Read Ellen G. White, “How to Pray,” pp. 39-42, in A Call to Stand Apart.Central to worship is the need for repentance, true repentance: “Repentance includes sorrow for sin and a turning away from it. We shall not renounce sin unless we see its sinfulness; until we turn away from it in heart, there will be no real change in the life.“There are many who fail to understand the true nature of repentance. Multitudes sorrow that they have sinned and even make an outward reformation because they fear t...
Mar 22, 2024•7 min•Season 6Ep. 1977
Read Psalm 40:6-8, Psalm 50:7-23, and Psalm 51:16-19. What important issue do these texts address? Why does God not delight in the sacrifices that He prescribed in His Word (Exod. 20:24)?Like the prophets, the psalmists decry various misuses of worship. Their main point in these verses is not the Lord’s aversion to Israel’s sacrifices and festivals but the reasons for such repugnance: the fatal distance between worship and spirituality.God is not rebuking His people for their sacrifices and burn...
Mar 21, 2024•13 min•Season 6Ep. 1976
Read Psalm 96. What manifold aspects of worship are mentioned in this psalm?Worship includes singing to the Lord (Ps. 96:1, 2), praising His name (Ps. 96:2), proclaiming His goodness and greatness (Ps. 96:3, 4), and bringing gifts to His temple (Ps. 96:8). In addition to these familiar traits of worship, Psalm 96 highlights one not so obvious aspect of worship—the evangelical dimension in proclaiming the Lord’s kingdom to other peoples (Ps. 96:2, 3, 10).Yet, singing, praising, bringing gifts, a...
Mar 20, 2024•12 min•Season 6Ep. 1975
Read Psalm 15. Who are the people worthy of worshiping in God’s presence?The answer given in this psalm is the summary of the requirements already given in God’s law and the prophets: the ones whose actions (“works righteousness”) and character (“in his heart”) (see Deut. 6:5, Mic. 6:6-8) are a reflection of God. The sanctuary was a holy place, and everything in it, including the priests, was consecrated. Thus, holiness is a mandatory requirement for entering the presence of God. Israel’s holine...
Mar 19, 2024•9 min•Season 6Ep. 1974
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Mar 18, 2024•2 min
Read Psalm 33:3, Psalm 40:3, Psalm 96:1, Psalm 98:1, Psalm 144:9, and Psalm 149:1. What is the common motif in these texts?These psalms summon people to sing a “new song.” What is a “new song” here? The reason for the “new song” is the fresh recognition of the Lord’s majesty and sovereignty over the world and gratitude for His care and salvation as the Creator and Judge of the earth. Deliverance from enemies and from death, and God’s special favor toward Israel, are some of the more personal mot...
Mar 18, 2024•10 min•Season 6Ep. 1973
Read Psalm 134. Where is the worship offered here? What is the outcome of the worship of the Lord?Psalm 134 recalls the Aaronic priestly blessing in Numbers 6:24-26 (also Ps. 67:1) and highlights blessing as the underlying principle and outcome of the relationship between God and Israel. The people bless God in the sanctuary, and God blesses His people from Zion. The blessings extend to all of life because the Lord is the Creator of heaven and earth. The mention of Zion as the place of divine sp...
Mar 17, 2024•14 min•Season 6Ep. 1972
Read for This Week’s StudyPsalm 134; Isa. 42:10-12; Rev. 14:3; Psalm 15; Ps. 101:1-3; Psalm 96; Rev. 14:6-12; John 4:23, 24.Memory Text:“I will sing to the Lord as long as I live; I will sing praise to my God while I have my being” (Psalm 104:33, NKJV).As our experience of God’s grace and power increases, we are prompted to ask with the psalmist: “What shall I render to the Lord for all His benefits toward me?” (Ps. 116:12, NKJV). The inevitable reply is to devote one’s life to being faithful to...
