Today’s Bible Translation

Bible translation used in today’s episode: Ch. 33 GWT, Ch. 34 NASB, Ch. 35 NLV

Associate Producer

Timothy LaFontaine

Podcast Introduction

This is the Psalms Wednesday. Our reading will be chapters 33-35. I’m calling this episode, “Never Stop Praising.” Today I’ll have some introductory remarks for each chapter, and then let each chapter speak for itself, instead of having any commentary afterwards.

And it’s December 21st, so we’re down to the last four Christmas questions. I had a few for James, and so we’ll hear them over the next few days. You’re still welcome to send in your questions, and I’ll be happy to include them right up to the Christmas day episode. You can still have your name entered for the drawings.

And today is Wednesday, so we will have a time of prayer as well.

S13E080ArtSWS1400-sunshine on a lake — Design: SWS | Photo: Davide Cantelli on Unsplash

Comments on Psalms 33-35

Introduction to Psalm 33

What a joyous psalm this is! It is written to all that have called on the name of Jesus to be saved, because it is written to the righteous. And because of our belief in the saving power of Jesus’ shed blood, righteousness is credited to us.

This is a psalm that looks at how good it is to be joyful and praise God in all His goodness and majesty and awesomeness and justice and power. It’s like a wonderfully fresh breath of air on a crisp, clear, sunny blue day from the top of a pristine mountain, where you can see for miles and miles and miles in all directions, all of God’s good creation.

This is a psalm of celebration and hallelujahs. Joyfully sing to the Lord, you righteous people!

Introduction to Psalm 34

The title of this psalm is “A Psalm of David when he pretended madness before Abimelech, who drove him away, and he departed.”

In 1 Samuel 21:10-22:1 we’re told that David was running from King Saul. He went to Gath, a Philistine city, but found that there was no safe place there. In fact he barely escaped. He went to Adullam and found a cave, and was joined by others. This psalm may have been written and sung in this cave.

Probably to make it easier to learn and remember, the psalm was written as an acrostic, with each verse beginning with a different Hebrew letter, except for the letter vav, the sixth letter of the Hebrew alphabet.

Abimelech was most likely a title given to Philistine rulers. According to 1 Samuel 21:10 this specific ruler was named Achish.

In this psalm David teaches us that we can and should praise the Lord even when we are under attack. Even is this cave, David praises the Lord with his mouth. Not only in his heart, but with his mouth, as a way to encourage others to praise the One who delivered them to this safe place.

Introduction to Psalm 35

The Psalms can be roughly divided into seven different types. There are psalms of thanksgiving, psalms of lament, psalms of enthronement, psalms of pilgrimage, royal psalms, wisdom psalms and imprecatory psalms.

Psalm 35 is an imprecatory psalm. To imprecate is to call down calamity, destruction, and God’s anger and judgement upon someone. This is not the only psalm like this. We’ve already read some of them. The major imprecatory psalms are Psalms 5, 10, 17, 35, 58, 59, 69, 70, 79, 83, 109, 129, 137, and 140.

We need to remember what Paul wrote in Romans 12: 19Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord.

The imprecatory psalms were not written with the mindset of getting purely personal revenge. They were written by men (not all of them were written by David) who knew of God’s justice, sovereignty and protection. The Israelites had been persecuted greatly by enemies such as the Hittites, the Philistines and the Babylonians, who hated not only them, but God Himself. They were ruthless and immoral conquerers whose goal was to destroy God’s chosen people. These imprecatory psalms were written with the idea of vindication for God as well as the people.

It is not known when David wrote this psalm, but the language in verse one is much like what David said in 1 Samuel 24:15, so it is possible that he wrote it during the time King Saul was pursuing him.

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Transcript

Download .txt file.

Psalms 33-35: Never Stop Praising (LSFAB S13E081)

[TEASER – 0:00]
Joyfully sing to the Lord, you righteous people.

[INTRO S13E081 – 0:10]
It’s the Lifespring Family Audio Bible coming to you from Riverside, California, and podcasting since 2004, I’m your OG Godcaster, Steve Webb. This is a daily podcast and you and I are reading through the entire Bible in a year. I’m so glad you’re along for the ride. The website is lifespringmedia.com. And this is Psalms Wednesday. Today, our reading will be chapters 33 through 35. I’m calling the episode “Never Stop Praising.” Today I’ll have some introductory remarks for each chapter and then let each chapter speak for itself instead of having any commentary afterwards.

And it’s December 21, so we’re down to the last four Christmas questions. I had a few questions for James, and so we’ll hear them over the next few days. Of course, you’re still welcome to send in your questions, and I’ll be happy to include them right up to the Christmas Day episode, so you can still have your name entered for the drawings. And being Wednesday, we will have a time of prayer as well.

Before we read, let’s pray.

[OPENING PRAYER – 1:09]
Our gracious heavenly Father, how we love you, and we thank you so much for your Word. We thank you that you are a God that wants us to know you. And that’s why you gave us the Bible. I pray that as we read today, you would open our hearts and our minds and I pray this in Jesus’ name. Amen.

All right, let’s begin.

[INTRO TO PSALM 33 – 1:30]
Psalm 33 is such a joyous psalm. It’s written to all that have called on the name of Jesus to be saved because it’s written to the righteous. And because of our belief in the saving power of Jesus’ shed blood, righteousness is credited to us.

This is a psalm that looks at how good it is to be joyful and praise God in all His goodness and majesty and awesomeness and justice and power. It’s like a wonderfully fresh breath of air on a crisp, clear, sunny, blue day from the top of a pristine mountain, where you can see for miles and miles and miles in all directions, all of God’s good creation.

This is a psalm of celebration and hallelujahs. Joyfully sing to the Lord, you righteous people.

[PSALM 33 (GWT) – 2:16]
Psalms, chapter 33.

(1) Joyfully sing to the Lord, you righteous people.
Praising the Lord is proper for decent people.
(2) Give thanks with a lyre to the Lord.
Make music for him on a ten-stringed harp.
(3) Sing a new song to him.
Play beautifully and joyfully on stringed instruments.

(4) The word of the Lord is correct,
and everything he does is trustworthy.
(5) The Lord loves righteousness and justice.
His mercy fills the earth.
(6) The heavens were made by the word of the Lord
and all the stars by the breath of his mouth.
(7) He gathers the water in the sea like a dam
and puts the oceans in his storehouses.
(8) Let all the earth fear the Lord.
Let all who live i...

S2E081-Psalms 33-35: Never Stop Praising