Psalm 5 with wind accompaniment

Psalm 5

This Psalm is written for the director of music. For pipes, a Psalm of David.

For those who don't know I attempt with limited success to play trombone - yes. yes I'm sure my success would improve if I practise - though my popularity at home may take a bit of a hit!

In the orchestra the poor brass section is stuck pretty near the back and peer myopically at the distant figure of the conductor through a vertiable forest of violin and viola bows, in this case the strings and the wind each get a turn 

David begins by asking God to listen to his laments and hear his cry for help - king David acknowledges before God that he is both his king and his God and the one David's prayers are directed to.

Every morning David lays his requests to God knowing that God will hear, and he then waits expectantly to see.
God does not welcome evil people nor does wickedness delight him, the arrogant cannot stand in the presence of God.
Yet David by the love of God is allowed into his house and in reverence and respect he bows 

David asks God to lead him by God's righteousness because he has so many enemies he asks that God make the path to him straight 

Most of the rest of the psalm describes David's enemies in quite unflattering terms - 
Not one word from their mouth can be trusted - their heart is filled with malice
Their throat is an open grave and their tongues lie 

But let all who take refuge in God be glad, let them sing for joy as God spreads his protection over them so they may rejoice in God.

Psalm 4 With strings attached

Psalm 4

The reason for the title on this is that in italics in my bible it says "For the director of music. With Stringed instruments. A Psalm of David" before this chapter starts in earnest

No idea on the original tune, but then again it probably sounds different in Hebrew anyway!

This chapter/Psalm sounds a bit weird to me - is it written from David's point of view or from God's point of view?

The Psalm starts "Answer me when I call on you my righteous God. Give me relief from my distress and have mercy on me and hear my prayer." 

So far so good - this sound like David praying that God will hear him - but it goes on 
"How long will you people turn my glory into shame? How long will you love delusions and seek false gods"

Is this a response of God or is David seeking glory? 

Know that the LORD has set apart his faithful servant for himself; the LORD hears when I call to him.

Is this David being holier than thou? The LORD hears when I call to him.
One of my friends has a mug at home that says "Jesus loves you - But I'm his favourite" -this verse put me in mind of that motto.

Some versions of the Bible have verse 4 Tremble and do not sin, others have In your anger do not sin.
If you lie awake at night we are advised to search our hearts and be silent - apparently noise will happen when I do drop off as people tell me that I snore!

Many people today seek prosperity - there is a branch of theology called the prosperity gospel I do not necessarily agree with this "God loves me and gave me a (name item here) and if you believe he will also make you rich and wealthy and give you a nice car/holiday home/whatever." God can do that but for me a better blessing is that God's face shines on me/us and our hearts are filled with joy in whatever circumstances we find ourselves in.

As I write this there are many Christian believers and agencies (as well as secular organisations I admit) working to help sufferers of the current Ebola outbreak in West Africa - these people put their lives at risk, they may not be in a happy place, but one British nurse who caught the disease and was transported back to the UK for treatment has now gone back of his own choice to support the work. I do not know if this man is a Christian by profession, but I admire his courage and willingness to help in this desperate situation, and to do so cheerfully.

In the last few decades we have largely had peace in Western Europe which is something we take for granted, however this psalm written by David, a man of war finishes

"In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, LORD, make me dwell in safety" 

Psalm 3

Psalm 3

This Psalm is attributed to King David when he fled from Absalom, his son.

David, for all his greatness and his heart to follow God, David did not really have what you might call a straightforward life.

Despite the fact that he has many foes in Israel (Absalom's uprising was quite popular) and they believe that God is not going to deliver him from Absalom, yet God is a shield to David who answers David's prayer.

Sustained by strength from God David is able to sleep and wake refreshed and need not fear the uprising.

The Psalm ends with a prayer that God will arise and deliver David striking his enemies in the jaw and breaking the teeth of the wicked.

Also my the Lord bring Blessing on his people and bring deliverance.

Psalm 2 Raging nations, conspiring kings

Psalm 2

How many people get angry with a "god" they don't believe in? 
Talking of God on the TV program QI turns the usually extremely affable host Stephen Fry into a raging fanatic against faith.

This psalm talks of similar ideas - kings, rulers and nations rise up against god and his chosen one (In hebrew this word is Messiah in Greek it is Christ) saying let us throw off their shackles and break their chains.

In some cases the ruling classes have managed to throw off the "chains and shackles" of faith and morality and the results have usually ended in the deaths of innocent poor people who hold a different view.

God in heaven laughs at these "enlightened" people and scoffs them.
He rebukes them in his anger and terrifies them with his wrath.

