June 27, 2009
Stepping Up – The Psalms of Ascent
Day 5 of Week 1
The Peace of Jerusalem
Psalm 122
“I rejoiced with those who said to me, ‘Let us go to the house of the Lord.’
Our feet are standing within your gates, Jerusalem –
Jerusalem, built as a city (should be), solidly joined together,
Where the tribes, the tribes of the Lord, go up to give thanks to the name of the Lord.
(This is an ordinance of Israel)
There, thrones for judgment are placed, thrones of the house of David.
Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: ‘May those who love you prosper;
May there be peace within your walls, prosperity within your fortresses.’
Because of my brothers and friends, I will say, ‘Peace be with you.’
Because of the house of the Lord our God, I will seek your good.”
Please take time to read this Psalm aloud
Did you catch the progression of the pilgrimage? Where is the psalmist when these words fall from his lips?
In the first Psalm, the pilgrim is discouraged in an alien land.
In the second, he wonders where his help comes from and is reminded of how God protects.
Now, in this 3rd Psalm of Ascent, his feet are standing on his destination. He cries out to the Lord with joy.
Psalm 122 is about the city of Jerusalem itself. Jerusalem can be broken down to mean the city of peace. “jeru”/”yeru” means “city” and “salem” means “peace”.
How does the psalmist describe Jerusalem?
Beth says that the city of Jerusalem gives its visitors a sense of “home”, even if they are aliens there. She says that the more you go to Jerusalem, the more you want to go. It is a city that is “closely compacted together”.
The New Living Translation says that Jerusalem is “knit together as a single unit”.
Ironically, today, peace is a rarity in the “city of peace”. Jews, Muslims and Christians are closely compacted in a small area. The ancient words of the psalmist are haunting to us as he beckons us to “pray for the peace of Jerusalem!”
We have actually been doing the study, “What in the world is going on?” by David Jeremiah on Sunday evenings. That is one of the important focuses of this study…to pray for Jerusalem.
What is the ultimate reason peace eludes the holy city according to Luke 19: 41 – 44?
“As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it and said, ‘if you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace – but now it is hidden from your eyes. The days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment against you and encircle you and hem you in on every side. They will dash you to the ground, you and the children within your walls. They will not leave one stone on another, because you did not recognize the time of God’s coming to you.”
What is Christ called in Ephesians 2: 14?
“For he himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility.”
Write a prayer today for the peace of Jerusalem.
Remember, Psalm 122: 6
“May those who love you (Jerusalem) prosper.”
We will jump into Psalm 122 in our next week of study. For now, it is just important to understand the concept of the Psalm.
Monday, June 29, 2009
Day 4 of Week 1
June 27, 2009
Stepping Up – The Psalms of Ascent
Day 4 of Week 1
The Lord is Your Shelter
We will be focusing on Psalm 121, again, for today’s study. Please take a moment to read the Psalm aloud once more to refresh your mind.
Where does our help come from?
The Maker of heaven and earth
Now let’s think of help in terms of human help. We need to support one another as we are on this journey through earth. When the Jews would make their pilgrimage for the feasts, other Jews would travel with them. They knew they needed the help of their fellow believers to make the difficult journey. They ate together, bunked together and 1
What do the following Scriptures say about ways people can be of authentic help to one another?
Ecclesiastes 4: 9 – 10
“Two are better than one because they have good return for their work:
If one falls down, his friend can help him up.
But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up!”
2 Corinthians 1: 10 – 11
These verses refer to helping our fellow believers through prayer
Write down a few names of people who are a tremendous help to you in your journey.
Be sure to write them down so you focus on their importance. Maybe you should send them a card or note, reminding them of how important they are to you.
Now, name specific ways that God can help you that other people simply cannot.
Often things happen to us that cannot be helped by humans. Think of the Jews as they would journey. If an army rose up against them or the weather became too much to bear, their human companions were very limited in what they could do to help. Isn’t it nice to know that God is not limited AT ALL. He is capable of things that our fellow humans could never do.
Jude 1: 24 says:
“To Him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before His glorious presence without fault and with great joy…”
Our God will not slumber during our journey!!!
What did Elijah suggest Baal, the pagan god of the enemies of Israel, might have been doing rather than coming to their rescue?
Now all of you that did the Elijah study with me should know this one!!!
1 Kings 18: 27 –
“At noon Elijah began to taunt them. ‘Shout louder!’ he said. ‘Surely he is a god! Perhaps he is deep in thought, or busy or traveling. Maybe he is sleeping and must be awakened!’ “
Doesn’t it give you cold chills to think of worshiping a God that could be too busy to care for you? Ancient pagan people commonly held the notion that gods slept during the winter months. We are assured in Psalm 121 that our God does not slumber or sleep.
