Psalm 77

Dear Jennie:

- vs. 1-2: Asaph cries out to God in the day and stretches out his hand to God all night.

- vs. 3-9: I think the summary here is that when Asaph ponders in his mind and soul about God he is questioning Him: Is God rejecting him? Will God not keep him promises? Will God not be gracious? Is He angry and without compassion?

- vs. 10: Do you think this means that God didn't change Asaph's circumstances but He did comfort his grief by reminding him of the history of God's faithfulness?

- vs. 11-15: God's wonders, work, deeds, way, strength and power. This is what Asaph will choose to meditate on (Psalm 19:14). I tend to think of God's wonders and works summed up as 1. Creation 2. Salvation. He is the author of both.

- vs. 16-20: My notes say Asaph is describing the displays of God's power in delivering his people from slavery in Egypt.

Love!

Psalm 76

Dear Jennie:

- Again my notes say this Psalm would have been written by a descendant of Asaph or a choir guild bearing his name

- vs. 1-3: Since this is a song the repetition and poetry make sense. I guess Salem and Zion both mean Jerusalem

- vs. 4-6: Do you think this is describing actual events?

- vs. 7: Thankfully we can claim Jesus blood over us and not have to face the wrath of God

- vs. 9: Interesting that when God arose to judgement he "saves the humble of the earth" ... I would expect it to say he destroys the wicked.

- vs. 10: Any insights here?

- vs. 11: I feel like the only gift I really have to bring is my heart and my empty hands. What else do we really have to offer?

- vs 12: He is king of kings and our prince of peace.

Love!

Psalm 75

Dear Jennie:

- vs. 1: Asaph is giving thanks and declaring that God is near

- vs. 2-3: God speaks: He will judge at His selected time. God firmly sets the earths pillars and yet can melt it down to nothing. (Selah)

- vs. 4-5: Is this still God speaking?

- vs. 6: My notes say that "north" isn't mentioned because Assyrians approach from that direction so no one could look to the north for help anyway, only invasion.

- vs. 7: makes me think of Daniel's time and how the Persians came and overthrew the Babylonian empire.

- vs. 8: Again, in the time of Daniel some king, I forget which one, was throwing a big party and was drinking wine out of the golden cups that really belonged to the temple treasury. And that's when the hand came and wrote on the wall and declared their destruction.

- vs. 9-10: Let us declare the Lord God forever and sing his praises. Do you think "horn" means like the instrument?

Love!

Psalm 74

Dear Jennie:

My notes say that this Psalm is against the backdrop of the Babylonian captivity. And that Asaph lived long before this Psalm was written so it was either written by one of his descendants or by a choir guild that took on his name.

- vs. 1: we know God doesn't reject his people forever but I'm sure it felt like it. Like maybe sometimes we feel like God is rejecting us.

- vs. 2-9: The destruction that God allowed on the land, on the people, and in His dwelling place.

- vs. 10: I think there was eventually a prophet that told the people how long the exile would last?

- vs. 12-17: Mighty acts of the Lord (deeds of deliverance)
- divided the sea by his strength
- broke the heads of the sea monsters (my notes say this and point below are poetic descriptions of God's victory over the Egyptians)
- crushed the heads of Leviathan
- broke open springs and torrents
- dried up streams
- His is the day and the night
- He prepared the light and the sun
- established boundaries on the earth
- made summer and winter

- vs. 18-23: I seem to remember other places in the Psalms or maybe in the OT where God is called upon to remember his own covenant. To rescue his people not because they deserve it but because of his own name and his own promise that he made with them.

Love!

Psalm 73

Dear Jennie:

- vs. 1-3: Asaph is the author and it sounds like he can acknowledged with his head that God is good to the pure in heart but what's tripping him up is the evidence he sees with his eyes that actually the wicked prosper.

- vs. 4-16: The wicked:
     - wear pride as a necklace
    - the garment of violence covers them
    - the imaginations of their heart run riot
     - they mock oppression
     - they set their mouths against heaven
    - they don't think God knows or sees

Yet Asaph perceives that they prosper, they have no pain, they increase in wealth, they are fat. Meanwhile Asaph is keeping himself pure, and it's hard, he is continually disciplined ... so is it all in vain?

- vs. 17: The turning point: Asaph realizes the truth when he came into the sanctuary of God. What in our lives do we need to go to the sanctuary of God and find truth?

- The wicked will:
    - be set in slippery places
    - be cast down to destruction
    - be destroyed in a moment
    - be utterly swept away by sudden terrors
    - be despised by God
    - perish
   
- vs. 21-24: I like the imagery here: Asaph embittered by the apparent prospering of the wicked but that was senseless and ignorant. Yet God took hold of his hand and guided him gently to the truth. Like a good Father.

- vs. 25: Do you think when Asaph says: who have I in heaven but you? That he means God is the most important to him, not that there literally isn't anyone else in heaven?

- vs. 28: Asaph's last line is to tell of all God's works

- I struggle a little bit here with "wicked". I mean don't we all want to be good? Is there anyone that is truly wicked? Ok maybe Hitler and child molesters and people who sell other human beings as slaves but aren't even they not beyond the reach of grace?

Love!
Stephanie

Romans Chapter 16

Jennie:

- vs 1-16: I don't recognize many names, but I love that men and women are mentioned. Do you think vs. 13 Paul really means that Rufus's mother is his mother? (So Rufus and Paul are brothers)

- vs 17-19: Paul is ending his letter with a warning, that the church in Rome should keep their eyes on anyone causing divisions and teaching anything contrary to the gospel. Paul calls them slaves to their own appetites. It'd be neat to do a more in depth study of what it means to be wise in what is good and innocent in what is evil.

- vs 20: it's funny to me that "peace" and "crush" are used in the same sentence. But that's exactly right, God is the God of peace but he will also crush the enemy underneath our feet.

- vs. 22: Tertius must have been penning the letter for Paul (go personal assistants!)  :)

- vs 25: Paul gets a reputation for being a bit arrogant, probably for reasons like this verse when he says "my gospel" ... why would he call it that? The revelation of the mystery is Jesus Christ! I think it's called a mystery because while the prophets of old declared a savior would come, no one knew exactly what it would look like until he came. Kind of like the revelation we have of the end times, we can't see it clearly because it's yet to come.

Love!

Romans Chapter 15

Jennie:

- vs 4 stands out to me because we've been reading through 1 Chronicles which presents quite a challenge given the heavy genealogy. But Romans 15:4 tells us that whatever was written in earlier times was written for our:
instruction
perseverance
encouragement
hope

Otherwise, I made lists of what the Romans (we) were to do, and what we learn about God/Christ:

What we are to do:
- Bear the weaknesses of those without strength
- edify our neighbor
- be one in the same mind with one another
- with one accord and one voice glorify God
- accept one another
- glorify God for his mercy
- Praise the Lord
- abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit
- be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles
- strive together in prayer for our missionaries and ministers


What we learn about God/Jesus:
- Christ didn't please himself
- God gives perseverance and encouragement
- God is the father of our Lord Jesus Christ
- Christ accepted us to the glory of God
- God of hope
- God of peace

- We know Paul did eventually make it to Rome but it was as a prisoner, after his arrest in Jerusalem.

Love!