Twitter Talk: January 2014

Friday, January 31, 2014

Psalm 140:1-13

Salutation

... in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen. Through the prayers of our holy Fathers, Lord Jesus Christ our God, have mercy on us and save us. Amen. Glory to You, our God, Glory to You.

O Heavenly King: Prayer to the Holy Ghost

O Heavenly King, the Comforter, the Spirit of truth, You are everywhere and fill all things, Treasury of blessings, and Giver of life: come and abide in us, and cleanse us from every impurity, and save our souls, O Good One.

Psalm 140:1-13[1]

To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David.

Deliver me, Lord, from the evil man. Preserve me from the violent man, who imagines mischief in [his] heart. They are gathered together [for] war continually. They have sharpened their tongues like a serpent. Adders’ poison [is] under their lips. Consider.

Keep me, Lord, from the hands of the wicked. Preserve me from the violent man, who has purposed to overthrow my goings. The proud have hid a snare for me, and cords. They have spread a net by the wayside. They have set traps for me. Consider.

I said to the Lord, “You [are] my God.” Hear the voice of my supplication, Lord. O God the Lord, the strength of my salvation, You have covered my head in the day of battle. Grant not, Lord, the desires of the wicked. Further not his wicked device. They exalt themselves. Consider.

The head of those who circle about me, let the mischief of their own lips cover them. Let burning coals fall on them. Let them be cast in the fire, in deep pits, so that they rise not up again. Let not an evil speaker be established in the earth. Evil shall hunt the violent man to overthrow [him].

I know that the Lord will maintain the cause of the afflicted, the right of the poor. Surely the righteous shall give thanks to Your name. The upright shall dwell in Your presence.

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[1] David, like many of us, is often concerned with the problem of needing deliverance from evil people, and evil situations. Most of us have had jobs and family situations where we cried out for deliverance daily. This subject is so important that it is a major topic in the Lord’s Prayer. The only difference between evil people and evil situations is: in the first case you’ve identified the person causing evil; in the second case that wicked person remains hidden. Evil comes from an evil person, either angel or human. The characteristics of such an evil person are: violence, plotting (imagining mischief), intent to start a fight (war), shrewd and poisonous speech. When your adversary spends half the day whispering to the boss about your faults; when you are suddenly confronted; when apology is demanded from you, and you don’t even understand what has happened; this Psalm prepares you, and helps you know what has happened and what to do about it.

Having been delivered from the clutches of such evil, David turns to the request that he would be kept free from the grip of such wickedness. Have you ever been relieved after being fired? You should feel sad, broken, discouraged; instead you are filled with joy. Did your termination free you from the clutches of wicked people? Now you know why you are happy: the harsh burden of oppression was removed. David adds to the characteristics of evil people: they intend to overthrow, they use snares, ropes, nets, and traps. All of these devices are intended to capture and kill secretly, stealthily. There is no intent here to correct a wrong, or even settle a score. The goal is to overthrow, to bring into a state of subjection and slavery. The wicked often hides behind platitudes, “We need to be accountable.” But the wicked are only accountable to themselves. Such means are how politicians increase their power, not by open debate, but by undermining their opponents.

David’s solution is prayer. The evil attack is aimed directly at the head. David recommends the helmet of salvation, which is received in prayer (Ephesians 6:17). We must trust God to protect us from such devious attacks.

David does not seek retaliation against such enemies. He pictures such a person or persons as a wolf or pack of wolves circling, waiting for the kill. Instead David prays that they would receive the exact outcome of their plots. We would say “hoist with their own petard,” exploded by their own bomb. Completely fair and just punishment.

David has complete confidence that God’s system of justice will vindicate him in the end, and he will be freed, finally, to thank and dwell with God. We must not leave this Psalm without noting that it is about Jesus, not about us. David, being a prophet, foresees the intricate details of Christ’s battle against evil, culminating at the crucifixion. He sees the resurrection and Pentecost as victory. David may not have understood what he saw, but this Psalm makes no eternal sense, until we see Jesus in it.

Psalm 139:1-24

Salutation

O Heavenly King: Prayer to the Holy Ghost

Psalm 139:1-24[1]

To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David.

Lord, You have searched and known me. You know my sitting down and my rising up. You understand my thought from a distance. You circle my path and my lying down, and are acquainted [with] all my ways: for [there is] not a word in my tongue, behold, Lord, You know it altogether. You have beset me behind and before, and laid Your hand on me.

