Nathan Whitley's Blog, page 8
July 23, 2020
Daily Readings in the Bible Psalms 80-85
Psalm 81 begins with a call to worship with musical instruments. The call for worship is in reference to a feast day. It is quite possible the feast day in question was the Feast of Tabernacles. The festival began with the sounding of the trumpet on the first of the month at the new moon (Ps. 81:3). The Feast of Tabernacles would be held in the middle of the month, in which Israelite families would dwell in tabernacles made of foliage (Lev. 23:33-43; Deut. 31:10). The Feast of Tabernacles (also ...
July 22, 2020
Daily Readings in the Bible Psalms 78-79
History is one of the greatest teachers. It may not be everyone’s favorite subject, but history is definitely important. George Santayana said of history, “Those who do not remember the past are condemned to repeat it.”
The beginning of Psalm 78 says it is a “maschil of Asaph” The word “maschil” is the Hebrew word for instruction, meaning this is an instructional psalm. Asaph, the writer of this psalm, was teaching a new generation by warning them of the previous generation’s failures. The previ...
July 21, 2020
Daily Readings in the Bible Psalms 74-77
The human memory is one of the great wonders of the world. We stand in amazement when someone shows off their great memory, either by quoting something verbatim, or recalling minute information like some wizard from a fairy tale. Such rare feats of achievement cause bewilderment because the majority of us can’t remember where we set our keys down the night before. I can barely recall what I ate for lunch yesterday. It seems the older I get, the less and less space is available in my memory’s har...
July 20, 2020
Daily Readings in the Bible Psalms 70-73
There’s no doubt God is good to His people. He takes care of us, and provides our every need. But it’s easy to overlook and take for granted sometimes. Especially when we see unrighteous people prospering. We think they have it all despite their evil ways. Why do they prosper? How can they get away with their behavior? Doesn’t God see their actions? Why do I have to live this way, and obey God’s laws?
Have you ever thought like that? I know I have. And we are in good company, because Asaph, the...
July 19, 2020
Daily Readings in the Bible Psalms 66-69
The word “Selah” appears only in the book of Psalms and Habakkuk. “Selah” is found multiple times in today’s readings. But what does that word mean? Bible commentators do not all agree on the meaning of the Hebrew word. Some believe that “Selah” was used to inform musicians to change instruments, or to change the tempo of the song. Another said it was a call for hearers to fall on their face and worship the Lord. The majority of Bible scholars, however, believe the word meant to rest and reflect...
July 17, 2020
Daily Readings in the Bible Psalms 58-65
Have you ever felt overwhelmed? Have you had feelings and emotions that simply overpower you? I’m not sure about you, but I’ve been secretly fighting overwhelming fear over the last few weeks. The incessant negativity that surges from Twitter feeds and news networks feed fear. Like David, where can we turn for relief?
David said, “From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: Lead me to to the rock that is higher than I “ (Ps. 61:2).
The metaphor of God being a ro...
July 15, 2020
Daily Readings in the Bible Psalms 52-57
There is no doubt that the Christian church is under attack. The Christian worldview is ridiculed daily. Recently, one news anchor said we are to trust in ourselves rather than trust in God. Another television show host claimed that Jesus wasn’t perfect. Christians are commonly called intolerant, and bigoted due to our exclusive belief in Jesus Christ is God, and that His Word is the true standard of morality and righteous living.
The psalmist wrote, “Be merciful unto me, O God: for man would sw...
July 13, 2020
Preorder My New Book!
You can preorder my new book, I AM: Studies in the I AM Declarations of Jesus Christ.
Description
In the Gospel of John, Jesus boldly declares that He is the Great I AM of the Old Testament. In this book we look closely at these seven declarations of Jesus Christ and how they are significant to believers today. A study guide is provided at the conclusion of each chapter for personal study and reflections. Perfect for small groups and classroom settings too. Contact me for bulk pricing!
Daily Readings in the Bible Psalms 46-51
David’s sin with Bathsheba, and the murder of her husband, are quite the stains on an otherwise illustrious life (2 Sam. 11:1-27).
From this failure, and the prophetic confrontation that followed, we are given David’s prayer of repentance in Psalm fifty-one.
David uses three words to describe his failure (Ps. 51:3-5,9,13): transgression, iniquity, and sin. In the original language “transgress” meant “to rebel.” Another definition for transgress is to “go beyond.” David rebelled and went beyond G...
July 12, 2020
Daily Readings in the Bible Psalms 40-45
Stuck. You can get your vehicle stuck in the mud. You could get stuck on a hard question during a test. You could be stuck in a terrible job. There’s many ways we could get stuck. But the worse kind of stuck, is being stuck in the mire of sin.
David said, “He brought me out also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings” (Ps. 40:2). David knew what it was like to sink down into the pit of sin. And like getting your car stuck in th...