God established his king on mount Zion in Jerusalem.
Jesus quoted verse 7 "You are my son, today I have become your father"

God promises to hand the nations to his son as his inheritance with the ability to break the nations and rule over the kings.

The critics of faith will object to this psalm no doubt - objecting that the church and God want to keep humanity in chains and prevent mankind from reaching our full potential.

Having learned about our "Full potential" in the death camps of Nazi Germany and Soviet Russia, the Islamic State actions in the middle East and actions by people who have "thrown off" the old fashioned responsibility and morals. I think living in a land where the legal system is rooted in a long association with the Christian faith is a far better prospect.

Psalm 1 Walking, standing, sitting

The book of Psalms is a collection of songs and poems, 150 in all

When I was at secondary school my English teacher, Mrs Radley if memory serves tried very hard to enthuse the class with the timeless qualities of Shakespeare, and in particular Romeo and Juliet (the play we had to study), and how remarkable that hundreds of years later people still find inspiration from Shakespeare

And now - drum roll please - 26 years later here is about a third of the speech that we had to memorise for homework

I fear too early for my mind mis gives some consequence yet hanging in the stars may bitterly something or other
Hey - I was not that interested and never really saw eye to eye with the English department at school!
Ok I've looked it up and the whole speech goes -

I fear too early, for my mind misgives

Some consequence yet hanging in the stars

Shall bitterly begin his fearful date

With this night’s revels, and expire the term

Of a despisèd life closed in my breast

By some vile forfeit of untimely death.

But he that hath the steerage of my course,

Direct my sail. On, lusty gentlemen.

thanks Wikepedia :-)

However - I'd say that Shakespeare is a very poor second to the Bible both in terms of inspiration and longevity.

Consider the heart warming Psalm 23 The Lord is my shepherd, I shall lack nothing, he makes me walk in green pastures and beside still waters and refreshes my soul
Take the intimate Psalm 137 Lord you examine me and you know me,
Or the sorrow of Psalm 51 Have mercy on me oh God
Or the despair of Psalm 24 My God, My God why have you forsaken me?

Anyway - let us start from the first song

Psalm 1

Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked, or stand in the way sinners take or sit in the company of mockers.
But whose delight is in the law of the LORD.

There is a bit of a tale here - walking the same way as the wicked can occur on a journey but the choice is to walk the same pace, standing in the company of sinners shows that a level of comfort with the company has built up, and sitting and mocking those on their faith journey is surely having fallen from the law of God.

What does it mean to delight in the law of the LORD? How do you meditate day and night on the law?

Such a person though is like a tree planted close to a river but in good soil and bearing good fruit.
A wicked person though is a bit like dead leaves (it is autumn when I am writing this and there are a lot of dead leaves flying in the wind)

Job 38 - Finally God speaks up!

Job 38

God speaks to Job out of the storm you need to read this with the right ambience, I'm sure some special effects guys along with a philharmonic orchestra , John williams to write the score and a suite of CGI computers would still take some time getting this down!

"Who is this that darkens my plans with words without knowledge?"

Rather than laying the blame for Job's woes at the feet of the accuser (Satan), God tests Job on his scientific knowledge and his ability to command nature.

God's questions really touch at the development of science - some of the language is not scientific but the questions can be termed that way.

Where were you when I laid the Earth's foundation? Who marked off its dimensions?
Who laid the cornerstone of the earth while the morning stars sing together and the angels shouted for joy?

Who shut up the sea and made boundaries for the oceans?
Have you ever given orders to the morning? or shown dawn where East lies?

Have you walked the recesses of the deep or seen the hidden sea springs?
Have you seen the gates of death? 

How do you find light? How do you find darkness?
What about the storehouse of snow or hail? Where does lightening originate?

Who prepares  a path for a thunderstorm to pass over a land where there is nobody to see it?
How does water become ice?

Can you change the constellations of the heavens?
Do you know the laws that govern the universe?

Job 39
What about nature close by - 
Do you provide food for the hunting lion?
Where do mountain goats give birth? (mountains? just a guess!)
Do you watch the doe give birth and how long is the pregnancy?
Who let the wild donkey go free?
Can you domesticate a wild oxen?

Consider the ostrich - wings flap joyfully but they are no comparison to the wings of an stork.
the ostrich lays eggs on the ground and has no maternal instinct - they are not endowed with great wisdom, but oh boy when they run the horse cannot keep up!

Did you give the horse its attributes? and the ability to be trained for war?

Consider the Eagle - flying around, nesting in high places and where slain are, so is the Eagle.