Psalm 121: 5 says, “the Lord is a shelter right by your side”. How does Psalm 91: 4 depict the closeness of God’s shelter?
“He will cover you with His feathers, and under His wings you will find refuge; His faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.”
I love imagining myself snuggled up against the warm body of God with the feathers of His wings covering me in protection! Think about it for a moment! Wouldn’t you love to kiss all the cares of this world good-bye for just one minute for this kind of peace? It will be ours one day!!!
Now, imagine the biggest battle of your life! Imagine the size of God’s faithfulness to us! Imagine Him racing you through this battle with His faithfulness acting as your shield. Arrows are flying all around you. Bombs are exploding at the edge of your feet. You don’t know how you are going to survive, but you look up to see your God holding you behind His shield as He allows the arrows of this war to penetrate His flesh. That is what Christ did for us on the cross!!! That is what our God watched as His son took every battle for us!!! Take heart in these Scripture! Know that the battle was fought for you a long time ago. Any battle this world has to offer us is small in comparison to what He took for us!!!
With this in mind, write a prayer to God using Psalm 121 as your guide!
You will feel so amazing once you have done it! Read it to yourself over and over again as you need to be reminded of what God is capable of!!!
Stepping Up – The Psalms of Ascent
Day 4 of Week 1
The Lord is Your Shelter
We will be focusing on Psalm 121, again, for today’s study. Please take a moment to read the Psalm aloud once more to refresh your mind.
Where does our help come from?
The Maker of heaven and earth
Now let’s think of help in terms of human help. We need to support one another as we are on this journey through earth. When the Jews would make their pilgrimage for the feasts, other Jews would travel with them. They knew they needed the help of their fellow believers to make the difficult journey. They ate together, bunked together and 1
What do the following Scriptures say about ways people can be of authentic help to one another?
Ecclesiastes 4: 9 – 10
“Two are better than one because they have good return for their work:
If one falls down, his friend can help him up.
But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up!”
2 Corinthians 1: 10 – 11
These verses refer to helping our fellow believers through prayer
Write down a few names of people who are a tremendous help to you in your journey.
Be sure to write them down so you focus on their importance. Maybe you should send them a card or note, reminding them of how important they are to you.
Now, name specific ways that God can help you that other people simply cannot.
Often things happen to us that cannot be helped by humans. Think of the Jews as they would journey. If an army rose up against them or the weather became too much to bear, their human companions were very limited in what they could do to help. Isn’t it nice to know that God is not limited AT ALL. He is capable of things that our fellow humans could never do.
Jude 1: 24 says:
“To Him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before His glorious presence without fault and with great joy…”
Our God will not slumber during our journey!!!
What did Elijah suggest Baal, the pagan god of the enemies of Israel, might have been doing rather than coming to their rescue?
Now all of you that did the Elijah study with me should know this one!!!
1 Kings 18: 27 –
“At noon Elijah began to taunt them. ‘Shout louder!’ he said. ‘Surely he is a god! Perhaps he is deep in thought, or busy or traveling. Maybe he is sleeping and must be awakened!’ “
Doesn’t it give you cold chills to think of worshiping a God that could be too busy to care for you? Ancient pagan people commonly held the notion that gods slept during the winter months. We are assured in Psalm 121 that our God does not slumber or sleep.
Psalm 121: 5 says, “the Lord is a shelter right by your side”. How does Psalm 91: 4 depict the closeness of God’s shelter?
“He will cover you with His feathers, and under His wings you will find refuge; His faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.”
I love imagining myself snuggled up against the warm body of God with the feathers of His wings covering me in protection! Think about it for a moment! Wouldn’t you love to kiss all the cares of this world good-bye for just one minute for this kind of peace? It will be ours one day!!!
Now, imagine the biggest battle of your life! Imagine the size of God’s faithfulness to us! Imagine Him racing you through this battle with His faithfulness acting as your shield. Arrows are flying all around you. Bombs are exploding at the edge of your feet. You don’t know how you are going to survive, but you look up to see your God holding you behind His shield as He allows the arrows of this war to penetrate His flesh. That is what Christ did for us on the cross!!! That is what our God watched as His son took every battle for us!!! Take heart in these Scripture! Know that the battle was fought for you a long time ago. Any battle this world has to offer us is small in comparison to what He took for us!!!
With this in mind, write a prayer to God using Psalm 121 as your guide!
You will feel so amazing once you have done it! Read it to yourself over and over again as you need to be reminded of what God is capable of!!!
Day 3 of Week 1
June 27, 2009
Stepping Up – The Psalms of Ascent
Day 3 of Week 1
The Lord is Your Keeper
Psalm 121
I lift up my eyes to the hills – where does my help come from?
My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.
He will not let your foot slip – He who watches over you will not slumber;
Indeed, He who watches over Israel will neither slumber or sleep
The Lord watches over You – the Lord is your shade at your right hand
The sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night.
