Psalm 119 from my new book:

A NEW LOOK AT THE OLD PSALMS

Praying the Psalms: a modern interpretation

____________________

I present here a new perspective on the psalms. I have rewritten them from a New 
Testament Christ-centered point of view. I did not try to capture the poetry of the 
psalms – I leave that to more gifted writers – but I attempted to capture their message
with a more modern interpretation.

God bless,

John

____________________

Psalm 119

(This psalm describes the highway to heaven.)

B

lessed are they who follow the path of Christ and obey the Lord’s commandments. They love him with all their heart. Those who disobey his laws are on the road to perdition.

I went looking for you, Lord, and found your words of life. I have hidden them in my heart. I delight in your laws more than a rich man values his gold. I meditate on your statutes all day long to better understand and know you with my whole heart. How I will rejoice once I have learned the wisdom that they teach.

You are the keeper of my soul. You know that I live every day of my life according to your precepts. Your word has become a part of my life. Your laws bring great joy to my heart, a heart that is forever dedicated to doing your will. To live my life according to your will is the only reward I seek.

Your truth, O Lord, is eternal. Since the foundation of the world, all creation has obeyed your statutes. Your word illuminates the path before me. Without your direction, my soul would have perished in sin. Your commandments are dear to me, Lord, for they are the words of life.

All your decrees are righteous and will endure eternally. They are filled with what is right and true. Your words have stood the test of time, and I love them. Though I am a man without much experience or reputation, I know the truth when I see it. Teach me your ordinances, so that I may share them with others. Your precepts give much peace and delight to those who love them.

You are righteous, Lord, and your laws are fair. Your words give me hope. Your statutes are wonderful and provide so much insight. Yet even a child can understand them. I understand more than all my teachers and elders. How sweet are your teachings; they are sweeter than honey. They taught me to detest everything that is unrighteous. I will boast of your commandments, for they are right and just.

It is my pleasure, Lord, to follow your statutes. I love your commandments. I cannot stop praising your righteous decrees. I awake at midnight to thank you for your just ordinances because your laws keep me righteous. May my words of gratitude be acceptable to you.

Your words are uplifting. Therefore, I will follow your precepts forever. I will boast of your laws everywhere I go, even before kings, for your decrees are perfect and impartial. I will memorize what they say. They are always on my mind.

How shall we remain innocent if we ignore your words? My soul has always longed to know your ways, for I see how you scold the arrogant and condemn the wicked. Do not count me among those sinners, Lord, for I seek to do your will. I only associate with those who love you and obey your laws. Powerful people have sought to dissuade me from following your commandments, but your precepts are all I think about. They are the counsels by which I live.

I confessed my sins to you, so teach me how not to sin again. My soul was weak before I discovered your statutes. Root me firmly now in your word. Have mercy on me and let me not fall into temptation. Your truth is what I seek, and I embrace it. Let me not be humiliated before the naysayers, for I have been following your path ever since you replaced my stone heart with a tender heart filled with love for you.

Before you chastised me, I used to sin. But now I obey your teachings. I am fortunate that you disciplined me. If you had not humbled me, I would not have learned about your laws. I gave your precepts careful thought and decided to follow them. Your words are now more valuable to me than all the world’s riches. Let the arrogant who treated me unjustly be disgraced. As for me, I will continue to concentrate on your commandments. May your laws help me to avoid sin and the disappointment of having failed you.

Even now I am surrounded by arrogant sinners who tempt me to join them in their evil ways, but I hold fast to your laws. Evil pursues me at every corner, but I keep the faith in your word. The more foolishly the ungodly act, the more I long for you. They ignore your teachings, but I love them. Evil tries to trap me, but your decrees keep me from falling. I see how limited and flawed we humans are, but you and your commandments are limitless and perfect. That is why I cling to your statutes. The hearts of the wicked are bitter, but I meditate on the sweetness of your precepts.

I detest sinners, but love your law. I reject the wicked, for I live according to your commandments. You reject those who ignore your statutes, for they prefer evil over good. Do not regard me as a sinner, for I follow your precepts. Let me never cease to worship you, for I would dread your judgment for having offended you.