[Such] knowledge [is] too wonderful for me. It is high. I cannot [attain] it. Where shall I go from Your spirit? Where shall I flee from Your presence? If I ascend to heaven, You [are] there. If I make my bed in hell, behold, You [are there]. [If] I take the wings of the morning, [and] dwell in the depths of the sea; even there shall Your hand lead me, and Your right hand shall hold me. If I say, “Surely the darkness shall cover me;” even the night shall be light about me.

Yes, the darkness hides not from You. The night shines as the day. The darkness and the light [are] both alike [to You]: for You have possessed my reins. You have covered me in my mother’s womb. I will praise You: for I am fearfully, wonderfully made. Marvelous [are] Your works. My soul knows right well. My substance was not hid from You, when I was made in secret, curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. Your eyes saw my substance, yet being imperfect. In Your book all [my members] were written, [which] in continuance were fashioned, when [as yet there was] none of them.

How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God! How great is the sum of them! [If] I should count them, they are more in number than the sand. When I awake, I am still with You.

Surely You will slay the wicked, O God. Depart from me therefore, you bloody men: for they speak against You wickedly. Your enemies take [Your name] in vain. Do I not hate them, Lord, who hate You? Am not I grieved with those who rise up against You? I hate them with perfect hatred. I count them my enemies.

Search me, O God. Know my heart. Try me. Know my thoughts. See if [there is any] wicked way in me. Lead me in the way everlasting.

________

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[1] David begins this Psalm with a personal and practical analysis of God’s omniscience. It is easy for us to speak of a technical issue like omniscience without understanding or applying it: this Psalm prevents our doing that. God’s knowledge is near and far at the same; it is all around; it is in our heads and speech; it hunts us from the front and from the back all at once; and it unquestionably touches us.

Now David turns his attention from God to himself; he observes that God’s omniscience is ubiquitous and inescapable: in life and in death, in space or in the abyss God is always there. Then David discovers a wondrous fact; this is the outworking of God’s great love: there is no place in the Universe where David can be without God’s leadership and holding: these he notes are from the operation of the Holy Ghost. God even makes the darkness bright, which we remember is literally true: for during the plagues on Egypt the Israelites had light when the Egyptians were overwhelmed by felt darkness; and during the Exodus the Israelites were led by a pillar of light on their night marches. That same light of God’s Glory Presence was resident on the Ark of the Covenant and in the temporary tent, where David was accustomed to seeing Him and speaking with Him regularly. So, David had intimate personal evidence of God’s flaming capabilities: he is not merely speaking figuratively.

David returns to his observations of God and notes that God’s flaming Glory is so powerful that it overwhelms darkness in every form. David probably does not know about mysteries like black holes; but, he has experienced the darkness of the womb. His growth from conception was not merely a process of his mother’s body, but also the product of God’s possession, covering, manufacture, and work. Moreover, within the mystery of conception, lies a deeper mystery wrought in the depths of the earth: this is a reference to the fact that Adam was made from mud; so that there are aspects of David’s conception, which were already in existence from Adam’s creation. David sees himself as being already imperfect before he was conceived.

David is overjoyed and overwhelmed by the thoughts God has stirred inside of him. He begins to consider their quantity, when he realizes that they are a practical infinity: he cannot begin to count them.

David comes to realize that he is merely an observer in a great war between good and evil. The wars of the Israelites were not about the divinely approved seizure of other people’s property: they were about God’s attack against Satan and demonism. Ephesians 6 notes that “we wrestle, not against flesh and blood.” David understands that this is a war he has been caught up in and he has to choose sides, even as an observer.

David concludes that he cannot effectively choose sides or even be an effective observer without God’s intimate probing of his heart (the brain) and his thoughts. David understands that of all the thousands he personally killed in battle, not one of them had anything to do with his skill with bow, sling, spear, or sword: all of them were the result of God’s direction of David’s thoughts, in the war against Satan and his minions. The outcome for David is the cleansing of all evil elements from his own person and the gift of everlasting life.

In this Psalm David has led us on a very practical discussion of omnipotence, omnipresence, and omniscience without getting trapped in technicalities. One thing this teaches us is that theology is best taught by poetry and hymnology. Prose is inadequate and inappropriate for the discussion and study of theology. Think about that as you study your catechism, and ask yourself the question, “Is this study causing me to sing?” If the answer to that question is, “No,” perhaps you should consider modifying your study habits, and include more Psalms in your study diet.

