Seeing Jesus in the Psalms

  Psalms 130 A song for pilgrims ascending to Jerusalem. 1 From the depths of despair, O Lord, I call for your help. 2 Hear my cry, O Lord. Pay attention to my prayer. 3 Lord, if you kept a record of our sins, who, O Lord, could ever survive? 4 But you offer forgiveness, that we might learn to fear you. 5 I am counting on the Lord; yes, I am counting on him. I have put my hope in his word. 6 I long for the Lord more than sentries long for the dawn, yes, more than sentries long for the dawn. 7 O Israel, hope in the Lord; for with the Lord there is unfailing love. His redemption overflows. 8 He himself will redeem Israel from every kind of sin. Psalm 130 hope in the Lord v.7 MAIN POINT: There is hope for despair in the person of Jesus who redeems. If you read too quickly you might miss the words “ depths of despair ”. You might have become numb to a Psalmist’s honesty and emotional transparency. Maybe you are too tired yourself to feel with the writer and to connect to the words aga...

Psalm 124 A song for pilgrims ascending to Jerusalem. A psalm of David. 1 What if the Lord had not been on our side?     Let all Israel repeat: 2 What if the Lord had not been on our side     when people attacked us? 3 They would have swallowed us alive     in their burning anger. 4 The waters would have engulfed us;     a torrent would have overwhelmed us. 5 Yes, the raging waters of their fury     would have overwhelmed our very lives. 6 Praise the Lord,     who did not let their teeth tear us apart! 7 We escaped like a bird from a hunter’s trap.     The trap is broken, and we are free! 8 Our help is from the Lord,     who made heaven and earth. Oh to be free! Free like a bird. Oh to have escaped the terrors of bondage. I knew immediately how to respond to Psalm 124. And as I write it I hear the voice of mockers who tell me I a...

  Psalm 40 7 Then I said, “Look, I have come. As is written about me in the Scriptures…. Most translators seem consistent in the rendering of this phrase as referring to the “ speaker” being a person who is written about in the scriptures. Commentators disagree, with a large number retranslating the passage and the others declaring that this is a messianic Psalm referring to Jesus. Seeing Jesus as the helper and saviour in verse 17 is easy and it would be no problem to take nearly all of this Psalm as David praying to God (Jesus?). But to what extent does this Psalm express the words, feelings and actions of Jesus? The writer of Hebrews takes verses 6 and 7 of Psalm 40 and attributes them to Jesus. 5 That is why, when Christ came into the world, he said to God, “You did not want animal sacrifices or sin offerings. But you have given me a body to offer. 6 You were not pleased with burnt offerings or other offerings for sin. 7 Then I said, ‘Look, I have come to do your will, O God— a...