Job 40 & 41

Job realises that he is out of his depth here and says that he spoke out of ignoramce and will say no more.

God continues challenging Job to clothe himself with power and bring down the proud with his own hand - if Job can do this God will admit that he was wrong.

God then talks about 2 animals that seem to be mythical the Behemoth and the Leviathan in the next chapter - in some ways they resemble the Hippopotamus and crocodile but not all the attributes fit, perhaps they are from local myths? I honestly don't know, it seems on occasion the Bible does draw on local myths, though they do not carry a message or teach about God in the Bible.

both of these animals are more than a challenge for man to tame and defeat - more deaths are caused by Hippos in Africa than lions and crocodiles and alligators regularly attack people who are not extremely careful 

Job 42

"Surely I spoke of things I did not understand, too wonderful for me to know .
My ears had heard of you but now my eyes have seen you I is ashamed and repent of my words " says Job.

After God spoke he addressed Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar that he was not impressed that they had not spoken the truth about God as Job had and he told them to get Job to offer an offering and pray for them.
After Job had prayed for his friends, God then restored his position and belongings - God gave Job a new family with sons and daughters - apparently very beautiful daughters.
Job lived 140 years after this and saw his great .grandchildren 

For me the book of Job does not really give a satisfactory answer for the question of suffering - so what do I take from this book?

Bad things can happen for no reason and this does not mean that the sufferer has done wrong.
There is always a larger viewpoint - we do not see the whole picture 
Science does not have all the answers but it does have some tough questions!

In Douglas Adams Hitchhikers guide to the galaxy books the answer to life, the universe and everything is 42 (discovered  by a super computer programmed with all knowledge after 7.5 million years) 
To discover what the question actually is to which the answer is 42 another computer is built but destroyed seconds before readout of the answer.
the reason is that if you have both the answer and the question the universe will disappear and be replaced by something more inexplicable 
A school of thought states that this has already happened!

Perhaps the question of suffering and evil has a nice simple answer - perhaps it is 42 - all we have to do is understand what the question actually IS?

Do share if you have a nice, simple, understandable answer to the question of suffering and evil.

Job 32 37 - A new voice who does not appear to be quick!

Job 32

Now a new voice joins in the conversation, a young man named Elihu, who comes perhaps closer to the root of things than Job and his friends.

Job maintained his innocent plea and his friends have not managed to convince him otherwise.

Elihu explained that he has kept silent until now because he was young and wanted to show respect for the older fellows.
Yet now he cannot remain silent any longer showing no partiality or flattery - "For if I were skilled in flattery, my Maker would soon take me away"

Job 33

Elihu charges Job to listen, his words come from an upright heart and are spoken with sincere lips speaking what he knows.
Elihu is like Job in the eyes of God - a piece of clay that Job has no need to fear and Elihu's hand is not heavy on Job.

Yet Job - you said in my hearing that you are pure and have done no wrong yet God has found fault with me and made me his enemy - In this Job is not right - God is greater than mortal man.

Job complained that God has not responded to his charge, yet God does speak however sometimes in one way and sometimes in another though no one perceives it.

Sometimes God speaks by dreams and vision - giving warning of judgement ahead and to turn the person (or people) from doing wrong and becoming too proud.

Or somebody may be afflicted with pain so bad that they cannot eat and food loses its flavour. wasting away they draw close to death.

Yet if there is an angel at their side, one messenger out of a thousand sent to tell them how to be upright and says to God "I have found a ransom for them, let their flesh be restored as in they day of their youth" 

That person will see God and say to others "I sinned, but did not get what I deserved, God delivered me" 

God can do this to a person more than once  so that the light of life may shine.

The chapter ends with Elihu telling job to shut up then speak up if he has an answer - difficult to do!

Job 34

"Hear my words, you wise men, listen to me men of learning. For the ear tests words as the toungue tastes food. Let us discern for ouselves what is right and together learn what is good.

Job has maintained that he has done no wrong and God is denying his claim for justice.

Job uniquely drinks scorn like water and says that there is no profit in trying to please God.

However far be if from God to do evil, from the Almighty to do wrong!
It is unthinkable that god should do wrong and pervert the cause of justice - who appointed God and put him in charge of the world? 

God follows the ways of mortals and there is no dark place to hide from him. 
But if God is (apparently) silent, who can condemn God?

It seems that Elihu too is convinced that for Job to be suffering like he is then he must have done something to deserve it.

Job 35

Job, you question and say that I'm right and God is wrong, then ask "What profit is it to me and what do I gain from not sinning?"

Look at the heavens, and the clouds high above - look deep at the vastness of space and consider how it affects God if you do sin? What benefit is it to God if you do the right thing? 