Mar 16, 2024•5 min•Season 6Ep. 1971
Contemplate the message of Isaiah 40 and Isaiah 51:1-16.The songs of Zion make an absolute commitment to staying mindful of Zion and the living hope in God’s sovereign reign that it represents. While many blessings of God’s sanctuary are experienced in this life, the hope in the fullness of life and joy in Zion is still in the future. Many of God’s children long for the heavenly Zion with tears (Ps. 137:1). To remember Zion implies not merely an occasional thought but also a deliberate mindfulne...
Mar 15, 2024•15 min•Season 6Ep. 1970
Read Psalm 125:1, 2. How are those who trust God portrayed here?Those who trust in the Lord are compared to Mount Zion, the symbol of steadfastness and strength. The magnificent view of the mountains surrounding the city of Jerusalem inspired the psalmist to acknowledge the certainty of divine protection (Ps. 5:12, Ps. 32:7, 10). Unlike the mountains ruled by the wicked, which are being tossed into the seas (Ps. 46:2), the impressive durability of the mountain upon which Jerusalem was built insp...
Mar 14, 2024•6 min•Season 6Ep. 1969
Read Psalm 46:1-7. How is the world poetically depicted here?This psalm gives a vivid description of the world in turmoil, and it is portrayed with the images of natural disasters of unprecedented intensity (Ps. 46:2, 3). The image of disturbed waters often depicts the rebellious nations and various problems that the wicked cause in the world (Ps. 93:3, 4; Ps. 124:2-5). Likewise, in Psalm 46 the images of natural calamities depict the world controlled by nations waging wars (Ps. 46:6).It is clea...
Mar 13, 2024•9 min•Season 6Ep. 1968
Read Psalm 87:1, 2. What makes Zion such an esteemed place?Psalm 87 is a hymn celebrating Zion as God’s specially chosen and beloved city. The foundation of God’s temple is on Mount Zion (Ps. 2:6, Ps. 15:1). At the end of time, Zion will rise above all mountains, signifying the Lord’s sovereign supremacy over the whole world (Ps. 99:2, Isa. 2:2, Mic. 4:1). Psalm 87 refers to Zion as “mountains” to highlight its majesty (Ps. 133:3). God loves the gates of Zion “more than all the dwellings of Jaco...
Mar 12, 2024•10 min•Season 6Ep. 1967
Read Psalm 122:1-5. What are the sentiments of the worshipers upon their arrival to Jerusalem? What do they hope to find in Jerusalem?Psalm 122 expresses the pilgrims’ excitement upon their arrival at Jerusalem. The pilgrimages to Jerusalem were joyful occasions when God’s people joined together three times during the year to commemorate God’s goodness toward them in the past and present (Deut. 16:16). Jerusalem was the center of the nation’s life because it contained “the Testimony of Israel” (...
Mar 11, 2024•13 min•Season 6Ep. 1966
Read Psalm 84:1-4. Why does the psalmist long to dwell in the sanctuary?The psalmist “longs” and “faints” to make the sanctuary his permanent abode so that he can be near God forever (Ps. 84:1, 2). God’s living presence (Ps. 84:2) makes the sanctuary a unique place. In the sanctuary, worshipers can “behold the beauty of the Lord” (Ps. 27:4, NKJV; also, see Ps. 63:2) and be “satisfied with the goodness of [His] house” (Ps. 65:4, NKJV). In Psalm 84, unparalleled happiness is achieved in relationsh...
Mar 10, 2024•7 min•Season 6Ep. 1965
Read for This Week’s StudyPsalm 84; Rev. 21:3; Psalm 122; Psalm 87; Gal. 3:28, 29; Matt. 28:18-20; Psalm 46; Psalm 125.Memory Text:“My soul longs, yes, even faints for the courts of the Lord; my heart and my flesh cry out for the living God” (Psalm 84:2, NKJV).The songs of Zion are joyous hymns that magnify the beauty of Zion and the sovereignty of the Lord, who reigns from His holy mountain. These psalms often praise the merits of the Lord’s house and express a love for the sanctuary that can b...