The Lord will keep you from all harm – He will watch over your life;
The Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.
Please read this Psalm aloud.
Now look over the verses and write each reference that suggests a literal journey.
Some scholars believe that the first two Psalms of Ascent depict the pilgrimage of the dispersed Jews back to Jerusalem, either from their conclusion of captivity or the pilgrimage they would make for the feasts. Psalms 120 represents their misery of still being in a remote location, longing to be near the house of God. Psalm 121 immediately follows with the traveler on his journey home, believing in the protection of God. It is also believed they used these Psalms to sing on their journey home.
In verse 2, what did the pilgrims call the Lord?
The Maker of heaven and earth
What connection do you see between making an uncertain journey and needing to be reminded that our Lord is the Maker of heaven and earth?
Go through these verses and circle all of the references to protection from God.
Do you have any current need to have those truths hammered into your head, whether concerning your own life or another of God’s children?
What is God saying to you through this Psalm today?
What two purposes did God give man in the garden of Eden, according to Genesis 2: 15?
“The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.”
God made Adam the caretaker of the garden, but God was the caretaker of Adam. As carefully as Adam cared for the ground, God cares for the man he created with His own hands. He cares for us and watches over us. At no time does God abdicate your guardianship to an angel alone, regardless how mighty.
We are pilgrims on a journey with God. When we are afraid, we can use these verses to remind us that God is our protector.
Stepping Up – The Psalms of Ascent
Day 3 of Week 1
The Lord is Your Keeper
Psalm 121
I lift up my eyes to the hills – where does my help come from?
My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.
He will not let your foot slip – He who watches over you will not slumber;
Indeed, He who watches over Israel will neither slumber or sleep
The Lord watches over You – the Lord is your shade at your right hand
The sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night.
The Lord will keep you from all harm – He will watch over your life;
The Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.
Please read this Psalm aloud.
Now look over the verses and write each reference that suggests a literal journey.
Some scholars believe that the first two Psalms of Ascent depict the pilgrimage of the dispersed Jews back to Jerusalem, either from their conclusion of captivity or the pilgrimage they would make for the feasts. Psalms 120 represents their misery of still being in a remote location, longing to be near the house of God. Psalm 121 immediately follows with the traveler on his journey home, believing in the protection of God. It is also believed they used these Psalms to sing on their journey home.
In verse 2, what did the pilgrims call the Lord?
The Maker of heaven and earth
What connection do you see between making an uncertain journey and needing to be reminded that our Lord is the Maker of heaven and earth?
Go through these verses and circle all of the references to protection from God.
Do you have any current need to have those truths hammered into your head, whether concerning your own life or another of God’s children?
What is God saying to you through this Psalm today?
What two purposes did God give man in the garden of Eden, according to Genesis 2: 15?
“The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.”
God made Adam the caretaker of the garden, but God was the caretaker of Adam. As carefully as Adam cared for the ground, God cares for the man he created with His own hands. He cares for us and watches over us. At no time does God abdicate your guardianship to an angel alone, regardless how mighty.
We are pilgrims on a journey with God. When we are afraid, we can use these verses to remind us that God is our protector.
Day 2 of Week 1
June 27, 2009
Stepping Up – The Psalms of Ascent
Day 2 of Week 1
Woe to Me
During this study, we will use a study method suggested by Beth that uses three approaches to each Psalm.
1. Say It – Read the Psalm aloud to become aware of the rhythm and flow of the song
2. Work It –
a. Circle every reference to God or title given to God
b. Underline any word or phrase that stands out to you or speaks to you
c. Write in the margins when a psalm reminds you of an experience in your life
d. Compare writing styles in different translations
e. Share your own ideas with your small group
f. Do whatever it takes to increase your learning and comprehension
3. Pray It – You will write a rendition of each Psalm as a personal prayer to God
Let’s put this technique to practice.
Read all of Psalm 120 aloud:
“In my distress I called to the Lord, and He answered me:
‘The Lord delivers me from lying lips and a deceitful tongue.’
What will He give you, and what will He do to you, you deceitful tongue?
A warrior’s sharp arrows, with burning charcoal!
What misery that I have stayed in Meshech, that I have lived among the tents of Kedar!
I have lived too long with those who hate peace.
I am for peace; but when I speak, they are for war.
Psalm 120 includes,
“Misery to me that I dwell in Meshech, that I live among the tents of Kedar!”
The Psalmist began this Psalm with a “woe is me” attitude. The Psalmist is a long way away from home. He felt like an alien. Think of a situation in your life where you feel like an alien, you feel as though no one around you believes in or stands for the things you do.
You may have to deal with authentically difficult people on a regular basis. Do you tend to return difficult for difficult?
What does Psalm 142: 1 – 2 give you permission to do?
