LHC Midday Word

Saturday 4 December 2021

PSALM Forty Five

For the director of music.

To the tune of ‘Lilies’.

Of the Sons of Korah. A maskil.

A wedding song.

My heart is stirred by a noble theme

as I recite my verses for the king;

my tongue is the pen of a skilful writer.

You are the most excellent of men

and your lips have been anointed with grace,

since God has blessed you for ever.

Gird your sword on your side, you mighty one;

clothe yourself with splendour and majesty.

In your majesty ride forth victoriously

in the cause of truth, humility and justice;

let your right hand achieve awesome deeds.

Let your sharp arrows pierce the hearts of the king’s enemies;

let the nations fall beneath your feet.

Your throne, O God, will last for ever and ever;

a sceptre of justice will be the sceptre of your kingdom.

You love righteousness and hate wickedness;

therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions

by anointing you with the oil of joy.

All your robes are fragrant with myrrh and aloes and cassia;

from palaces adorned with ivory

the music of the strings makes you glad.

Daughters of kings are among your honoured women;

at your right hand is the royal bride in gold of Ophir.

Listen, daughter, and pay careful attention:

Forget your people and your father’s house.

Let the king be enthralled by your beauty;

honour him, for he is your lord.

The city of Tyre will come with a gift,

people of wealth will seek your favour.

All glorious is the princess within her chamber;

her gown is interwoven with gold.

In embroidered garments she is led to the king;

her virgin companions follow her –

those brought to be with her.

Led in with joy and gladness,

they enter the palace of the king.

Your sons will take the place of your fathers;

you will make them princes throughout the land.

I will perpetuate your memory through all generations;

therefore the nations will praise you for ever and ever.

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Word by Word Meditations

by Fred Ursell

Psalm 45 : “enthralled” (v.11)

This Psalm is described in the heading as ‘a wedding song’ and pictures a royal bridegroom. He is “the most excellent of men” (v.2) - a picture of Christ.

A spectacular quote from verses 6-7 states : “about the Son he says, ‘your throne, O God, will last for ever and ever … God, your God, has set you above your companions” (Hebrews 1 vv.8-9).

The focus turns from the glory of the groom to his great love for his bride (the church). We need to take this in properly. It seems beyond wonderful, too good to be true. “The king is enthralled by your beauty” (v.11). ‘How marvellous … my Saviour’s love for me!’

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READING

Psalm Forty Five

Read by David Suchet

STUDY - LINKS

How Should You Read the Psalms?

- John Piper -

https://youtu.be/enxKd2YKgjI

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Prayer in the Psalms:

Discovering How to Pray

Timothy Keller

https://youtu.be/QgwzuFG5LCk

Psalms - Overviews

(The Bible Project)

https://youtu.be/j9phNEaPrv8

The Book of Psalms

(The Bible Project)

https://youtu.be/dpny22k_7uk

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Psalms part 1

-Study by David Pawson-

https://youtu.be/qB3QV713xm0

Psalms Part 2

-Study by David Pawson-

https://youtu.be/hQJNMgIHVKwSONGS

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SONG

Psalm 45 (Fairest of All)

Shane and Shane

Psalm 45

Queen of Gold

Jason Silver

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Friday 3 December 2021

PSALM Forty Four

For the director of music.

Of the Sons of Korah.

A maskil.

We have heard it with our ears, O God;

our ancestors have told us

what you did in their days,

in days long ago.

With your hand you drove out the nations

and planted our ancestors;

you crushed the peoples

and made our ancestors flourish.

It was not by their sword that they won the land,

nor did their arm bring them victory;

it was your right hand, your arm,

and the light of your face, for you loved them.

You are my King and my God,

who decrees victories for Jacob.

Through you we push back our enemies;

through your name we trample our foes.

I put no trust in my bow,

my sword does not bring me victory;

but you give us victory over our enemies,

you put our adversaries to shame.

In God we make our boast all day long,

and we will praise your name for ever.

But now you have rejected and humbled us;

you no longer go out with our armies.

