Join Pastor Tim as we turn to our next three Psalms (40-42) and reflect on how they turn us towards our true hope as we look forward to Easter.
Read along with us! Throughout the week, read this week’s Psalms and, as you have insights or questions, please leave them in the comments below! We’ll be here throughout the week interacting with each other on the readings! We’re aiming to read Psalm 40 today, Psalm 41 by Wednesday and Psalm 42 by Friday so that we can discuss all three of them together.
Get the full details on this 2022 Reading Plan through the Psalms by visiting our overview page.
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Re: Songs for Our Temple (Week 14: Ps. 40-42)
PSALMS 40. THE HEART OF WORSHIP In sacrifice and offering, you have not delighted, but you have given me an open ear. Burnt offering and sin offering you have not required. 7Then I said, “Behold, I have come; in the scroll of the book, it is written of me: 8I delight to do your will, O my God; your law is within my heart.”
Here we see what the true meaning of worship has become and comes from the heart. Sometimes we do the “church thing” because we still want to be affiliated with Jesus. Do you sing songs to the Lord only to the excellent sound of the music, not really understanding the words? The same can happen when we read or listen to someone teach the bible. I only want to hear what is positive and pleasing to my ears. God does desire your sacrifice, but it must come from the heart. Hebrews 10:4 says, “For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.”
Re: Songs for Our Temple (Week 14: Ps. 40-42)
PSALMS 41. I am not sure how to read this last chapter of book one of Psalms. The more I read this chapter and some commentaries, I see that there are wrong and proper ways to treat the poor. You can replace the word poor with people under your authority; how do you treat them? The proper way is in Psalms 41:1-3, “Blessed is the one who considers the poor! In the day of trouble, the Lord delivers him: the Lord protects him and keeps him alive: don’t give him up to the will of his enemies.” I can see taking this a little farther by asking this question; Do you only like hanging around or associating with people of particular esteem?
Re: Songs for Our Temple (Week 14: Ps. 40-42)
PSALMS 42 BOOK 2 1As a deer pants for flowing streams, so pants my soul for you, O God. 2My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and appear before God?
Does your soul thirst for the things of God? Jesus promises those things in John 7:37-38
37On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. 38Whoever believes in me, as for the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’” 39Now this he said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive, for as yet the Spirit had not been given because Jesus was not yet glorified.
When I feel dismayed I call upon the Holy Spirit to refresh me. We don’t have to go to a temple to see God because Jesus has given us the Holy Spirit as our comforter.