“I cry aloud to the Lord; I lift up my voice to the Lord for mercy. I pour out my complaint before him; before him I tell my trouble.”
Read through this Psalm over and over. Circle the references to God. Write in the margins how you have experienced these feelings in your own life.
Now, take some time to write your own personal version of Psalm 120. Use it as your prayer to God.
I will not make this an everyday practice, but I just want you to see how I did mine. I don’t know if it is right or wrong, but it’s the way this Psalm made me feel. These are very personal, and I do not think they are meant to be shared. So, please excuse this one time.
My God, I cry out to you!
I am saddened, Father, I reach for you!
This cancer is so deceptive.
It is of the earth, not of You!
You are pure, cancer is not!
It wants to fill my body with toxins
You can cleanse me
I believe in You and I count on You daily!
Praise You, Father
I will praise You as I dance through this storm!
Stepping Up – The Psalms of Ascent
Day 2 of Week 1
Woe to Me
During this study, we will use a study method suggested by Beth that uses three approaches to each Psalm.
1. Say It – Read the Psalm aloud to become aware of the rhythm and flow of the song
2. Work It –
a. Circle every reference to God or title given to God
b. Underline any word or phrase that stands out to you or speaks to you
c. Write in the margins when a psalm reminds you of an experience in your life
d. Compare writing styles in different translations
e. Share your own ideas with your small group
f. Do whatever it takes to increase your learning and comprehension
3. Pray It – You will write a rendition of each Psalm as a personal prayer to God
Let’s put this technique to practice.
Read all of Psalm 120 aloud:
“In my distress I called to the Lord, and He answered me:
‘The Lord delivers me from lying lips and a deceitful tongue.’
What will He give you, and what will He do to you, you deceitful tongue?
A warrior’s sharp arrows, with burning charcoal!
What misery that I have stayed in Meshech, that I have lived among the tents of Kedar!
I have lived too long with those who hate peace.
I am for peace; but when I speak, they are for war.
Psalm 120 includes,
“Misery to me that I dwell in Meshech, that I live among the tents of Kedar!”
The Psalmist began this Psalm with a “woe is me” attitude. The Psalmist is a long way away from home. He felt like an alien. Think of a situation in your life where you feel like an alien, you feel as though no one around you believes in or stands for the things you do.
You may have to deal with authentically difficult people on a regular basis. Do you tend to return difficult for difficult?
What does Psalm 142: 1 – 2 give you permission to do?
“I cry aloud to the Lord; I lift up my voice to the Lord for mercy. I pour out my complaint before him; before him I tell my trouble.”
Read through this Psalm over and over. Circle the references to God. Write in the margins how you have experienced these feelings in your own life.
Now, take some time to write your own personal version of Psalm 120. Use it as your prayer to God.
I will not make this an everyday practice, but I just want you to see how I did mine. I don’t know if it is right or wrong, but it’s the way this Psalm made me feel. These are very personal, and I do not think they are meant to be shared. So, please excuse this one time.
My God, I cry out to you!
I am saddened, Father, I reach for you!
This cancer is so deceptive.
It is of the earth, not of You!
You are pure, cancer is not!
It wants to fill my body with toxins
You can cleanse me
I believe in You and I count on You daily!
Praise You, Father
I will praise You as I dance through this storm!
Day one – week one
June 27, 2009
Stepping Up – The Psalms of Ascent
Day one – week one
Worship on the Way
The three goals for this Bible study:
1. To dramatically change our outlook on daily life
2. To be raised to a higher plain of worship and service by God
3. To move to the next step in our personal journey with God, even if we have to press through the thickest forest to get to it.
Beth would like for us to get into the habit of putting our faces to the floor on a daily basis in worship to our Lord. The idea of this is to demonstrate reverence and a surrendered attitude. It has a tremendous advantage to setting the tone for the day. The reason for this is because “the way up is down” in God’s economy.
Humility is the natural posture of anyone who grasps the greatness of God, according to Beth. This is a prayer example that Beth gives us:
“Lord, I thank You again this morning that You are still God upon the throne of all creation. You are holy. Mighty beyond comprehension. So worthy of my praise and the out pouring of my life’s energies. Today I gladly give myself to You. I am convinced that You are always for me. Obedience to You will always mean Your very best for me. I’m so grateful that I can come boldly and without shame before Your throne because I pray all these things in Jesus’ name.”
This prayer will probably take no more than a minute. It is not about the time, it is about your heart.
1 Peter 5: 6
“Humble yourselves; therefore, under God’s mighty hand so that He may lift you up in due time.”
In order to grow up in Christ, we must learn to get down in reverence to God. Sometimes it takes miles of a journey to know why we are on a certain road with God.
Take a moment to determine how you could benefit from a study like this.
About how long has your journey with God been thus far in your life?
How did it begin?
Based on all you have experienced with God, what excites you most about the next adventure you are going to have with Him?