You made us retreat before the enemy,

and our adversaries have plundered us.

You gave us up to be devoured like sheep

and have scattered us among the nations.

You sold your people for a pittance,

gaining nothing from their sale.

You have made us a reproach to our neighbours,

the scorn and derision of those around us.

You have made us a byword among the nations;

the peoples shake their heads at us.

I live in disgrace all day long,

and my face is covered with shame

at the taunts of those who reproach and revile me,

because of the enemy, who is bent on revenge.

All this came upon us,

though we had not forgotten you;

we had not been false to your covenant.

Our hearts had not turned back;

our feet had not strayed from your path.

But you crushed us and made us a haunt for jackals;

you covered us over with deep darkness.

If we had forgotten the name of our God

or spread out our hands to a foreign god,

would not God have discovered it,

since he knows the secrets of the heart?

Yet for your sake we face death all day long;

we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.

Awake, Lord! Why do you sleep?

Rouse yourself! Do not reject us for ever.

Why do you hide your face

and forget our misery and oppression?

We are brought down to the dust;

our bodies cling to the ground.

Rise up and help us;

rescue us because of your unfailing love.

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Word by Word Meditations

by Fred Ursell

Psalm 44 : “victories” (v.4)

Over the past two days we’ve seen how inner conflict is faced and defeated through trust in the Lord. This psalm starts with a recollection of past triumphs gained by the preceding generations: “we have heard … our fathers have told us what you did in their days … long ago … not by their sword … it was your right hand” (vv.1-3).

Second-hand information isn’t enough. One has got to say in one’s own ex-perience, “you are my King … who decrees [i.e. commands] victories” (v.4). Note the plural – his help isn’t just a one-off.

Believers are designed to be routine over-comers (see Revelation 2 & 3). U2!

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READING

Psalm Forty Four

Read by David Suchet

STUDY - LINKS

How Should You Read the Psalms?

- John Piper -

https://youtu.be/enxKd2YKgjI

-=-=-=-

Prayer in the Psalms:

Discovering How to Pray

Timothy Keller

https://youtu.be/QgwzuFG5LCk

Psalms - Overviews

(The Bible Project)

https://youtu.be/j9phNEaPrv8

The Book of Psalms

(The Bible Project)

https://youtu.be/dpny22k_7uk

-=-=-=-

Psalms part 1

-Study by David Pawson-

https://youtu.be/qB3QV713xm0

Psalms Part 2

-Study by David Pawson-

https://youtu.be/hQJNMgIHVKwSONGS

SONG

Psalm 44

Like Our Ancestors -

Jason Silver

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Thursday 2 December 2021

PSALM Forty Three

Vindicate me, my God,

and plead my cause

against an unfaithful nation.

Rescue me from those who are

deceitful and wicked.

You are God my stronghold.

Why have you rejected me?

Why must I go about mourning,

oppressed by the enemy?

Send me your light and your faithful care,

let them lead me;

let them bring me to your holy mountain,

to the place where you dwell.

Then I will go to the altar of God,

to God, my joy and my delight.

I will praise you with the lyre,

O God, my God.

Why, my soul, are you downcast?

Why so disturbed within me?

Put your hope in God,

for I will yet praise him,

my Saviour and my God.

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Word by Word Meditations

by Fred Ursell

Psalm 43 : “disturbed” (v.5)

Still greatly unsettled, the Psalmist battles on with his emotions thoroughly churned up and his heart “disturbed” (v.5). Not all such psychological turmoil is resolved swiftly.

It can be difficult to gain the upper hand over our inner conflicts. What we should learn is that persistence pays off! This time the battle is shorter – it lasts just 5 rather than 11 verses. And stronger too!

Compare his earlier prayer, where “joy” (42 v.4) was a mere memory, to the resolve here, “then will I go to the altar of my God, my joy and my delight” (v.4). “Fight the good fight” (1 Timothy 1 v.18), and “fight” to win! You will!

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READING

Psalm Forty Three

Read by David Suchet