I felt the shame of my former sinful life, but your words comforted me. I know what you decree is truth, and I was chastened so that I could see the value of that truth. I learned my lesson: follow your laws diligently and that will keep me from sinning against you.

Although I saw the arrogant sometimes go unpunished, I was never tempted to abandon your decrees. Past experience taught me that sinners eventually receive their comeuppance, and that consoled me. However, I did get depressed when I saw sinners break your laws, seemingly without consequence. At such times, I would recall how they used to sing songs to me about your statutes when I was young. I used to dream about them. I remembered that you promised to hold all sinners accountable for their transgressions. Therefore, I left matters of crime and punishment up to you and continued to obey your laws.

How zealous I became to correct those who ignore your words, for those who do not keep your commandments risk damnation. I hate sin, but love your law. May I always follow your precepts to avoid the shame of sin.

Whenever I am in distress, I seek comfort in your word. Your truth never fails to help me keep things in perspective and uplift my spirits. I rely on your precepts in times of trouble. I use your words against those who mock me. Your commandments teach me wisdom that enables me to outsmart my enemies. I will heed their message forever.  

The devil is not one to take things lying down. Powerful people attacked me for no reason. They have no regard for your laws. I kept studying your teachings, but I got no comfort from them. I felt dried up and useless, but I still believed in your word. I would complain, “How long do I have to wait for you to stop those who are attacking me? The wicked have their own set of rules by which they live, but their rules are not like yours. You teach only the truth. The enemy is persecuting me unfairly. Look how they have humiliated me. Have mercy and save me, for I have always obeyed your precepts. Intercede for me and be my redeemer, just like you promised. Come to my aid.”

They almost killed me, but I clung fast to your commandments. I got up in the middle of the night to pray for help, for your awesome words gave me hope. They filled me with great joy, as if I had just found a hidden treasure of immense value. Because I trusted your word, I knew you would help and protect me when I called upon your name.

“I strive to do what is right and just, Lord. Protect me from those who seek to harm me. Take your servant away from what is evil. Prevent the arrogant from making false accusations against me. I grow weak waiting for your help. Have mercy on me, Lord, and show me how to deal with such evil. Now is the time for you to settle with those who have sinned against you. Because I treasure your commandments above all riches, I avoid everything that does not reflect your goodness. Guide me and let no evil overcome me. Defend me against slanderers, and I will continue to obey your laws. I am heartbroken when I see others ignore your precepts.

Bless me, Lord, for I follow your statutes. Help me to understand the wisdom that they teach. I am just a pilgrim passing through this life. Show me the path you want me to pursue. I must, for the time being, live on this earth, so show me how to live this life according to your laws. Help me to understand your teachings so that they may be more firmly established in my heart. Show me how to avoid greediness and vanity. Teach me how not to offend you, Lord, and remove the shame of my past failures. I long to live a new life now, a life guided by your commandments.

Teach me to be good and instruct me in your ways, for I believe what you say is true. Since you are goodness itself, be good to me, Lord, and ground me in your statutes. You created me, so show me how to act. Surround me with those who love you and respect your precepts. God-fearing people will rejoice when they see how I hope in your sayings. Give me the wisdom to serve you properly. Hear my prayer and help me to understand your word. Give me eternal life, for I love your law.

Have mercy and save your servant, Lord, as you promised in your teachings. I was suffering greatly, and I swore that I would keep your commandments if you would let me live in security and peace. So give me life, Lord, as you promised.

Lord, your mercy knows no bounds. Show me the same mercy that you have shown to others who love you. My soul longs to be saved. As you promised, Lord, strengthen me so that I may live life abundantly here on earth and enjoy eternal life with you in the world to come. Do not disappoint me. I count on your help for my salvation because I obey your decrees.

Lord, hear my prayer and rescue me. You said you would save me if I kept your commandments. In your mercy, answer my prayer and revive my spirit. I know you are near, Lord, and that I can always count on your word, for truth is always reliable. I learned long ago that your statutes will be valid forever. In your compassion, Lord, give me life, for that is what you have sworn to do for those who obey your law. Be merciful and bring my soul back to life.

Lord, I cherish your commands. You see how I obey them because all my ways are known to you. Deliver me, for that is what you promise in your laws. I will always obey your statutes, so do not forsake me. I love only you, Lord.”

