandering Hebrews for […]
Read MorePondering
One part of the Christmas story has recently come to speak to me – and it’s not even central to the story! It could almost be considered as an aside comment from Luke. You will find it in Luke 2:19, where he writes, “But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her […]
Read MoreTaste and See
I don’t know how you plan your shopping, but if you ever do a big shop in a supermarket, you’ll probably come across someone offering samples of this and that. If you time it right you can eat a pretty good lunch just by wandering up and down the aisles looking lost (which happens to […]
Read MoreThe Father’s Presence
My office sits at the end of my garden. Often, when my children get home from school, that is where I will be. Working on a sermon, or perhaps doing some planning of some sort or another…my head in several books. As they enter the house, their Mum reminds them to not disturb me. “Daddy’s […]
Read MoreSanctity of Life
Just how widespread is the practice of abortion? Are we making much ado about nothing, or do we have a full-scale issue deserving of our immediate attention? To begin with, let’s understand that medical authorities determine a person to be “alive” if there is either a detectable heartbeat or brain-wave activity. With that in mind, […]
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