What I Noticed Today (Psalms 81, 88, 92-93)
Psalm 81
Psalm 81 is a song celebrating the Lord’s deliverance of Israel. The imagery suggests the psalmist is referring to the Feast of Tabernacles (Leviticus 23:33-36).
In verses 1-5, Asaph calls the people together to sing praising the Lord. He states that the Law required the people to come together.
In verses 6-16, Asaph recalls God delivering the people out of Egypt and God revealing His Law to them. But the people did not submit to God, so God allowed them to go their way. God promised that if only they would obey Him, He would subdue their enemies and prosper them.
Psalm 88
Psalm 88 written by Heman the Ezrahite (1 Chronicles 15:19) is a lament describing an affliction that brought him near death.
In verses 1-7, Heman prays day and night for God to deliver him from death.
In verses 8-12, Heman describes his friends shunning him and his eyes weakening as he asks God if dead people praise you (suggesting he could continue to praise God if God would save him).
In verses 13-18, Heman cries out the third time for God to deliver him but now wonders if God has rejected him. Even so, he knows God is his only hope for deliverance, so he will continue to pray
Psalm 92
Similar to Psalm 90 and Psalm 91, Psalm 92 is a song about the security we have in God.
In verses 1-7, the psalmist declares that it is good to praise the Lord Most High. He speaks of the great works and thoughts of the Lord that are impossible for the fool to understand.
In verses 8-15, the psalmist creates a contrast between the wicked who flourish briefly (v. 7) with the Lord, who reigns forever. The psalmist praises the Lord for building him up, allowing him to see the downfall of his enemies, and enabling the righteous to flourish when they are planted in the house of the Lord.
Psalm 93
Psalm 93 is an enthronement psalm (sometimes referred to as a theocratic psalm) celebrating the Lord’s reign on the earth. Other enthronement psalms include 47, 93, and 96-99.
In verses 1-2, the psalmist refers to the Lord establishing the world and reigning from of old to everlasting.
In verses 3-5, the psalmist praises the strength and might of the Lord and the Holy trustworthiness of the Lord’s decrees.
What did you notice in your study today? Feel free to visit the website and leave a question or a comment.