Mar 09, 2024•6 min•Season 6Ep. 1964
Read Acts 7 and Hebrews 11. What does the New Testament say is the ultimate goal of God’s sovereign leading of His people in history?The historical psalms are a powerful witness to God’s fidelity to His people. Each event in the history of God’s people was a providential step leading toward the final fulfillment of the divine promise of the world’s Savior in the person of Jesus of Nazareth. Even the trials, which often perplexed God’s people and made them think that God had abandoned them, were ...
Mar 08, 2024•7 min•Season 6Ep. 1963
Read Psalm 135. What historical events are highlighted in the psalm? What lessons does the psalmist draw from them?Psalm 135 summons God’s people to praise the Lord for His goodness and faithfulness demonstrated in Creation (Ps. 135:6, 7) and in Israel’s salvation history in the time of the Exodus (Ps. 135:8, 9) and in the conquering of the Promised Land (Ps. 135:10-12).The Lord demonstrated His grace by choosing the people of Israel as His special treasure (Ps. 135:4). “Special treasure” convey...
Mar 07, 2024•10 min•Season 6Ep. 1962
Read Psalm 80. How are God’s people portrayed in this psalm, and what great hope do they plead for?Israel is portrayed as a vineyard that God uprooted from Egypt, the land of oppression, and transported to the Promised Land of abundance. The image of a vineyard conveys God’s election of Israel and His providential care (read also Gen. 49:11, 12, 22; and Deut. 7:7-11).However, in Psalm 80, God’s vineyard is under His wrath (Ps. 80:12). The prophets announce the vineyard’s destruction as the sign ...
Mar 06, 2024•9 min•Season 6Ep. 1961
Read Psalm 106. What historical events and their lessons are highlighted in this psalm?Psalm 106 also evokes the major events in Israel’s history, including the Exodus, sojourn in the wilderness, and life in Canaan. It stresses the heinous sins of the fathers that culminated in the generation that was carried into exile. Thus, the psalm almost certainly was written when the nation was in Babylon, or after they had returned home, and the psalmist, inspired by the Holy Spirit, recounted for God’s ...
Mar 05, 2024•12 min•Season 6Ep. 1960
Read Psalm 105. What historical events and their lessons are highlighted in this psalm?Psalm 105 recalls key events that shaped the covenantal relationship between the Lord and His people Israel. It focuses on God’s covenant with Abraham to give the Promised Land to him and his descendants, and how this promise, confirmed to Isaac and Jacob, was providentially fulfilled through Joseph, Moses, and Aaron, and in the time of the conquest of Canaan. The psalm gives hope to God’s people in all genera...
Mar 04, 2024•12 min•Season 6Ep. 1959
Read Psalm 78. What three key historical epochs are highlighted in this psalm? What recurring lessons does Asaph draw from each period?The reviews of Israel’s past highlight God’s faithfulness and Israel’s unfaithfulness. They also should teach coming generations not to repeat their ancestors’ mistakes but to trust God and to remain faithful to His covenant. The psalmist uses history as a parable (Ps. 78:2), which means that the people should deeply ponder the psalm’s message and search for the ...
Mar 03, 2024•14 min•Season 6Ep. 1958
Read for This Week’s StudyPsalm 78, Psalm 105, Gal. 3:29, Psalm 106, Psalm 80, Num. 6:22-27, Psalm 135.Memory Text:“Which we have heard and known, and our fathers have told us. We will not hide them from their children, telling to the generation to come the praises of the Lord, and His strength and His wonderful works that He has done” (Psalm 78:3, 4, NKJV).In numerous psalms, praise takes the form of narrating the Lord’s mighty acts of salvation. These psalms are often called “salvation history...
Mar 02, 2024•5 min•Season 6Ep. 1957
Read Ellen G. White, “God With Us,” pp. 19-26, in The Desire of Ages.Being both Christ’s prayers and prayers about Christ, the Psalms provide a unique revelation of Christ’s person and redeeming ministry as the One who is “God with us” (Matt. 1:23). Jesus is “God with us” in the battling prayers of forsakenness and suffering. He is “God with us” in the cries for justice and deliverance. Jesus is “God with us” by not abandoning us to our lostness and despair but showing us the way of faith victor...