Thursday, January 30, 2014

Psalm 97:1-12

Salutation

O Heavenly King: Prayer to the Holy Ghost

Psalm 97:1-12[1]

The Lord reigns. Let the earth rejoice. Let the multitude of isles be glad.

Clouds and darkness [are] round about Him. Righteousness and judgment [are] the dwelling of His throne. A fire goes before Him, and burns up His enemies round about. His lightning lights the world. The earth saw, and trembled. The hills melted like wax at the presence of the Lord, at the presence of the Lord of the whole earth. The heavens declare His righteousness. All people see His Glory.

Confounded are all those who serve graven images, that boast themselves of idols. Worship Him, all gods. Zion heard, and was glad. The daughters of Judah rejoiced because of Your judgments, Lord: for You, Lord, [are] high above all the earth. You are exalted far above all gods.

You who love the Lord, hate evil. He preserves the souls of His saints. He delivers them from the hand of the wicked. Light is sown for the righteous, and gladness for the upright in heart. Rejoice in the Lord, O righteous. Give thanks at the remembrance of His holiness.

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[1] The psalmist exclaims that Yahweh reigns. This is the joyous shout of coronation. The rejoicing of earth and islands may be literal. God is easily able to make stones cry out. More likely, earth is a reference to Israel (the holy land); while isles refers either to Israelites in exile or to the gathering of the gentiles. In either case, God’s reign extends to all the people of the earth, and all people are invited to rejoice in His coronation.

Now God’s glory is described in very poetic terms. We ought not think of these things as ordinary fire and lightning, for the Israelites did not see ordinary fire and lightning. Rather they witnessed the Glory of God destroy the Egyptians, lead them in the wilderness, display His terrors at Sinai, and lead them into the promised land; talking all the way as they went. Wax may be a reference to the practice of covering pottery flaws with wax; it indicates that insincere worship cannot survive in the presence of God’s righteousness. On the other hand, we ought not think of these things as the embellished description of an earthly war lord, a tyrant, either. The battle is not against flesh and blood, but against spiritual wickedness. The display of Glorious power emphasizes that this is about the overthrow of Satan and his demonic hoards. Sadly, humans get caught up in the things of demons, and are destroyed along with them.

God’s Glory was not difficult to see at Sinai. In Solomon’s Temple, people came from all over to meet the king who served such Glory. The expression, “Worship Him, all gods” gives reference to leaders and angels: for a god is one who grants requests. The common people are often eager to worship Him: it is the leaders and the powerful who think of themselves as being above such things. Again, Psalm 2 man be in view. On the other hand, such displays of Glory bring forth rejoicing among believers everywhere.

The psalmist concludes with an exhortation to boldness. Neither disdain nor dislike evil. No, a very strong word is used. Hate it. Withstand it. Speak openly against it. Strike at evil wherever you find it. Stamp it out. Do not be meekly led away in the presence of evil. God will preserve you and deliver you in your battle with evil. You have been made into a bearer of light, live like it (Matthew 5:15). Rejoice, His holiness brings victory.

Psalm 96:1-13

Salutation

O Heavenly King: Prayer to the Holy Ghost

Psalm 96:1-13[1]

Sing to the Lord a new song. Sing to the Lord, all the earth. Sing to the Lord. Bless His name. Show forth His salvation from day to day. Declare His Glory among the heathen, His wonders among all people: for the Lord [is] great, and greatly to be praised. He [is] to be feared above all gods: for all the gods of the nations [are] idols. But the Lord made the heavens.

Honor and majesty [are] before Him. Strength and beauty [are] in His sanctuary.

Give the Lord, you tribes of the people. Give the Lord glory and strength. Give the Lord the glory [due] His name. Bring an offering. Come to His courts. Worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness. Fear before Him, all the earth. Say among the heathen, “The Lord reigns.” The world also shall be established that it shall not be moved. He shall judge the people righteously.

Let the heavens rejoice. Let the earth be glad. Let the sea roar, and the fullness of it. Let the fields be joyful, and all that [is] in them. Then shall all the trees of the wood rejoice before the Lord: for He comes, for He comes to judge the earth. He shall judge the world with righteousness, the people with His truth.