Job 36

God does not despise any person, the righteous person is honoured and exalted, but if they are under affliction, bound with chains he tells them what they have done wrong - that they have sinned and if they repent they are released and obey God from that time forward they will end their days in prosperity

Job is being corrected for his sins and the sooner he realises this the better it would appear!

Job 37

Elihu seems to be getting excited and a storm is about to break over Job and his friends 

In the face of a huge event like a storm and the forces of nature are unleashed we should stop and consider the wonders of God - How doe1s God control the clouds? How do you make lightening?
How do the clouds hang poised above the earth?
Can you join God in making the skies like a mirror of bronze?

What should we say to God - we cannot draw up our case because of our darkness?
Nobody can look directly at the sun without damaging their eyes 

The Almighty is beyond our reach and exalted in power

I'd like to touch on something from this last chapter - how are the clouds controlled? and how do you make lightening?

These processes are now much better understood - after all the reason I am able to write this blog and the reason that you are able to read it is due to our scientific understanding of electro-magnetism in being able to generate and use tame lightening - yet even the biggest lightening chambers that we have built to study lightening and its affects still can generate a lightening bolt a tiny fraction the size of one in the wild.

Our understanding of nature is still quite rudimentary - Terry Pratchett the author of the discworld novels (of which I am a fan) cites an illustration on how things can be connected in that a butterfly a thousand miles away can have an effect on something as extreme as weather.

In the discworld the butterfly is its own species, the Quantum Weather butterfly.
He wonders if scientists would be better employed in catching the butterfly responsible for the terrible weather we have been having?

Job 29 - 31 Job's final words (nearly!)

Job 29

Apparently Job has not had his full say after the little interlude, no doubt somebody who is learned in the book of Job can explain what the interlude is all about - if you share it in comments?

Job now recalls a time, just a few months ago when he was rich, healthy and respected. He used his wealth to defend the innocent, help widows.
He would work on behalf of the blind and the lame 

Job 30 

But now the people who once respected Job now mocked him and men whose fathers once Job would not have employed to train his sheepdogs.

Job is now afflicted and in pain with no respect and no hope 
He has tuned his lyre for mourning and his pipe music has turned to wailing.

Job 31

Job in this chapter pleads his case - 
"I made a covenant with my eyes not to look lustfully at a young woman" 

Job challenges that if he has sinned and been evil then surely God would have seen this.

If Job had sinned by oppressing other people then surely bad things could happen, but actually they have happened with him being innocent 

Obviously these are very heavily edited - the actual speech goes on and on and on!

Job 28 Interlude

Job 28

This chapter seems a bit out of place here, it is a song about finding Wisdom 

Many years ago now, during my A levels we did a school chemistry field trip to Cornwall in the extreme south west of the UK studying mineral process chemistry.

As part of that trip we went down a very deep tin mine and our guide quoted from this chapter of the Bible - the method of extracting tin from the earth is similar to Gold and silver.

Precious valuable minerals are often found in very thin seams , what the miners do is carve a tunnel sideways to the direction the seams seem to run and when they find a promising seam in the tunnel wall they dig out sideways, up and down to extract the rock.

Mining is an extremely hazardous job, yet the riches make the pursuit worthwhile.
The tin mine in Cornwall was over 1 mile down and actually under the sea.
Following hidden paths that not even a keen eyed hawk can trace they crush the rocks, set fires (sometimes) and extract the value from the earth bedrock

Wisdom is no less valuable, yet where can wisdom be found?
Where does understanding live? 

Nobody can find true wisdom that is complete - If I took a submarine to the bottom of the deepest sea (a place where fewer people have been than walked on the moon) I don't think I would find wisdom's roots. 
I've been down dark mines under the ground and the sea, and did not find wisdom there (apart from don't wander off and keep your torch on!) I've flown at high altitude on jet aircraft, and I did not find wisdom there either - at seat entertainment just ain't that good folks!

I cannot buy wisdom with money - precious stones are not even enough to start bartering with when it comes to wisdom.
Is it wise for a rich person to pay a poorer person to work in a hold in the ground digging up valuable things that he then gives to the rich person. 
The rich person then has the valuable things made to look pretty and then shuts them up in a hole in the ground!

Where then does wisdom come from? 
Destruction, hell and death have only heard a rumour about wisdom.

God understands the way to wisdom and he alone knows where to find wisdom because he can see the ends of the world , seeing everything that happens, measuring the winds, plotting courses for thunderstorms.

God looked at wisdom and appraised it, confirmed and tested it and then he said to the human race ,
"The fear of the LORD - that is wisdom, and to shun evil is understanding"

You know the difference between wisdom and knowledge?

