Psalms for Today*

The Book of Psalms, in the Hebrew language, is The Book of Praises. Many were written by King David. They fall into categories such as instructional, prophetic, the punishment of the wicked, repentance and cleansing, worship and those songs sung when traveling to Jerusalem, and atonement and covering. Today's date is 1/2/2022, so we will be looking at the Psalms that are numerically represented by this date. We will find that there is a very powerful, pertinent and timely message for us in these times. As we begin with Psalm 1, we read the difference between the way of the godly and the ungodly: "Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful..." (v. 1). Today we see the scorn and scoffing of the truth of the Word of God in all media. There is rejection of God and His Word. The Psalm continues regarding the godly: "But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper." (v. 2-3). Joshua 1:8 is an instruction from God to Joshua regarding success. The LORD tells Joshua that the law is not to depart from Joshua's mouth, and that he should meditate upon it day and night. He is to DO what is written in it, not merely read it. Then, his way will be prosperous with good success. The Psalm says of the ungodly: "The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away. Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous. For the LORD knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish." (v. 4-6). The LORD is returning, and there shall be judgment of the ungodly in that day, even wrath. God will separate the sheep from the goats. Malachi 3:2 asks the question, "But who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth? for he is like a refiner's fire, and like fullers' sope." Even His own people will go through the refining and purifying process of the LORD (v. 3). As the time of Christ's return draws near, this Psalm reminds us of our eternal destiny. Are we considering it? The next number in today's date corresponds to Psalm 2. This Psalm reflects the rebellion of the nations against the LORD as we are seeing today: "The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD, and against his anointed, saying, Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us." (v. 2-3). The nations want to break God's rulership over themselves. They reject the kingship of God, and wish to rule according to their own will. However, the Psalmist wrote that God laughs at this idea, and holds them in derision. They will experience His wrath for their foolishness (v. 4-5). God has appointed His Ruler over all nations: "Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion. I will declare the decree: the LORD hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee...Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little: blessed are all they that put their trust in him." (v. 6-7, 11-12). The LORD has set His Son as Ruler over the nations. Today, we indeed see in the nations, especially in our own nation, that the bands and cords of righteousness with God have been willfully and purposefully broken and cut. In Gen. 11, the inhabitants of the earth also rebelled against the rulership of God, and sought to establish their own rulership. They were not successful. Those nations that cut the cord with God, treat Jesus as if He is a myth. However, Jesus' existence, His power, rulership and Sonship are confirmed by the Spirit, and by His resurrection from the dead (Rom. 1:1-4). Proverbs 30:4 asks: "Who hath ascended up into heaven, or descended? who hath gathered the wind in his fists? who hath bound the waters in his garment? who hath established all the ends of the earth? what is his name, and what is his son's name, if thou canst tell?" As we see disasters happening to this nation that has cut the cords of righteousness with God, God calls His people to DO something: "If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves and pray and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land." (2 Chron. 7:14). For those who are joined with His Son, God says, "Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession." (8). Are we praying for the salvation of others? The LORD will answer those prayers. In Psalm 20, this Psalm of David talks about the day of trouble, and we surely are currently experiencing days of trouble. David wrote: "The LORD hear thee in the day of trouble; the name of the God of Jacob defend thee; Send thee help from the sanctuary, and strengthen thee out of Zion; Remember all thy offerings, and accept thy burnt sacrifice. Selah." David wrote for us to "Selah", or consider, our offerings to God. God looks upon the intents of the heart, not the outward appearance. With what intent do we bring our offerings to God? David continued, "Grant thee according to thine own heart, and fulfill all thy counsel..." (v. 1-4). In this Psalm, David wrote that some may trust and depend upon military might, but David said, "...we will remember the name of the LORD our God." Those who depend on the their own might are fallen, he said, "...but we are risen and stand upright." He concluded, "Save