And the Lord answered my prayer and saved me.

“Lord, you have been good to me and kept your vow. My soul will spend eternity with you in heaven giving you praise. Your word redeemed me. I strayed like a lost sheep, but you came and found me. I am your servant, Lord, and I will never forget your commandments. Alleluia!”

____________________

Cover image: Christ the Saviour (Pantokrator)." Web. 25 Sept 2016.
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"Creative Commons License." Web. 18 May 2016.
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

This book and other books I have written are posted for your reading pleasure at Booksie.

Scriptural quotations marked NLT are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, 

copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois
60189. All rights reserved.

Copyright © 2016 by John P. Gross. All rights reserved. Reproduction of this material must 

be done in its entirety with the copyright notice intact. This book is not for sale, but is 

offered to the public free of charge for the glory of God.

Psalms 117-118 from my new book:

A NEW LOOK AT THE OLD PSALMS

Praying the Psalms: a modern interpretation

____________________

I present here a new perspective on the psalms. I have rewritten them from a New 
Testament Christ-centered point of view. I did not try to capture the poetry of the 
psalms – I leave that to more gifted writers – but I attempted to capture their message
with a more modern interpretation.

God bless,

John

____________________

Psalm 117

E

xalt the Lord, all you nations. Worship him, all peoples of the world, for God’s will is to save everyone. He cares for all the earth’s inhabitants with the same love and compassion he showed to the Jewish nation. And his truth — the spirit of Christ — will abide forever in those who believe in him. Alleluia!⁶²

Psalm 118

L

et us thank the Lord for his love, compassion, and unending faithfulness. Let all those who worship the Lord proclaim his mercy and acknowledge his eternal loyalty to his covenant.

When I was in distress, I called upon the Lord, and he helped me. What can man do to me with God by my side? My enemies have no power over me because I trust in the Lord and not in men or rulers.

I was fenced in by the wicked, like a honeycomb surrounded by bees. They fumed with anger, but I defeated them with the Lord’s help. I was assaulted and humiliated, almost to the point of falling, but the Lord strengthened me, and now I praise him for saving me.

The righteous celebrate the saving power of God, for he gave me the victory. I did not die, but lived to give glory to God for all he had done for me. Yes, he did chastise me because I had gone astray, but he allowed me to live. Now I see the light of his truth, embrace it, and thank him for it. All his faithful ones will cling to his truth. Thank you, Lord, for answering my prayer and saving me.

Jesus himself was attacked and disgraced by his own people, yet he became the foundation of God’s Church on earth. This was the Father’s doing, and it was a sight to behold, just as when he raised Christ from the dead, and we were so happy.

Save us, Lord, and help us to live life abundantly. Blessed is the one who professes his faith in you. Your Church praises you, for you are our God and have revealed yourself to us in your Son. As we once spread our palms to welcome Jesus to Jerusalem, we celebrate his resurrection by acknowledging that he is our Lord and our God. We exalt him and give him thanks for our salvation.

Let us thank the Lord for his love, compassion, and unending faithfulness. Let all those who worship the Lord proclaim his mercy and acknowledge his eternal loyalty to his covenant. Amen. Alleluia!⁶³

____________________

Cover image: Christ the Saviour (Pantokrator)." Web. 25 Sept 2016.
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Spas_vsederzhitel_sinay.jpg
"Creative Commons License." Web. 18 May 2016.
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

⁶²John Brook, The School of Prayer. (Collegeville: The Liturgical Press, 1992), 220.

⁶³The Orthodox Study Bible. (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2008), 760..

This book and other books I have written are posted for your reading pleasure at Booksie.

Scriptural quotations marked NLT are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, 

copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois
60189. All rights reserved.

Copyright © 2016 by John P. Gross. All rights reserved. Reproduction of this material must 

be done in its entirety with the copyright notice intact. This book is not for sale, but is 

offered to the public free of charge for the glory of God.

Psalms 113-116 from my new book:

A NEW LOOK AT THE OLD PSALMS

Praying the Psalms: a modern interpretation

____________________

I present here a new perspective on the psalms. I have rewritten them from a New 
Testament Christ-centered point of view. I did not try to capture the poetry of the 
psalms – I leave that to more gifted writers – but I attempted to capture their message
with a more modern interpretation.

God bless,

John

____________________

Psalm 113

L

et all servants of God praise our Lord Jesus Christ from morning to night, now and forever. He is the King of all nations, and his glory reaches to the highest heavens. No one can compare to Christ our King who looks down from his regal throne in heaven at his humble subjects below. Yet he stoops to lift up the lowly and restores their dignity. His Church will gladly serve as a nurturing and protective mother to all his children. Alleluia!

Psalm 114 and 115

(These two psalms have a lot in common, so many authorities combine them.)

T

he Jewish people left Egypt and sought sanctuary in the Promised Land. The Red Sea and the Jordan River withdrew to allow safe passage, and the earth shook. Why? Because the Almighty willed it, just as he willed the water to gush forth from a rock in the desert.

It was not the people who accomplished these miracles, but God himself. So let us give him the glory that is due. Otherwise, other nations will wonder if our God exists at all. They cannot see him, but we know where he is — he lives in heaven from where he rules everything on earth.

God does what he wants, for he is omnipotent. Men’s idols have no power. They may be made of precious metals, but they cannot speak, see, hear, smell, feel, walk, or even grunt. And those who believe in these false gods are just as brainless as the metal statues they forge.

The Israelites believed in the Lord God. There is nothing fake about him. He helped and protected his people; they revered and trusted him. The Lord was ever mindful of those who honored him, and he blessed them, the small and great alike.

May the Lord bless you, make you prosperous, and help your family to grow. He is the one who created the universe and his home in heaven, but he gave the earth to his children. Those in hell cannot praise you, Lord, but we who still breathe praise you and will continue to praise you for all eternity. Alleluia!

Psalm 116

I

love the Lord because he answered my prayers when I called upon him. I was in danger of dying, and the prospect of spending eternity in hell grieved me greatly. Then I begged the Lord to save my soul. He is merciful, just, and especially protective of the dispirited. He saw that I was humbled and rescued me.

Be at peace, my soul, for the Lord was kind to you and saved you from eternal damnation. He healed my pain and removed the stones along my path to keep me from falling. The Lord has given me a new lease on life, and he will not find me lacking again. Alleluia!

Because I believed in God, I called out. I was in dire straits and in my delirium I cried, “You cannot trust people!” Only God can be trusted. How can I repay him for all he has done for me? I will drink deeply of the cup of salvation he has offered me and dedicate my life to him. I will let the world know just how much the Lord cares about the salvation of his faithful.

Lord, I am not worthy to be called your servant. Look upon me more as the servant of your servant. You shattered the chains of sin that bound me. I will praise you, Lord, and avow before all your people what I have sworn to you in private. May God, all his holy ones in heaven, and his faithful ones in his Church on earth give witness to my testimony. Amen. Alleluia!

____________________

Cover image: Christ the Saviour (Pantokrator)." Web. 25 Sept 2016.
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Spas_vsederzhitel_sinay.jpg
"Creative Commons License." Web. 18 May 2016.
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

This book and other books I have written are posted for your reading pleasure at Booksie.

Scriptural quotations marked NLT are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, 

copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois
60189. All rights reserved.

Copyright © 2016 by John P. Gross. All rights reserved. Reproduction of this material must 

be done in its entirety with the copyright notice intact. This book is not for sale, but is 

offered to the public free of charge for the glory of God.

Psalms 109-112 from my new book:

A NEW LOOK AT THE OLD PSALMS

Praying the Psalms: a modern interpretation

____________________

I present here a new perspective on the psalms. I have rewritten them from a New 
Testament Christ-centered point of view. I did not try to capture the poetry of the 
psalms – I leave that to more gifted writers – but I attempted to capture their message
with a more modern interpretation.

God bless,

John

____________________

Psalm 109

(A vision of the betrayal of Jesus by Judas.)

" F

ather, please answer my prayer, for a deceitful and evil man has betrayed me. He lied and stirred up hatred against me. He attacked me for no reason. I asked him to love me, but he made false accusations against me. I never stopped praying for him, but he repaid my kindness with evil; responded to my love with hate.

Human suffering is painful, but temporary. The loss of one’s soul cannot be undone. The fires of hell are unquenchable. Rather than be condemned forever and given over to the devil, it would have been far better for Judas had he experienced the worst afflictions on earth: the loss of his position; his wife a widow; his children homeless and starving orphans treated without compassion; his property inherited by strangers; complete abandonment; the extinction of all his descendants; forgotten by his contemporaries; shamed by the sins of his forbearers; the eradication of the memory of his bloodline.

Judas brought all this suffering upon himself. Instead of showing mercy, he persecuted me, a humble man without resource. His betrayal led to my death. He loved cursing, so he was cursed; rejected blessing, so he received none. This is what happened to the man who spoke evil about me before God.

Yet you have been merciful to me, Father, and it has brought glory to your name. You saved me when I was abandoned and humiliated. I was in great distress, fading like an evening shadow, crushed like an insect. I was weak from fasting, disfigured, scorned, and rebuked.

Thank you, Father, for mercifully saving me. May all the world see that it was you who did this. People condemn, but you exalt. You disgraced and dishonored those who attacked me, but you lifted me up. I can never thank you enough. I will praise you before everyone because you saved me, a man in dire straits, from those who sought my utter destruction. Amen.”⁵⁹

Psalm 110

(A vision of the Priesthood of Jesus Christ.)

T

he Lord God said to my Lord Jesus Christ, “As the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity, you will rule over all creation, including your enemies. My divine power will work through you, the Messiah, and you will govern all nations in my name. From the beginning, you have shared my power and been a beacon of light to all who strive for holiness. You are my Son to whom I gave birth before time began. This is my sworn oath, ‘You are a priest like Melchizedek, the King of Salem, whose royal and priestly authority and power also came from me.’”

My Lord will crush all his enemies and judge all the world’s rulers. And he will be responsible for the destruction of evil on earth. He will be filled with the grace of the Holy Spirit which will ensure his ultimate victory.⁶⁰

Psalm 111

Y

our Church will give you thanks, Lord, for all your great works for which we have fervently prayed. You willed them into being, and they reveal your majesty. They will evoke our gratitude down through the ages, for your love and kindness are eternal.

We will never forget how merciful and compassionate you are, Lord. You fed the righteous and remembered your holy covenant. We saw your great strength when you gave us the lands of other peoples. Love and justice are your trademarks. Your laws are etched in stone and forever binding because they are based on truth and faithfulness.

You saved your people and established a covenant with them that will be in effect forever. Holy is your name and worthy to be praised. Obedience to God’s laws is the first step to understanding his ways. We will praise you forever. Alleluia!

Psalm 112

B

lessed be the Lord Jesus Christ who revered the Father and loved following his commandments. His Church will one day encompass the whole earth, and his followers will be showered with many blessings. The glory of God and the righteousness of Christ will reside in his Church forever. Christ’s mercy, compassion, and virtue will draw many from the darkness of sin into the light of holiness.

A follower of Christ is kind, generous, and speaks wisely. His faith will never be shaken, and he will always be remembered as a righteous man. He will not be troubled by the vicissitudes of life because he trusts in the Lord. His faith in God is strong. He will fear no evil because he dwells in the presence of the Most High God. People will never forget his generosity and uprightness. His reward will be great in heaven.

The devil seethes with anger at the loss of another soul saved by Jesus. He is consumed with hatred for our Savior, but he will never prevail against him or his Church. Alleluia!⁶¹

____________________

Cover image: Christ the Saviour (Pantokrator)." Web. 25 Sept 2016.
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Spas_vsederzhitel_sinay.jpg
"Creative Commons License." Web. 18 May 2016.
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

⁵⁹The Orthodox Study Bible. (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2008), 755.

⁶⁰The School of Prayer. (Collegeville: The Liturgical Press, 1992), 133-135.
⁶¹The Orthodox Study Bible. (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2008), 758.

This book and other books I have written are posted for your reading pleasure at Booksie.

Scriptural quotations marked NLT are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, 

copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois
60189. All rights reserved.

Copyright © 2016 by John P. Gross. All rights reserved. Reproduction of this material must 

be done in its entirety with the copyright notice intact. This book is not for sale, but is 

offered to the public free of charge for the glory of God.

