Hebrew Bible and Christian Scriptures

So I was reading through Psalm 89, and the most remarkable thing happened.  The Psalmist spends no less than 37 verses detailing the awe inspiring might of Yahweh and the covenant that he made with the house of David.  These verses are beautifully written, and I expected them to end on the same note.

But then came the turn.

In verse 38, the Psalmist changes his tone.  He moves from an inflection of adoration to one of reproach.  Listen to how abruptly the change takes place:

“[David's] offspring shall endure forever,
his throne as long as the sun before me.
Like the moon it shall be established forever,
a faithful witness in the skies.”  Selah

But now you have cast off and rejected;
you are full of wrath against your anointed.
You have renounced your covenant with your servant;
you have defiled his crown in the dust.” (ESV) (Italics mine)

At about this point I was looking for lightning.  The Psalmist goes so far as to call God a covenant breaker, which to my understanding was an incredibly serious offense in the ancient world.  But the Psalmist doesn’t bat an eyelash in making this claim.  Instead, he devotes two thirds of the poem to God’s greatness and graciousness to David only to turn those verses on their heads in light of present circumstances.  He then moves to ask God to pick up his former gracious activity that has been so lacking.

This is certainly not how I was taught to pray.  Instead of brazen confrontation with God, I more often see a kind of fatalism that ascribes everything to God’s will.  I am told that everything works together for the good and so I should trust God in the midst of hard circumstances.  The Psalmist does not doubt God’s sovereignty.  In this sense he fits in with the attitude above.  The difference comes in his willingness to challenge God’s sovereign action.  In this he departs greatly.  And it was kind of exciting to see.

As I reflect on this, I can think of one time when I challenged God like the Psalmist.  It proved to be one of the most meaningful prayer experiences I have ever had.  God met me in my anger.  He met me in my disappointment.  He met me in my brutal honesty.  He met me.

I wouldn’t go so far to say that the Psalmist’s tone should be a regular tone in our prayers, but I would say that it does have its time and place.  And perhaps if we are willing to meet God in such a way – if we are willing to wrestle with Him – we will leave knowing that he met with us.  That he touched us, and we cannot be the same.  Like Israel, we may leave with a limp, but we may also leave with that for which we were hoping.

Throughout the story of the ten plagues in Exodus 7-11 there are multiple references to Pharoah hardening his heart.  I have always wondered the significance of the focus on Pharoah’s heart being hardened.  Is it to make God’s glory known in the land or to establish his presense as God?  Is it just to show that it was not a simple task to bring the Israelites out of Egypt?  I am also really perplexed by when this passage refers to the Lord hardening Pharoah’s heart.  I’m just not sure what to do what that.  Any suggestions as to the meaning?

Why did Pharoah’s daughter name her son Moses? 

Answer: What is because she drew him out of the water?

The Psalmist in Psalm 18:
“I pursued my enemies and overtook them
and did not turn back till they were consumed.
I thrust them through, so that they were not able to rise;
they fell under my feet…
You made my enemies turn their backs to me,
and those who hated me I destroyed…
I beat them fine as dust before the wind;
I cast them out like the mire of the streets.” (ESV)

The Psalmist in Psalm 137:
“O daughter of Babylon, doomed to be destroyed,
blessed shall he be who repays you
with what you have done to us!
Blessed shall he be who takes your little ones
and dashes them against a rock.” (ESV)

Jesus in Matthew 5:
“You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a
tooth.’  But I say to you, Do not resist the one who is evil.  But if anyone
slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also.  And if anyone
would sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well.  And
if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles.” (ESV)

“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your
enemy.’  But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who
persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes
his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous
and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will
you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only
your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans
do that? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” (ESV)

Is anyone else picking up a conflict of thought here?

What are Psalms 3-89 primarily about?

Lamentations

What was the covenantal understanding that shaped many of the Psalmists’ writings?

That God blessed those who are obedient, and punished those who are wicked.

If you delight yourself in the Lord, what does Psalm 37 say that He will give you?

The desires of your heart.

What is the shortest and longest chapter in the Bible and how long are each one?

Shortest – Psalm 117 (2 Verses)

Longest – Psalm 119 (176 Verses)

What does the fool say in his heart?

That there is no God. Psalm 14:1

What Psalm gives us the image of the righteous bathing their feet in the blood of the wicked?
Psalm 58