-ATHERING
THE CALL | Matthew 26:36-38
Then Jesus went with them to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to his disciples, “Sit here, while I go over there and pray.” And taking with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, he began to be sorrowful and troubled. Then he said to them, “My soul is very sorrowful, even to death; remain here, and watch with me.”
CONFESSION | Psalm 130 [ESV]
Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord!
O Lord, hear my voice!
Let your ears be attentive
to the voice of my pleas for mercy!
If you, O Lord, should mark iniquities,
O Lord, who could stand?
But with you there is forgiveness,
that you may be feared.
I wait for the Lord, my soul waits,
and in his word I hope;
my soul waits for the Lord
more than watchmen for the morning,
more than watchmen for the morning.
O Israel, hope in the Lord!
For with the Lord there is steadfast love,
and with him is plentiful redemption.
And he will redeem Israel
from all his iniquities.
ASSURANCE | Luke 24:1-6 [ESV]
But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they went to the tomb, taking the spices they had prepared. And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they went in they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. While they were perplexed about this, behold, two men stood by them in dazzling apparel. And as they were frightened and bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them, “Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen.”
(If you are gathered in a group, you could read the following call and response.)
Christ is risen!
He is risen, indeed!
Alleluia!
Alleluia!
WORD
Day #65 – “I Will Walk With Integrity Within My House”
First reading Psalm 101
Second reading Psalm 102
Unlike other pairings of psalms we have considered in our readings this week, today we have two very different psalms to consider, with very little similarity, at first glance. We will consider them separately.
Psalm 101 is ascribed to David, the first psalm with a named author or connection in our readings for this week. The reader, therefore, could seek to read this psalm through the lens of the one called and anointed as the King of Israel to lead the people in righteousness, as the kings were called to do in the Torah (see Deuteronomy 17:18-20). And yet a reading of the history of the Davidic kingdom (see the book of 2 Samuel and 1 Kings 1) reveals behavior that is certainly NOT that described in Psalm 101.
Author and teacher David Powlison encouraged interpretation of the psalms as a “four-part harmony”. There is first the perspective of the original author, in this case King David. A second voice to consider is that of the people of God, the congregation called to sing these songs. We often gravitate to the fourth voice, that of our own, as we seek to apply God’s word and make these songs our own, a laudable goal and necessary step to be sure. Those second and fourth
voices are perhaps difficult to hear or be sung in this particular psalm. However, we often leave out the third voice of the harmony, that of the Lord Jesus Christ, who is both the ultimate subject and singer of these songs (cf.Luke 24:44-45). He is also the only truly righteous King in the best sense.
So re-read Psalm 101, and imagine it sung by King Jesus, the rider on the white horse of Revelation 19:11-16, preparing to execute final judgment as the King of kings and Lord of lords (Rev 19:16b). Who else could claim “I will walk with integrity within my house…I will know nothing of evil…Morning by morning I will destroy all the wicked in the land…” (Ps 101:2b,4b, 8a)? A radically different perspective, no? I was astonished after writing the above to then re-read Psalm 102, titled “A prayer of one afflicted, when he is faint and pours out his complaint before the Lord”. Verses 1-11 on the lips of our Saviour in His humanity? Like Psalm 22? And then, similar to Psalm 22:22-31, the writer of Psalm 102 turns to praise in v.12-28, even in the midst of his persistent lament (v.23-24). Sounds like the Jesus I know. May we worship Him as fully God and fully man! (Jim Partridge)
ABIDING
SING
- Psalm 130 | From The Depths of Woe (Indelible Grace version) [recording] [chord sheet]
- Psalm 130 (hymn version) [recording] [melody sheet] (this tune is used for “I Heard the Voice of Jesus Say”)
FRIDAY-Praying Psalm 130:7-8
This week, we will use Psalm 130 as a prayer template that we move through progressively each day.
“O Israel, hope in the Lord!
For with the Lord there is steadfast love,
and with him is plentiful redemption.
And he will redeem Israel
from all his iniquities.” (Psalm 130:7-8)
Can you think of someone who needs to be encouraged by the Lord’s forgiveness? Pray that they would be comforted and know that the Lord is merciful. Consider even sharing with them these verses.
SENDING
APOSTLES’ CREED
I believe in the God the Father Almighty,
Maker of heaven and earth.
I believe Jesus Christ, his only begotten Son, our Lord;
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary;
suffered under Pontius Pilate;
was crucified, dead, and buried;
he descended into hell;
the third day he rose again from the dead;
he ascended into heaven,
and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty;
from there he shall come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit;
the holy catholic church;
the communion of saints;
the forgiveness of sins;
the resurrection of the dead;
and the life everlasting. Amen.
1 Thessalonians 5:2,4-6 [ESV]
For you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. But you are not in darkness, brothers, for that day to surprise you like a thief. For you are all children of light, children of the day. We are not of the night or of the darkness. So then let us not sleep, as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober.