Psalms 37 and 38 from my new book:
A NEW LOOK AT THE OLD PSALMS
Praying the Psalms: a modern interpretation
____________________
Psalms 37 and 38 from my new book:
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.
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
37
Who will gain admittance to heaven? Those who do
good, reject evil, and trust in the Lord; who follow his decrees faithfully and
patiently; who are not jealous of the wicked; who delight in the Lord; who
dedicate all they do to him; who do not give in to anger, rage or envy; who
treasure holiness over possessions; who follow their conscience which is well
informed by God’s teachings; who never stray from God’s path; the gentle and
humble; the innocent and generous; the good, honest souls who love peace.
As for the ungodly, they will not enter the kingdom
of heaven; they will fade away; be destroyed; lose what they cherish the most;
find themselves weak and defenseless, the cause of their own undoing. The Lord
will laugh at their defiance, for judgment day is coming.
Psalm
38
Jesus takes the place of sinners on the cross and
begs the Father for their salvation. “Father, as I suffer on this cross to
atone for the sins of others, your rebukes and punishment are killing me. My
health is failing because of the heavy guilt I bear for sinners. I am mortally
wounded; filled with pain; burning with fever; exhausted, crushed and in
anguish; my heart beats irregularly; I can no longer see; my appearance is
abhorrent. I was betrayed by a friend who laid a trap for me. But I kept
silent, for I am waiting for you, Father, to answer these false charges. You
will not let them rejoice in my demise. Accept my sacrifice as payment owed by
others, for I have done nothing wrong. Evil opposes me because I am good. Save
me, Father. Do not leave me in the grave.”8
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.
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8The Orthodox Study Bible. (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2008), 707.
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/
8The Orthodox Study Bible. (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2008), 707.
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.
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.
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