Psalms 105-108 from my new book:

A NEW LOOK AT THE OLD PSALMS

Praying the Psalms: a modern interpretation

____________________

I present here a new perspective on the psalms. I have rewritten them from a New 
Testament Christ-centered point of view. I did not try to capture the poetry of the 
psalms – I leave that to more gifted writers – but I attempted to capture their message
with a more modern interpretation.

God bless,

John

____________________

Psalm 105

(Psalms 105, 106 and 107 are songs of thanksgiving to God for his great mercy.)

L

et us thank the Lord and praise his name. Proclaim his works to all nations. Strum your instruments and sing a song to celebrate his wonderful deeds. He is holy and holy is his name. And we who love him rejoice. Seek your strength in the Lord at all times.

Remember the wonderful things he has done, the truth he has revealed to his people. Remember the oath he gave to Abraham and his descendants that he would save us from our enemies and keep his holy covenant for a thousand generations to come. He bequeathed to Israel the land of Canaan. The Jews were a small group, just passing through nation after nation. They formed a kingdom like no other, and he protected them. He defeated kings who tried to harm his prophets. He spread famine across the land of the unbelievers, depriving them of bread.

Remember how the Lord looked after the house of Jacob. Joseph was sold into slavery by his brothers. He was sorely tested until the time came for the Lord to reveal his will through the dreams of Pharaoh. Joseph was released from prison and placed in charge of the king’s house and lands. He was given authority to advise his officials and even those much older than he. The Jews thrived in Egypt and grew stronger and more numerous than the Egyptians who began to hate them.

Remember how he used Moses and Aaron to gain the freedom of his people from Pharaoh. The Lord worked wondrous signs through them: he blotted out the sun, but Pharaoh would not relent. The Lord turned the waters into blood, killing the fish; caused frogs to infest the land and even the king’s private chambers; he besieged them with flies and gnats; rained down hail; dried up the ground; destroyed every tree and vineyard; and assailed them with locusts and caterpillars that ate all the grass and fruit. Then he killed the first-born of each family, including the Pharaoh’s son, and the king finally capitulated.

Remember how the Jews left Egypt carrying much silver and gold. Not one had suffered from the plagues. And Egypt was glad to be rid of them. The Lord protected them with cloud cover by day and a pillar of fire by night. He fed them with manna and split the rock to provide water for the thirsty, and the rivers flowed.

God kept the promise he made to Abraham, his servant. He set his people free, and they rejoiced in the Lord. He gave them the lands and property of the nations through which they passed. All they had to do was obey his laws. Alleluia!⁵⁵

Psalm 106

H

oly is our God. Let us thank him for his mercy that will never end. How wonderful are his works. Blessed are they who keep his commandments and do what is right. Remember us, Lord, for we seek to do your will and beg for your salvation. See how good we are, how glad we are to be your children, and how we praise you among the people.

Yet we sinned like our ancestors. We broke his laws and rejected righteousness. Our forefathers did not understand what the Lord had done for them in Egypt. Forgetting how merciful he had been to them, they rejected him when they ran up against the Red Sea. But he made a path for them through the water to show his great power and the reliability of his promises. When he drowned their pursuers, they finally trusted him and gave him praise.

However, their faith in his works did not last long. They soon failed to seek his advice and complained bitterly about how dissatisfied they were in the desert. Again, the Lord gave them what they wanted. They even angered Moses and Aaron, but the complainers were swallowed up in an earthquake and consumed by fire. Then they fashioned a calf and worshiped it. Imagine our glorious Lord turned into a grass-eating animal! Again, they forgot all the good things the Lord had done for them.

God would have destroyed them if Moses had not intervened for them. But then they rejected the Promised Land and doubted him again. They sat and complained in their tents and refused to listen to the Lord. So he punished them by denying their entry into Canaan and condemning them to live in the desert as nomads. They even made matters worse by dedicating themselves to the false god Baal and eating sacrifices to the dead! Then the Lord punished them more severely with plagues and death. Finally, Phinehas took matters into his own hands and made peace with the Lord who ceased destroying his people. Since that time, Phinehas has been regarded as a righteous man.