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[1] Here is another anonymous and undated Psalm of universal praise. All the peoples of earth are called to break forth into song; what a choir that will be. We are to sing because of God’s greatness, which is expressed in His creation of the Universe, and contrasted to powerless idols. In the second paragraph praise is directed toward God’s Glorious and majestic appearance, as well as His display of power and beauty in His Temple: these things refer to His visible presence in Glory at Jerusalem and in heaven, which sight is also called the beatific vision. Every tribe of earth is invited to worship this beautiful vision of God’s Glory by bringing offerings when they come to His Temple. A precursor of this takes place when the Magi attend the birth of Jesus with gifts. This Jesus is the King Who brings righteous judgment to earth. Because of this, the heavens, earth, sea, fields, and trees all rejoice. As it stands written, He brings forth children of Abraham from the stones (Habakkuk 2:11; Luke 3:8; 19:40). This Jesus is the King Who comes to judge “with His truth.” He does not judge according to our idea of truth.

Psalm 95:1-11

Salutation

O Heavenly King: Prayer to the Holy Ghost

Psalm 95:1-11[1]

Come, let us sing to the Lord. Let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation. Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving. Make a joyful noise to Him with psalms: for the Lord [is] a great God, a great King above all gods. In His hand [are] the deep places of the earth. The strength of the hills [is] His also. The sea [is] His, and He made it. His hands formed the dry [land]. Come, let us worship and bow down. Let us kneel before the Lord our maker: for He [is] our God. We [are] the people of His pasture, and the sheep of His hand.

Today if you will hear His voice, harden not your heart, as in the provocation, as the day of temptation in the wilderness: when your fathers tempted Me, proved Me, and saw My work. Forty years long was I grieved with [this] generation, and said, “It [is] a people that err in their heart, They have not known My ways.” To whom I swore in My fury, that they should not enter My rest.

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[1] What a joyous hymn of praise. I suppose that most of us have sung it; sing it pretty regularly. It sticks in the heart and feeds the soul. However, we stop singing at the end of the first paragraph: there is nothing joyous in the warning this Psalm expresses. The joyous meditation is founded on God’s saving work in the Exodus, on His power in the Creation, and on His ongoing providence in pasturing His people in the wilderness and beyond. The Lord’s prayer notes, “You gave us our angelic, blessed, or heavenly bread today.” You, Lord have been giving us manna in the wilderness of our lives for thousands of years. You, Lord have been feeding us with the bread of heaven, the food of angels, Jesus, the Savior of our souls. There is only one thing that can keep us from this festal table: an evil heart of unbelief. The Israelites of the Exodus failed to enter into the rest of God, because they stopped believing in Him. They were a saved people. They were on the very brink of entering into the rest of God. They threw away their salvation, because they stopped believing that God had the power to accomplish His covenant promises to them. How did they get to such an estate? Mostly by complaining, grumbling, ingratitude, and unthankfulness. Yes, they lost their salvation through unbelief.

Salvation has two aspects: a past aspect, being saved from something; and a future aspect, being saved to something. Just because you have been saved from your sins is no guarantee that you will be saved to the heavenly rest of God. We too, can fail in the desert of our souls, through an evil heart of unbelief. This is the very definition of unforgiveable sin.

Psalm 94:1-23

Salutation

O Heavenly King: Prayer to the Holy Ghost

Psalm 94:1-23[1]

Lord God, to whom vengeance belongs; God, to whom vengeance belongs, show Yourself. Lift up Yourself, judge of the earth. Render a reward to the proud.

Lord, how long shall the wicked; how long shall the wicked triumph? [How long] shall they utter [and] speak hard things? [How long shall] all the workers of iniquity boast themselves? They break in pieces Your people, Lord, and afflict Your heritage. They slay the widow and the stranger, and murder the fatherless. Yet they say, “The Lord shall not see. Nor shall the God of Jacob regard.”

Understand, you brutish among the people. Fools, when will you be wise? He Who planted the ear, shall He not hear? He Who formed the eye, shall He not see? He Who chastises the heathen, shall He not correct? He Who teaches man knowledge.... The Lord knows the thoughts of man, that they [are] vanity.

Blessed [is] the man whom You punish, Lord, and teach him from Your law: so that You may give him rest from the days of adversity, until the pit be dug for the wicked: for the Lord will not cast off His people. Nor will He forsake His inheritance. But judgment shall return to righteousness. All the upright in heart shall follow it.

Who will rise up for me against the evildoers? Who will stand up for me against the workers of iniquity? Unless the Lord [had been] my help, my soul had almost dwelled in silence. When I said, “My foot slips.” Your mercy, Lord, held me up. In the abundance of my thoughts within me, Your comforts delight my soul.