What scares you the most about your next adventure with Him?
The Psalms of Ascent are made up of Psalms 120 – 134. That will be the basis of this study. However, here are some facts about the Psalms as a whole.
1. There are 150 Psalms
2. 73 of the Psalms were written by David
3. 12 are attributed to Asaph, a Levite musician David appointed to lead worship with singers under Asaph’s tutelage.
4. 10 are attributed to the sons of Korah who were also temple singers. The psalms designated by the names of Asaph or the sons of Korah could also refer to a hymnbook from which they commonly sang.
5. 2 are believed to be written by Solomon
6. 1 was written by Moses
7. 1 was written by another singer named Heman
8. 1 was written by a singer named Ethan
9. The remainder are anonymous. Many of the undesignated songs probably fell from the pen of David. The entire book of 150 Psalms is associated with him for good reason. Surely he more than any other person in Scripture is used of God to teach us how to materialize our worship.
The Psalms were divided into five books which are believed to correspond to the five books of Moses:
Book One: Psalms 1 – 41 (Genesis)
Book Two: Psalms 42 – 72 (Exodus)
Book Three: Psalms 73 – 89 (Leviticus)
Book Four: Psalms 90 – 106 (Numbers)
Book Five: Psalms 107 – 150 (Deuteronomy)
What do all of the Psalms have in common? Praise
The Psalms are a showing of true emotion where the Psalmist is able to be honest with God about his feelings. Therefore, we can say that honesty with God is consistent with worship.
Stepping Up – The Psalms of Ascent
Day one – week one
Worship on the Way
The three goals for this Bible study:
1. To dramatically change our outlook on daily life
2. To be raised to a higher plain of worship and service by God
3. To move to the next step in our personal journey with God, even if we have to press through the thickest forest to get to it.
Beth would like for us to get into the habit of putting our faces to the floor on a daily basis in worship to our Lord. The idea of this is to demonstrate reverence and a surrendered attitude. It has a tremendous advantage to setting the tone for the day. The reason for this is because “the way up is down” in God’s economy.
Humility is the natural posture of anyone who grasps the greatness of God, according to Beth. This is a prayer example that Beth gives us:
“Lord, I thank You again this morning that You are still God upon the throne of all creation. You are holy. Mighty beyond comprehension. So worthy of my praise and the out pouring of my life’s energies. Today I gladly give myself to You. I am convinced that You are always for me. Obedience to You will always mean Your very best for me. I’m so grateful that I can come boldly and without shame before Your throne because I pray all these things in Jesus’ name.”
This prayer will probably take no more than a minute. It is not about the time, it is about your heart.
1 Peter 5: 6
“Humble yourselves; therefore, under God’s mighty hand so that He may lift you up in due time.”
In order to grow up in Christ, we must learn to get down in reverence to God. Sometimes it takes miles of a journey to know why we are on a certain road with God.
Take a moment to determine how you could benefit from a study like this.
About how long has your journey with God been thus far in your life?
How did it begin?
Based on all you have experienced with God, what excites you most about the next adventure you are going to have with Him?
What scares you the most about your next adventure with Him?
The Psalms of Ascent are made up of Psalms 120 – 134. That will be the basis of this study. However, here are some facts about the Psalms as a whole.
1. There are 150 Psalms
2. 73 of the Psalms were written by David
3. 12 are attributed to Asaph, a Levite musician David appointed to lead worship with singers under Asaph’s tutelage.
4. 10 are attributed to the sons of Korah who were also temple singers. The psalms designated by the names of Asaph or the sons of Korah could also refer to a hymnbook from which they commonly sang.
5. 2 are believed to be written by Solomon
6. 1 was written by Moses
7. 1 was written by another singer named Heman
8. 1 was written by a singer named Ethan
9. The remainder are anonymous. Many of the undesignated songs probably fell from the pen of David. The entire book of 150 Psalms is associated with him for good reason. Surely he more than any other person in Scripture is used of God to teach us how to materialize our worship.
The Psalms were divided into five books which are believed to correspond to the five books of Moses:
Book One: Psalms 1 – 41 (Genesis)
Book Two: Psalms 42 – 72 (Exodus)
Book Three: Psalms 73 – 89 (Leviticus)
Book Four: Psalms 90 – 106 (Numbers)
Book Five: Psalms 107 – 150 (Deuteronomy)
What do all of the Psalms have in common? Praise
The Psalms are a showing of true emotion where the Psalmist is able to be honest with God about his feelings. Therefore, we can say that honesty with God is consistent with worship.
The Psalms of Ascent
June 27, 2009
Stepping Up by Beth Moore
The Psalms of Ascent
Session One
Why should we study the Psalms?