Unfortunately, they angered the Lord again at Meribah with all their bellyaching about his dragging them out of Egypt to let them die of thirst in the desert. Moses made matters worse by not following the Lord’s instructions. Then they failed to destroy the pagans; imitated them; worshiped their false gods; and sacrificed their innocent children to demons, polluting and defiling the land. By this time, the Lord had had enough of these ungrateful people and he abandoned them. He allowed them to be conquered and enslaved by the nations who hated them. Despite all the times the Lord had saved them, they continued to rebel against him, and he continued to punish them.

Seeing them in such a sad state and remembering the covenant he had made with them, he took pity on them and relented. He even stirred their captors to be more compassionate to them.

And they cried, “Save us, God. Bring us back together as one nation, so we may praise you and give thanks to you with one voice. Bless the Lord, the God of Israel, forever and ever.” And they all shouted, “Amen! Amen!” Alleluia!⁵⁶

Psalm 107

L

et us give thanks to the Lord for he is kind and compassionate, and his mercy is unending. Let those he saved from their enemies give testimony. He gathered his people together and led them into the desert where they grew weak from hunger and thirst. They begged the Lord for help, and he guided them to the Promised Land.

Let the people thank him for his great mercy and the wonders he performed for them.

Some languished in jail in the dark, close to death, subjected to extreme poverty and slavery. They had rebelled against him, and he let them suffer at the hands of their captors. With no one to help them, they called upon the Lord in their suffering, and he rescued them. His light shone in the darkness, and he restored them to life. He broke the chains that bound them. He demolished the bronze gates and iron bars that held them prisoner. Jesus would fulfill these words himself when he destroyed death by dying and brought light to those in darkness by rising from the dead.

Let the people thank him for his great mercy and the wonders he performed for them.

There were others who were on the verge of starving to death because they were too sick to eat. Thus humbled by their sins, they begged God to save them, and he rescued them from their afflictions by sending his word to heal them. Jesus Christ, the Word, would fulfill these words when he became man to heal us of the fear of death and the sickness of sin.

Let the people thank him for his great mercy and the wonders he performed for them.

Sailors on ships can attest to the wonders the Lord works at sea. Suddenly, stormy winds can stir the water causing waves to rise several feet into the air and come crashing down with great ferocity. Such waves horrify the crews who fear capsizing and drowning. They stagger like drunken men and are filled with panic. Yet they know that the Lord will hear their cry and rescue them from danger. In an instant, he can command the storm winds to become a breeze and the waves to cease their roiling. He will make sure they arrive at their destination safely. Let the Church exalt the Lord and praise him among the leaders of the world.

Let the people thank him for his great mercy and the wonders he performed for them.

What miracles the Lord can perform! He dries up rivers and fills fields of grain with salt water because of the sins of those who live there. He can also make deserts rivers and bring water to the fields where the hungry can make a home. They gather much fruit and harvest abundant crops. Their families grow, and their herds multiply because he blesses them.

However, should they come to reject God, they will be brought low and suffer at the hands of the enemy who despises them. They will find themselves trapped. Yet he lifts the poor out of poverty, and their families grow and multiply like sheep. The godly will rejoice at the poor man’s success. The wicked will be dumbfounded. Let the wise remember these things and learn to make the most of what they have learned about the Lord’s mercy. Alleluia!⁵⁷

Psalm 108

(A vision of Jesus in heaven praising the Father on behalf of his Church after his Ascension.)

" F

ather, you have lifted me up and placed me at your right hand. My Church is anxious to sing your praises. Musicians are at the ready. All nations will exalt your name, Father, because of the mercy you have shown them. There is no limit to the love and faithfulness you displayed in delivering your loved ones on earth.

You have given me rulership over all nations on earth, but there are still souls to be saved. Will you continue to fight with us, Father? We cannot win the war alone. But in you we have a mighty ally. No enemy can stand against us if you are with us.”⁵⁸

____________________

Cover image: Christ the Saviour (Pantokrator)." Web. 25 Sept 2016.
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Spas_vsederzhitel_sinay.jpg
"Creative Commons License." Web. 18 May 2016.
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

⁵⁵The Orthodox Study Bible. (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2008), 751.

⁵⁶Ibid.

⁵⁷Ibid.
⁵⁸Ibid., p. 755

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Scriptural quotations marked NLT are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, 

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