LORD: let the king hear us when we call." David was the king, and he was not calling upon himself as king here, or any other earthly king for help. He was calling upon the LORD, the only King, the King of the universe. In our trust in Him, He will grant us the desires in our hearts. Again from today's date, we will look at Psalm 22. This Psalm of David is the most prophetic of the Psalms. David writes of an anguish that precisely prophesies the events of the crucifixion of Christ as told in the Gospels, and provides the accurate details of crucifixion many hundreds of years before that type of execution began to be practiced. This prophetic account begins, "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? why art thou so far from helping me, and from the words of my roaring?...Our fathers trusted in thee: they trusted, and thou didst deliver them. They cried unto thee and were delivered...But I am a worm, and no man; a reproach of men, and despised of the people." (see v. 1-6). The prophet Isaiah also saw the Servant of God, who was despised: "He is despised and rejected of men...we hid as it were our faces from him, and he was despised, and we esteemed him not." Isaiah prophesied that this Servant who was despised by others was wounded, bruised and striped for our sins and transgressions, not His own. In Psalm 22, David prophesied, "They gaped upon me with their mouths, as a ravening and roaring lion. I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint: my heart is like wax; it is melted in the midst of my bowels. My strength is dried up...and my tongue cleaveth to my jaws; and thou hast brought me into the dust of death...the assembly of the wicked have inclosed me: they pierced my hands and my feet...They part my garments among them, and cast lots upon my vesture." There was a book written, and the false rumor had been spread from the beginning, that Jesus and His disciples plotted or conspired to stage the crucifixion and resurrection. However, Jesus could not have plotted beforehand that Roman soldiers would take His clothes and gamble for them, as David prophesied here, and as the Gospel accounts confirm. Jesus could not have orchestrated the actions of Pontius Pilate. David's Psalm 22, which begins in a cry of anguish, then becomes a song of praise: "I will declare thy name unto my brethren: in the midst of the congregation I will praise thee. Ye that fear the LORD, praise him; all ye the seed of Jacob, glorify him; and fear him all ye the seed of Israel. For he hath not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted; neither hath he hid his face from him; but when he cried unto him, he heard...The meek shall eat and be satisfied: they shall praise the LORD that seek him: your heart shall live for ever. All the ends of the world shall remember and turn unto the LORD: and all the kindreds of the nations shall worship before thee. For the kingdom is the LORD's: and he is the governor among the nations...A seed shall serve him; it shall be accounted to the Lord for a generation. They shall come and declare his righteousness unto a people that shall be born, that he hath done this." What started as a cry of anguish became a work of victory that all the world would know. David prophesied this, and now we are here 2000 years later declaring Jesus as the Messiah, who was hung on the cross to restore mankind to fellowship with the King of the universe. We didn't make up a fable, or a strange phenomenon to believe in, but this was prophesied beforehand, recorded, and fulfilled, and the evidence that it is so is among us today. This evidence, the Shroud of Turin, has been described this way: "The Shroud of Turin is God's love letter in linen, written for all mankind." Psalm 21, also written by David, tells us that the king shall rejoice greatly in the LORD's salvation. The LORD has given him his heart's desire. Blessings of goodness, a crown of pure gold, life and length of days for ever: "His glory is great in thy salvation: honour and majesty hast thou laid upon him. For thou hast made him most blessed for ever." (see v. 1-6). For those who hate him, they will be as a fiery oven, swallowed up in the LORD's wrath. Their fruit and their seed will be destroyed from the whole earth. Those who hate the LORD are destroyed in their own choice. The Psalm ends: "Be thou exalted, LORD, in thine own strength: so we will sing, and praise thy power." (v. 13). The Psalms related to today's date, 1/2/2022, reflect a message for today, as we have seen. God's Word for our time, and for all time, is clearly laid out here. We would do well to heed it. We pray for all those who see this message, and who read my books written on the Shroud of Turin, to come to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. This is the desire of my heart. *Based on Dr. Kenneth E. Stevenson's 1/2/2022 message to the church. To contact us, submit a prayer request, give a praise report, or to support this ministry: P.O. Box 154221, Waco, TX, 76705 OR Everlastingcovenant@ymail.com. You can also find us on Facebook, Twitter, and endtimeschool.com.