1. Song originated with God and accompanied creation
Job 38: 4 – 7 “Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation? Tell me if you understand. Who marked off its dimensions? Surely you know! Who stretched a measuring line across it? On what were its footings set, or who laid its cornerstone- while the morning stars sang together and all the angels shouted for joy.”
2. Emotions and experiences can be expressed through songs in ways spoken words can never satisfy. A song can help us voice something that we dare not say otherwise. Think of how difficult it must have been for all the disciples after sharing the Lord’s Supper. They knew their Lord would be sacrificed. In Matthew 26: 30, it says they sang Psalms then went to the Mt. of Olives. It was tradition to sing the Psalms
together once the Passover Meal was completed. They knew, however, that this
would be no ordinary Passover Meal.
3. A song greatly enhances the ability of the human mind to memorize. Memorizing Scripture was an important part of Jewish heritage. At a very young age, young Jewish children would have memorized Scripture to a tune to make them easier to memorize. How many of us can still remember a song we sang in elementary school, but we cannot remember where we put our keys?
4. We can think a song is beautiful and memorize its words yet remain completely unaffected by what it says. Consider the relevance of Paul’s words in 1 Corinthians 14: 15 in our present context: “I will sing with my spirit, but I will also sing with my mind.”
When you sing praises to God, if you do not mean what you are singing, it is not worship. Ezekiel 33: 31 – 32
“My people come to you, as they usually do, and sit before you to listen to your words, but they do not put them into practice. With their mouths they express devotion, but their hearts are greedy for unjust gain. Indeed, to them you are nothing more than one who sings love songs with a beautiful voice and plays an instrument well, for they hear your words but do not put them into practice."
5. A song can change our entire perspective.
Acts 16: 24 – 26
“Upon receiving such orders, the guard put them in the inner cell and fastened their feet to their stocks. About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake, that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once, all the prison doors flew open, and everybody’s chains came loose.”
Can you imagine? We don’t have to literally be behind prison walls for this to speak to you. Everyone has some type of prison that we need to praise God through. He will break the chains of that prison if we just learn to praise Him in the bad times!!!
A song can also greatly affect the heart of God.
6. Revelation 5: 13
“Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, singing:
‘To Him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power forever and ever!’ “
Robert Mounce describes this scene as “the adoration of the entire created world.” In ways beyond our comprehension, the gift of song is not limited to humans and angels.
Isaiah 55: 12
“You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the fields will clap their hands.”
Stepping Up by Beth Moore
The Psalms of Ascent
Session One
Why should we study the Psalms?
1. Song originated with God and accompanied creation
Job 38: 4 – 7 “Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation? Tell me if you understand. Who marked off its dimensions? Surely you know! Who stretched a measuring line across it? On what were its footings set, or who laid its cornerstone- while the morning stars sang together and all the angels shouted for joy.”
2. Emotions and experiences can be expressed through songs in ways spoken words can never satisfy. A song can help us voice something that we dare not say otherwise. Think of how difficult it must have been for all the disciples after sharing the Lord’s Supper. They knew their Lord would be sacrificed. In Matthew 26: 30, it says they sang Psalms then went to the Mt. of Olives. It was tradition to sing the Psalms
together once the Passover Meal was completed. They knew, however, that this
would be no ordinary Passover Meal.
3. A song greatly enhances the ability of the human mind to memorize. Memorizing Scripture was an important part of Jewish heritage. At a very young age, young Jewish children would have memorized Scripture to a tune to make them easier to memorize. How many of us can still remember a song we sang in elementary school, but we cannot remember where we put our keys?
4. We can think a song is beautiful and memorize its words yet remain completely unaffected by what it says. Consider the relevance of Paul’s words in 1 Corinthians 14: 15 in our present context: “I will sing with my spirit, but I will also sing with my mind.”
When you sing praises to God, if you do not mean what you are singing, it is not worship. Ezekiel 33: 31 – 32
“My people come to you, as they usually do, and sit before you to listen to your words, but they do not put them into practice. With their mouths they express devotion, but their hearts are greedy for unjust gain. Indeed, to them you are nothing more than one who sings love songs with a beautiful voice and plays an instrument well, for they hear your words but do not put them into practice."
5. A song can change our entire perspective.
Acts 16: 24 – 26
“Upon receiving such orders, the guard put them in the inner cell and fastened their feet to their stocks. About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake, that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once, all the prison doors flew open, and everybody’s chains came loose.”
Can you imagine? We don’t have to literally be behind prison walls for this to speak to you. Everyone has some type of prison that we need to praise God through. He will break the chains of that prison if we just learn to praise Him in the bad times!!!
A song can also greatly affect the heart of God.
6. Revelation 5: 13
“Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, singing:
‘To Him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power forever and ever!’ “
Robert Mounce describes this scene as “the adoration of the entire created world.” In ways beyond our comprehension, the gift of song is not limited to humans and angels.