A knowledgeable person knows that tomatoes a a fruit (technically) while a wise person refrains from putting them in a fruit salad!

Job 23 - 27 Round 7

Job 23

Job's complaint is bitter even days later, Gods hand his heavy in spite of his groaning.
If Job could track God down and find his house he would lay his case before him, but for Job God is elusive 

Job is sure that God would not vigorously oppose him and he would admit his innocence.

But God stands alone, doing as he pleases which apparently is humiliating poor old Job, however he refuses to suffer in silence.

Job 24 - Job continues

Why does not God set times for judgement? Those who are waiting for Judgement from God seem to wait interminably and in vain for action?

Meanwhile the wicked steal land by moving boundary stones to provide stolen pasture for stolen flocks.
They oppress the orphan and take collateral from the widow.
The throw the needy from the path and force the poor into hiding
The poor wretches are without food, clothing, they fetch grain and tread oil and grapes but go hungry and thirsty. their souls cry out for help yet God does not charge anybody with wrongdoing

These men too are like foam, they are soon dead and forgotten, but I think Job is saying that the righteous suffer a similar fate.

Job 25

Bildad is very short in this chapter - phew! 

Basically God is powerful and dominion and awe belong to him, who can number his forces and who escapes God's light?

How can a mortal be righteous before God?
God does not consider the moon and stars pure, how much less a human being?

Job 26 
In these 2 chapters Job has his final say and having come this far, I'm going to make this a longer post by carrying on 

Job replied challenging his friends how they have helped the powerless, saved and given strength to the feeble arm 
What great insight they have displayed - who helped them utter the words? Whose spirit spoke from their mouths?

God can see and uncover the world of the dead - it is interesting that Job does not seem to believe in an afterlife - there is no "pie in the sky when you die" here. Perhaps sometimes we as the church expect God to sort it all out "Kill them all and let God sort them out" as one episode of the Simpsons had an ancestor quoting. but perhaps we should be more concentrating on facing and fixing the problems of the world and more "food on the plate while you wait" attitude?

Interestingly perhaps from a scientific point of view verse 7 says "He suspends the earth over nothing" - have you ever seen the photo of earthrise from the moon? 

The wonder and glory of nature is, according to Job, in God's hands

Job 27 
Job's final words to his friends

As surely as God lives who has denied me justice, the Almighty who has made my life bitter, as long as I have life within me the breath of God in my nostrils, my lips will not say anything wicked, and my tongue will not utter lies.

Job will never admit that his friends are right and he will maintain his innocence and not deny his integrity, and he will do this with a clear conscience.

Job will teach about the power of God, not concealing the ways of the almighty.

the fate of the wicked is doom, they will not thrive eternally, but because bad things have happened to him, does not mean that he has been wicked.

Job 21 & 22 Round 6

Job 21

Job appears to have given up complaining about his friends here, his complaint is with the God that allowed catastrophe to overtake him.

Anybody can see how humiliated Job has been and it is shocking.

Job's friends arguments rest on the fact that bad things happen to bad people and the wicked do not prosper - "Why do the wicked live on, growing old and increasing in power?" 

Job states that all too often people who want nothing to do with God seem to live lives without worry and care, their families and property are secure - however their wealth does not entirely rest with them, so Job stands aloof from the plans of the wicked.

Job asks if anyone can teach wisdom to God and that one man dies in full vigour, well nourished and rich, while another man dies in bitterness of soul never having experienced anything good - yet both have the same grave, covered in the earth and worms.

"I know full well what you are thinking my "friends"" Job continued " the schemes that you would wrong me" 

Where is the house of the wicked - his friends ask?
Yet if they only ask people who travel, they can tell of countless wicked people who live in peace, surrounded by friends and living well and are mourned when they die.

Job 22 

Eliphaz answers this time - "Can a man be of benefit to God? Even a wise person benefit him? Would it please God if you were righteous , what would God gain if you are blameless?"

Do you think God is rebuking you for being pious and charging you?
Your wickedness is evident and your sins endless.
Eliphaz then accuses Job of the following - 

• Demanding security from relatives without cause
• Taking people's clothing and leaving them without a stitch to wear
• Withholding water from the thirsty
• And food from the hungry
• though he was rich he sent widows away with nothing
• Oppressed the fatherless.

this is why Job has been suffering - God from the highest heaven, yet Job asks if God does not see his suffering.

Job should turn away from the path of wickedness and submit and make peace with God and remove all wickedness from his tents.

Eventually God will even forgive a repentant Job who does the right things.