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June 1 - Evening
"As the deer pants for streams of water,
so my soul pants for you, my God.
My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.
When can I go and meet with God?
My tears have been my food
day and night,
while people say to me all day long,
'Where is your God?'
These things I remember
as I pour out my soul:
how I used to go to the house of God
under the protection of the Mighty One
with shouts of joy and praise
among the festive throng.
Why, my soul, are you downcast?
Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God,
for I will yet praise him,
my Savior and my God."
- Psalms 42:1-5 |
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| Longing to Once Again Join the Worship Band |
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Psalm 42 begins “Book Two” of the collection of Hebrew psalms (Psalms 42-72). It is an accepted interpretation that Psalm 42 and 43 were originally one psalm. The reason for their division is unknown, but it could have been for liturgical purposes. The several reasons for understanding them to be two parts of the same psalm is:
- Psalm 42 is titled, but Psalm 43 is not titled. You will notice that all of the psalms in “Book Two” of the psalms (Psalms 42-72) have titles with the only other exception being the next to last psalm in “Book Two,” which is Psalm 71. But, even Psalm 71 seems to be connected to Psalm 70 since it serves as an introduction to Psalm 71.
- Hebrew manuscripts themselves exist that present Psalm 42 and 43 as a single psalm.
- The same chorus is repeated three times after each of the three sets of verses which are presented like this:
- Stanza #1 (Psalm 42:1-4)
- Chorus (Psalm 42:5)
- Stanza #2 (Psalm 42:6-10)
- Chorus repeated (Psalm 42:11)
- Stanza #3 (Psalm 43:1-4)
- Chorus repeated (Psalm 43:5)
Psalm 42 is about someone being separated from the worship of God for some reason. It appears the separated writer was one of the Levites from the family of Korah who may have been physically removed from worshipping the presence of the Lord at the temple in Jerusalem because of exile, expulsion, uncleanness, sickness, travel or some other unknown reason.
The second best thing to being there for the Levitical worship service was the memory of having once been part of the “procession to the house of God….among the festive throng.” (Psalm 42:4) At least this person could recall better times of being in the midst of the crowd worshipping God as he sang and performed skillfully on his musical instrument.
This Levite compares his desire to worship God to the desire of a deer for water. This water is called “streams of water” which is known as moving water or living water in contrast to stagnant pools of stale water. So, of course, the psalmist compares the deer searching for streams of living water to his soul’s desire “for God, for the living God.” (Psalm 42:1-2) It is interesting to note that in this second book of Psalms the writers typically refer to “God”, or Elohim, instead of “Lord”, YHWH.
The chorus that is repeated three times voices the hope of the psalmist as he speaks to his own self that he will again “yet praise him, my Savior and my God.” (Psalm 42:5, 11 and Psalm 43:5) |
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(On taking an oath to uphold Magna Carta in 1253...)
"All these things shall I keep faithfully and undiminished, as a man, as a Christian, as a soldier, and as a king, crowned and anointed."
- Henry III (1207-1272),
King of England
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Use these online flash cards to study and review the names of the Assyrian gods, then take the test -
Flash Cards and Test HERE
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Hupodeiknumi (Gr) – Warn (Eng) – a Greek word which comes from hupo meaning “under” and deiknumi meaning “to show.” Together hupo-deiknumi, “to show under” means “to give information,” “to share a private tip,” and “to point out” (as in Luke 3:7). The idea of hupodeiknumi can refer to thoughts making their way into the mind where they can be understood. |
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Critics of Moses’ authorship of Exodus in 1400 BC instead assign the origins of the book of Exodus to the Jewish exiles in Babylon around 500-400 BC. The problem with the critics rejecting a 1400 BC date is the overwhelming amount of accurate details of Egyptian life, culture and land (slave-labor practice, royal court proceedings, Flora, fauna, language, geography of Egyptian) from the time of the Exodus. It is hard to imagine an author in Babylon 1000 years after the exodus writing a story that contains such an apparent familiarity with a land he had never seen from an age he had never lived in. |
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Today I will begin to be thankful for the great things that have happened in my past.
I will remember the goodness of the Lord that I have already experience. |
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"The way of the Lord is a refuge for the righteous,
but it is the ruin
of those who do evil."
- Proverbs 10:29 |
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An elderly person |
Vision of potential |
Local Economy |
Germany |
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Details of the account of Deborah in
Judges chapter 4 on a map |
| Original stone carvings and decoration from Herod's New Testament Temple time in the jamb of the Triple Gate in the south wall of the Temple Mount retaining wall. People visiting the Temple in the New Testament would have walked past this decorated gate jamb and ascended the stairs behind the blocked entrance on the right side of this photo to enter the Jewish Temple courts. (Details here and photo here.) |
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| (click photo for larger image) |
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| Details and Explanation of Sets & Reps Devotional System Here |
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| Reps & Sets is a daily Bible devotional for Christians from Generation Word Bible Teaching used each morning and evening. |
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