Isaiah 55: 12
“You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the fields will clap their hands.”
Friday, June 12, 2009
Elijah - Chapter 10
Good morning! It is 6:30 in the morning, and I couldn't sleep any longer knowing we needed to finish this study before I go to the beach! I am the BIGGEST procrastinator you will ever meet. I don't do anything unless it is last minute!!! My sister has been packed for weeks and she even has all of her meals planned out for the week! I call her a big nerd to her face, but I really wish I were more like her!!! I am the one cleaning the house and packing three hours before we walk out the door! I try to never let anyone down, but things are always in the last minute!!! I hate the example I am being to my kids. My husband is also very organized, and I am praying he is the one that rubs off on them!!!
Anyway, enough about me! I don't want to ever make this about me. I just felt like if I didn't start my day off with God, things will probably go down hill all day. So, let's finish up our study on Elijah!!!
The author, Chuck Swindoll, begins his commentary on this Scripture with the recollection of his relationship with his grandfather. He was very close to his grandfather, and they spent a lot of time in conversation. One day, they began talking about death, and his grandfather told him that he wanted "the full load". He wanted to experience death so that he could experience resurrection. He did not want to think about his grandfather dying, but it helped him face his fears to know that resurrection would soon follow! When his grandfather died, he praised God by shouting back his grandfather 1 Thessalonians 4: 13 - 18
But we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve, as do the rest who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus. For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord, shall not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet of God; and the dead in Christ shall rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and thus we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another in these words!
God's plan for Elijah was completely different!!! God used Elijah in so many amazing ways! Elijah was heroic, humble and obedient beyond belief. Now God would bless him with the very ability to dodge death!!! He is one of only two men in the Bible that escaped the jaws of death. Enoch (Genesis 5: 21 - 24) was the first, and Elijah was the second. He was immediately ushered into the presence of God!!! Those who are alive when Christ comes will also bypass death! Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 15: 51 - 54 :
Behold, I tell you a mystery; we shall not sleep, but we shall be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. For this perishable must put on the imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality. But when the perishable will have put on the imperishable, and this mortal will have put on immortality, then will come about the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory!!!
Elijah must have been aware that he would be taken up in a whirlwind. He gives us a wonderful example of how we should live in anticipation of Christ's return. Please note that "the sons of the prophets" also knew of Elijah upcoming departure because they made it known to Elisha. God also revealed where Elijah would be taken up because we see Elijah moving swiftly in Scripture towards the Jordan. Yet, we wonder why Elijah didn't go directly to the Jordan, rather than traveling to Gilgal, Bethel and Jericho first. Remember, I sent the meaning these cities represent to you in last nights Scripture. These cities were also the locations of "seminaries" during this time. Samuel founded these places so that young men could learn how to live the disciplined life of a prophet. Many Historians believe that Elijah made the journey through these cities in order to meet one last time with "the sons of the prophets". Swindoll also believes that Elijah made this journey as a time of reflection over his life and interactions with God. He believes this is why Elisha tells "the sons of the prophets" to "be still or be quiet". He thinks Elisha was trying to protect Elijah from being bombarded with questions that would surely arise from these young prophets.
See, that tells you how much I know. I have always felt like Elisha was telling them to be quiet because he did not want to be reminded of the fact that his mentor would be leaving him soon. It just takes a little commentary to remind me that I still have so much to learn.
Over and over again, we see Elijah try to make the separation from Elisha that was necessary for his departure. Over and over, Elisha refused. Elisha was relentless. He was not going to leave his master....no matter what! Elijah could have been testing his commitment. I do not believe he was trying to get rid of Elisha. That can be one of our questions when we get to heaven!!! Either way, Elisha committed himself to standing by Elijah until he no longer could! If you have an Elisha in your life, take time to thank them for their commitment to you because these friends are a rare breed.
Now let's focus on Elisha request to Elijah to receive a double dose of Elijah's spirit! Wow! What a request, but we are reminded here to always seek bigger things in God. As long as our focus is on God and not our own glory, God wants us to strive for bigger things!!!
Then, it happens!
2 Kings 2: 11
As they were walking along and talking together, suddenly a chariot of fire and horses of fire appeared and separated the two of them, and Elijah went up to heaven in a whirlwind!!!
Wow, again!!! These two intimate friends were just walking together and probably trying to breathe in every ounce of their last moments together. Just like that, Elijah is brought up to heaven in a most powerful way!!! Elisha cried out to his companion and to our God. He saw him no more. Elisha immediately picked up is mantle of power and moved on to do God's work.
I love 2 Kings 2: 15
The company of prophets from Jericho, who were watching, said, "The spirit of Elijah is resting on Elisha." And they went to meet him and bowed to the ground before him.
Can you imagine how this must have felt for Elisha. He was ready to take on the work of God because he knew that when a man of God dies nothing of God dies (which I am referring to Elijah being gone...not physically dying).
