Psalm 054

Introduction Today's psalm begins with the psalmist crying to God to save him, because ruthless strangers are attacking the psalmist. Then, in the middle of the psalm, the psalmist expresses his confidence in the Lord. And at the end, the psalmist makes a vow to give thanks to the Lord for delivering him from his … Continue reading Psalm 054 →

Psalm 053

Introduction This psalm may be familiar to us because it's almost identical to Psalm 14 which we studied together last November; and Paul the Apostle quotes lines from these two psalms in Romans 3 to make the point that Jews and Gentiles alike are sinners in the sight of God. And while it's true that … Continue reading Psalm 053 →

Psalm 052

Introduction The title to today's psalm refers to that time in David's life when he had to flee for his life because Saul wanted to kill him. And we read in 1 Samuel 21 that Samuel went to a place called Nob, where he asked the priest for food. The priest replied that the only … Continue reading Psalm 052 →

Job 02(11)–03(26)

Introduction We began to study the book of Job together two Sundays ago when I made the obvious point that the book of Job is a book about suffering. The opening two chapters tell us about how Job suffered. On one extra-ordinary day, he lost his possessions and his family when one servant after another … Continue reading Job 02(11)–03(26) →

Job 04–07

Introduction Today we come to the first speech of Eliphaz, who was one of Job's three friends who came to comfort him after he lost his possessions and after he lost his children and after he lost his health. When they heard what had happened to him, the three friends arranged to go and see … Continue reading Job 04–07 →

Job 01(01)–02(10)

Introduction We're beginning a new series of sermons today on the book of Job. The book of Job is, as most people know, a book about suffering. In the two opening chapters Job goes from being a man who had everything to becoming a man who had nothing. He loses all his possessions; he loses … Continue reading Job 01(01)–02(10) →

Esther 09+10

Summary Haman convinced the king of Persia to issue an decree to destroy, kill and annihilate all the Jews in the empire. Mordecai convinced Queen Esther to go to the king to beg for mercy and to plead with him for her people. At first she hesitated, because to go before the king uninvited was … Continue reading Esther 09+10 →

Esther 07+08

Introduction Haman persuaded the king to issue a decree to destroy, kill and annihilate all the Jews in the Persian Empire. Mordecai persuaded Esther to go to the king and to beg for mercy and to plead with him for her people. And so, Esther took her life in her hand -- because normally the … Continue reading Esther 07+08 →

Esther 05+06

Introduction The very existence of God's people is in danger because Haman persuaded King Xerxes to issue an order to destroy, kill and annihilate all the Jews throughout the empire, an empire that stretched from India to Ethiopia. When the Jews, including Mordecai, heard the news, they fasted, wept and wailed. Mordecai then sent word … Continue reading Esther 05+06 →

Psalm 051

Introduction Psalm 51 is a penitential psalm in which the psalmist confesses his sin to the Lord and seeks God's mercy and forgiveness. You'll see from the title that the background to the psalm is the time when Nathan the prophet confronted David about his sin with Bathsheba. David had committed adultery with Bathsheba; and … Continue reading Psalm 051 →