Mar 01, 2024•10 min•Season 6Ep. 1956
Read Psalm 110:4-7. How is Christ’s priesthood unique, and what great hope can we find in Christ’s heavenly priesthood?God endows the Messiah with an everlasting kingship (Ps. 110:1-3) and a priesthood of a superior rank, the order of Melchizedek (Ps. 110:4-7). The Lord seals His word with a solemn promise (Heb. 6:18). God’s oath not to relent from giving us a perfect Priest is a sign of His grace. People’s sins and open rebellions constantly provoke God to abandon His people, but God’s oath is ...
Feb 29, 2024•9 min•Season 6Ep. 1955
Read Psalm 2; Psalm 110:1-3; Psalm 89:4, 13-17; and Psalm 110:5, 6. What do these texts teach us about Christ as King?The portrayal of God as the Messiah’s Father points to the coronation of the king when the king was adopted into God’s covenant (Ps. 2:7, Ps. 89:26-28). Psalm 2:7 foresees Christ’s resurrection and exaltation as the dawn of the new everlasting covenant and Christ’s royal priesthood (Acts 13:33-39, Heb. 1:5, Heb. 5:5). The Messiah sits at God’s right hand as Someone who has unprec...
Feb 28, 2024•10 min•Season 6Ep. 1954
Read Psalm 89:27-32, 38-46 and Psalm 132:10-12. What is the Davidic covenant about? What seems to have endangered it?The Davidic covenant contains God’s promise of everlasting support of David’s line and prosperity of God’s people (1 Sam. 7:5-16; Ps. 89:1-4, 19-37; Ps. 132:12-18). The permanence of the covenant was established on God’s solemn oath and the king’s faithfulness to God. However, even the devoted kings, such as King David, were not always faithful to the Lord. Psalm 89 laments over t...
Feb 27, 2024•16 min•Season 6Ep. 1953
Read Psalm 22 and Psalm 118:22. How was the Messiah treated by those He had come to save?Many psalms express the agonizing feelings of utmost forsakenness of the suffering Messiah (e.g. Psalm 42, Psalm 88, and Psalm 102). Psalm 22 is a direct Messianic prophecy because many details in this psalm cannot be historically connected to King David but perfectly fit the circumstances of Christ’s death. Jesus prayed with the words of Psalm 22:1 on the cross (Matt. 27:46).The torment of Christ’s separati...
Feb 26, 2024•12 min•Season 6Ep. 1952
Read Psalm 23; Psalm 28:9; Psalm 80:1; Psalm 78:52, 53; Psalm 79:13; and Psalm 100:3. How is the relationship between the Lord and His people portrayed in these texts?The image of the Lord as Shepherd and God’s people as the sheep of His pasture highlights God’s guidance and sustaining care of His people and the people’s dependence on God to meet all their needs. The image conveys the notion of closeness between God and His people because shepherds lived with their flocks and cared for each shee...
Feb 25, 2024•9 min•Season 6Ep. 1951
Read for This Week’s StudyPsalm 23, John 10:11-15, Psalm 22, Ps. 89:27-32, Col. 1:16, Psalm 2, Heb. 7:20-28.Memory Text:“The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone. This was the Lord’s doing; it is marvelous in our eyes” (Psalm 118:22, 23, NKJV).The Psalms testify about Christ’s person and ministry. Almost all aspects of His work in the plan of salvation are seen in the Psalms. In various ways, Christ’s life and work are prefigured and predicted in them, often with re...
Feb 24, 2024•5 min•Season 6Ep. 1950
In these modern times, obtaining wisdom seems not to be so desirable as achieving happiness. People would rather be happy than wise. However, can we truly be happy and live a fulfilled life without godly wisdom? The Psalms clearly say that we cannot. The good news is that we are not asked to choose between wisdom and happiness. Godly wisdom brings genuine happiness.A simple example from the Hebrew language can illustrate this point. In Hebrew, the word “step” in plural (’ashurey) sounds very muc...
Feb 23, 2024•10 min•Season 6Ep. 1949