Thank you all so much for bearing with me through this study!!! Please overlook any typos this morning...it is early!!!
I love you all, and I am starting a new study the Tuesday after I get back from the beach. It is "Stepping Up" by Beth Moore! I can't wait to share it with you!!!!
Tiff
Anyway, enough about me! I don't want to ever make this about me. I just felt like if I didn't start my day off with God, things will probably go down hill all day. So, let's finish up our study on Elijah!!!
The author, Chuck Swindoll, begins his commentary on this Scripture with the recollection of his relationship with his grandfather. He was very close to his grandfather, and they spent a lot of time in conversation. One day, they began talking about death, and his grandfather told him that he wanted "the full load". He wanted to experience death so that he could experience resurrection. He did not want to think about his grandfather dying, but it helped him face his fears to know that resurrection would soon follow! When his grandfather died, he praised God by shouting back his grandfather 1 Thessalonians 4: 13 - 18
But we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve, as do the rest who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus. For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord, shall not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet of God; and the dead in Christ shall rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and thus we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another in these words!
God's plan for Elijah was completely different!!! God used Elijah in so many amazing ways! Elijah was heroic, humble and obedient beyond belief. Now God would bless him with the very ability to dodge death!!! He is one of only two men in the Bible that escaped the jaws of death. Enoch (Genesis 5: 21 - 24) was the first, and Elijah was the second. He was immediately ushered into the presence of God!!! Those who are alive when Christ comes will also bypass death! Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 15: 51 - 54 :
Behold, I tell you a mystery; we shall not sleep, but we shall be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. For this perishable must put on the imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality. But when the perishable will have put on the imperishable, and this mortal will have put on immortality, then will come about the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory!!!
Elijah must have been aware that he would be taken up in a whirlwind. He gives us a wonderful example of how we should live in anticipation of Christ's return. Please note that "the sons of the prophets" also knew of Elijah upcoming departure because they made it known to Elisha. God also revealed where Elijah would be taken up because we see Elijah moving swiftly in Scripture towards the Jordan. Yet, we wonder why Elijah didn't go directly to the Jordan, rather than traveling to Gilgal, Bethel and Jericho first. Remember, I sent the meaning these cities represent to you in last nights Scripture. These cities were also the locations of "seminaries" during this time. Samuel founded these places so that young men could learn how to live the disciplined life of a prophet. Many Historians believe that Elijah made the journey through these cities in order to meet one last time with "the sons of the prophets". Swindoll also believes that Elijah made this journey as a time of reflection over his life and interactions with God. He believes this is why Elisha tells "the sons of the prophets" to "be still or be quiet". He thinks Elisha was trying to protect Elijah from being bombarded with questions that would surely arise from these young prophets.
See, that tells you how much I know. I have always felt like Elisha was telling them to be quiet because he did not want to be reminded of the fact that his mentor would be leaving him soon. It just takes a little commentary to remind me that I still have so much to learn.
Over and over again, we see Elijah try to make the separation from Elisha that was necessary for his departure. Over and over, Elisha refused. Elisha was relentless. He was not going to leave his master....no matter what! Elijah could have been testing his commitment. I do not believe he was trying to get rid of Elisha. That can be one of our questions when we get to heaven!!! Either way, Elisha committed himself to standing by Elijah until he no longer could! If you have an Elisha in your life, take time to thank them for their commitment to you because these friends are a rare breed.
Now let's focus on Elisha request to Elijah to receive a double dose of Elijah's spirit! Wow! What a request, but we are reminded here to always seek bigger things in God. As long as our focus is on God and not our own glory, God wants us to strive for bigger things!!!
Then, it happens!
2 Kings 2: 11
As they were walking along and talking together, suddenly a chariot of fire and horses of fire appeared and separated the two of them, and Elijah went up to heaven in a whirlwind!!!
Wow, again!!! These two intimate friends were just walking together and probably trying to breathe in every ounce of their last moments together. Just like that, Elijah is brought up to heaven in a most powerful way!!! Elisha cried out to his companion and to our God. He saw him no more. Elisha immediately picked up is mantle of power and moved on to do God's work.
I love 2 Kings 2: 15
The company of prophets from Jericho, who were watching, said, "The spirit of Elijah is resting on Elisha." And they went to meet him and bowed to the ground before him.
Can you imagine how this must have felt for Elisha. He was ready to take on the work of God because he knew that when a man of God dies nothing of God dies (which I am referring to Elijah being gone...not physically dying).
Thank you all so much for bearing with me through this study!!! Please overlook any typos this morning...it is early!!!
I love you all, and I am starting a new study the Tuesday after I get back from the beach. It is "Stepping Up" by Beth Moore! I can't wait to share it with you!!!!
Tiff
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