Shall the throne of iniquity have fellowship with You; they frame mischief by law? They gather themselves together against the soul of the righteous, and condemn innocent blood. But the Lord is my defense. My God [is] the rock of my refuge. And He shall bring on them their own iniquity, and shall cut them off in their own wickedness. The Lord our God shall cut them off.

________

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[1] Many consider this to be a Psalm of the Incarnation. The prayer, “show Yourself,” is a cry for Epiphany. God judges the earth solely in the Christ event. Jesus “knows the thoughts of man.” We see also that the way of victory is the way of the cross: each of us must bear our cross, and “this present light affliction” is in reality a blessing (See Hebrews 12:1-21). This path, which Christ has established for us, flows from His Incarnation. “God became man, so that man could become god.” Christ turns the curse of the law into the gift of life by His perfect obedience. The Psalmist notes that in the Incarnation, the King has returned to the battlefield to fight for His people, “trampling down death by death.” As David faced Goliath; so now, Jesus faces the cross. As Goliath spells certain defeat for David, so the cross means defeat for Jesus. Surprise of all surprises, “death is swallowed up in victory.” The Incarnate One is raised. “Death is overthrown.” The wicked are cut off by the cross. The Incarnate One has confronted the wicked with “their own wickedness.” “On that very day their plans perish.”

Psalm 93:1-5

Salutation

O Heavenly King: Prayer to the Holy Ghost

Psalm 93:1-5[1]

The Lord reigns. He is clothed with majesty. The Lord is clothed with strength. He has girded Himself. The world also is established, so that it cannot be moved. Your throne [is] established of old. You [are] from everlasting.

The floods have lifted up, Lord. The floods have lifted up their voice. The floods lift up their waves. The Lord on high [is] mightier than the noise of many waters, [yes], [than] the mighty waves of the sea.

Your testimonies are very sure. Holiness becomes Your house, Lord, forever.

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[1] In times of trouble and doubt, the Psalmists remind themselves of God's great historic acts, and are reassured of His future promised deliverance. Here the Psalmist remembers Noah's Flood and knows that the heavenly temple and its heavenly law are eternal, even though the earthly temple perishes.

Psalm 92:1-15

Salutation

O Heavenly King: Prayer to the Holy Ghost

Psalm 92:1-15[1]

A Psalm [or] Song for the Sabbath day.

[It is] good to give thanks to the Lord, to sing praises to Your name, Most High, to show forth Your lovingkindness in the morning, and Your faithfulness every night, on an instrument of ten strings, and on the psaltery; on the harp with a solemn sound: for You, Lord, have made me glad through Your work. I will triumph in the works of Your hands.

Lord, how great are Your works! Your thoughts are very deep. A brutish man knows not; Nor understands a fool. When the wicked sprout like grass. When all the workers of iniquity flourish: so that they shall be destroyed forever. But You, Lord, [are most] high forever: for, lo, Your enemies, Lord, for, lo, Your enemies shall perish. All the workers of iniquity shall be scattered.

But my horn shall You exalt like [the horn of] a unicorn. I shall be Christened with fresh oil. My eye also shall see [my desire] on my enemies. My ears shall hear [my desire] on the wicked, who rise up against me.

The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree. He shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon. Those who are planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the courts of our God. They shall still bring forth fruit in old age. They shall be fat and flourishing: to show that the Lord [is] upright. [He is] my rock, and [there is] no unrighteousness in Him.

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[1] In the poetry of Scripture, kingdoms are often described as animals; the kings of those kingdoms as horns. Perhaps, there are two reasons for this: 1. the horns are lifted up or exalted as a king is exalted; 2. the horns are used to fight, and one of a king's jobs is to fight for his people. A unicorn is a kingdom with only one horn. This Psalm is prophetic, and in this case, the king being exalted is Jesus; His kingdom is The Church. Jesus is the One Who brings the Sabbath, or Rest, of and from God the Father. This is considered to be a Psalm of the Incarnation.

Wednesday, January 29, 2014

Psalm 76:1-12

Salutation

O Heavenly King: Prayer to the Holy Ghost

Psalm 76:1-12[1]

To the chief Musician on Neginoth, A Psalm [or] Song of Asaph.

