Walking through the Psalms when you can't leave the house

Psalm 74 This psalm does not carry any external notification of a setting, because it is absolutely explicit from the beginning.  This is the destruction of the Temple during the Babylonian sack of Jerusalem.  It is a trauma that rips apart the Judean religion, founded on the concept that Jerusalem is secure, since it is where God dwells.  So far so good, but there are hidden depths that we can plumb. verse 1 The psalmist doesn't understand what is going on.  God has guaranteed the safety of Jerusalem by inhabiting the Temple in the middle of it, so why have the people been punished like this, and why does that punishment show no sign of diminishing? verses 2 & 3 God is being granted a small amount of leeway here.  Perhaps the Lord is simply forgetful, and has neglected to notice that the covenant has been most egregiously broken.  Come forth, and see what you have allowed to happen, the psalmist almost sobs. verses 4 - 7 The enemy came in with their banners which bo

Psalm 54 It is very helpful when the heading to a Psalm is absolutely explicit.  Shame about this one, then! The instruments implied are generally agreed to be stringed, but there is no certainty.  'Of David' comes with its usual warnings, and as for what a maskil is, well there are several contending ideas. A skilled composition, an effective song, a wisdom psalm, a teaching psalm, or a meditation. As my parents would have said, 'Pays your money, takes your choice.'  We simply don't know. However, what follows is quite explicit.  "When the Ziphites went and said to Saul 'Is not David hiding among us?'"  1 Samuel 23 is but one element in a long line of  'flee-be discovered-flee again' episodes in the life of David and his relationship with King Saul.  It is worth reprising what we know of this relationship. Firstly, Saul is the first of a new concept - the monarch of Israel.  As such he is both a proud man and very insecure

Psalm 44 is a strange one. We are used to prophetic diatribes accusing the people of having forsaken their covenant with God.  This is a little bit different.  It is obvious from the content that it speaks from a time of defeat in battle or war, although it has no detail for us to fix on a specific occasion.  This time the content creates its own context. verses 1 - 4 These comprise that style of ancient literature that has been called 'The Appeal to History', restating the ways in which God has helped the Hebrews in seizing the land from its former inhabitants.  The psalmist fully accepts that victory had nothing to do with the nation, but rather had depended on divine intervention. verses 5 - 8 elaborate on the theme, and make it clear that the people have given God the glory, and have not claimed it for themselves. Then the psalm turns, completely. verses 9 - 12 are a cri de couer , the anguish of rout and defeat, of flight and pillage, of a refugee community w

Continuing onward For this week, I thought that we could look at Psalm 30.  The heading for this psalm is a little ambiguous, because it is literally 'A dedication song for the house'.  While it is tempting to suggest that this was used at the opening of the Temple for worship during either Solomon's reign (approximately 960 BCE) or the rebuilding after the Exile (516 BCE) the meaning of 'the house' need not mean 'the Temple'.  It is possible that it was originally a blessing for a home, although the content seems a bit odd if that is so.  Anyway.... verse 1 An opening of great joy and relief.  Being 'drawn out' could be linked to imagery of a well, or of a pit.  Either way, the psalmist is raised up and is in the daylight, rather than hidden from it.  His enemies cannot rejoice over him, because God has raised him above them. verses 2 & 3 The psalmist gives thanks for healing from a sickness that he thought could lead to death, healing