God [is] known in Judah. His name [is] great in Israel. His tabernacle is also in Salem. His dwelling place [is] in Zion. There He broke the arrows of the bow, the shield, the sword, and the battle. Consider.

You [are] more glorious [and] excellent than the mountains of prey. The stouthearted are spoiled. They have slept their sleep. None of the men of might have found their hands. At Your rebuke, O God of Jacob, both the chariot and horse are cast in a dead sleep. You, [even] You, [are] to be feared. Who may stand in Your sight when once You are angry? You caused judgment to be heard from heaven. The earth feared, and was still, when God arose to judgment, to save all the meek of the earth. Consider.

Surely the fury of man shall praise You. The remainder of fury shall You restrain. Vow, and pay to the Lord your God. Let all that be round about Him bring presents to Him Who ought to be feared. He shall cut off the spirit of princes. [He is] terrifying to the kings of the earth.

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[1] Asaph, probably writes after 586, after the destruction of Jerusalem. His Psalms sometimes mourn the fall of Judah to the Babylonians. Here he may be remembering the defeat of Sennacherib (2 Kings 19; 2 Chronicles 32). Whether the annihilation of Sennacherib’s hoards or the destruction of Jerusalem is in view, Asaph draws attention to basic facts about the Living God. If earthy Israel, Salem, and Zion are laid waste; heavenly Israel, Jerusalem, and Zion yet thrive. Nothing of eternal significance has been lost. It is God Who determines the outcomes of battle and causes wars to cease. The battle is broken at heavenly Zion; the field of conflict is merely the outcome. We should pause to consider this last sentence more fully. God intends to destroy mankind’s ability to wage war. Perhaps, we should take the point, and realize that we are doing evil with our wars, we are not doing good.

Asaph now details how God spoils great armies and great nations. Everything stems from God’s excellent Glory. Because of God’s invincible Glory: the courageous are spoiled; the watchmen sleep; strong soldiers grope for their weapons (hands are equivalent to arms) in vain; charioteers and their horses also sleep. God must be feared for life to continue. No one is able to withstand Him. Judgment comes from heavenly, not from earthly Zion. Earth, a possible reference to Judah, has the sense to be afraid and silent. God does judge. He saves. The meek are His particular interest. Are we meek? Or are we puffed full of pride?

God knows how to turn human fury into praise; He knows how to restrain human fury, so that it is made harmless. Our response is obvious; sensible people turn and worship God Who is worthy of our worship (Revelation 5). Asaph concludes with a reference to Psalm 2. Powerful enemies have come against us, besieged us, sacked our cities and our places of worship; we are betrayed from within and without, spies and traitors infiltrate our temples and churches. Nothing, Nothing, Nothing has changed in the kingdom of heaven. God’s will cannot be delayed or deterred.

Psalm 75:1-10

Salutation

O Heavenly King: Prayer to the Holy Ghost

Psalm 75:1-10[1]

To the chief Musician, Altaschith, A Psalm [or] Song of Asaph.

To You, O God, we give thanks. We give thanks: for Your name is near, Your wondrous works declare.

When I shall receive the congregation, I will judge uprightly. The earth and all its inhabitants are dissolved. I bear up its pillars. Consider.

I said to the fools, “Deal not foolishly,” to the wicked, “Lift not up the horn. Lift not up your horn on high. Speak [not with] a stiff neck: for promotion [comes] neither from the east, nor from the west, nor from the south. God [is] the judge. He puts down one, and sets up another: for in the hand of the Lord [there is] a cup. The wine is red; It is full of mixture. He pours from the same. The dregs of it, all the wicked of the earth shall wring out, [and] drink.” But I will declare forever. I will sing praises to the God of Jacob. All the horns of the wicked also will I cut off. The horns of the righteous shall be exalted.

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[1] Asaph writes after 596 BC, speaking of the future coming of Christ. It is Christ, the Messiah, Who will “receive the congregation,” Who “bear[s] up [the earths] pillars.” We treat this second paragraph as a separate introduction, only because of the terminal stop expressed by the word, “Consider.” Asaph is not speaking for himself; but as a prophet he becomes the speaking voice and the writing hands of Christ. The second paragraph is Christ's self-proclamation of Who is. The third paragraph is His declaration to the foolish and proud. The power (horns) of the wicked will be terminated; while the power (horns) of the righteous will be restored. This is a stern warning against all unbelief and pride. Christ’s declaration gives us time to repent, and seek His mercy: for such righteousness comes only as a gift from Him.