“for he has founded it upon the seas and established it upon the rivers.” -Psalm 24:2 Verse 2 is simply a continuation and expansion on verse 1 that “the wonderful providence of God is clearly reflected in the whole face of the earth” (Calvin). That God would bring the earth up out of the water […]
The Earth is the Lord’s
“The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof, the world and those who dwell therein,” -Psalm 24:1 The Psalm opens with a general acknowledgment of God’s utter sovereignty and magnificent wealth in possessing and ruling over all of creation. But this was not the view of all people groups in the ancient world. For […]
Psalm 24: The King of Glory
“A Psalm of David. The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof, the world and those who dwell therein, for he has founded it upon the seas and established it upon the rivers. Who shall ascend the hill of the Lord? And who shall stand in his holy place? He who has clean hands […]
The House of the Lord Forever
“Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” -Psalm 23:6 To eat at someone’s table in the ancient world was to form a real covenant bond. “And Moses took the blood and threw it on the people and said, […]
New at Kepler! Teacher Certification Course
If you are a teacher or homeschooling parent, I’m delighted to introduce Kepler’s 3-track Teacher Certification course with Dr. Robert Woods, founder of the Great Books Honors College at Faulkner University and author of Mortimer Adler: The Paideia Way of Classical Education. In whatever capacity you are teaching–or even if you are an adult interested […]
A Table Prepared for Me
“You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.” -Psalm 23:5 The Lord is not only David’s protector, but he is also his provider. In verse five, the metaphor shifts from that of shepherd caring for sheep to one of a host welcoming […]
I Will Fear No Evil
“Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.” -Psalm 23:4 In the very center of this Psalm of comfort, we encounter “the valley of the shadow of death.” That is because this valley […]
He Restores My Soul
“He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.” -Psalm 23:3 One of the great joys of having the Lord as our shepherd is the abundance and depth of grace that he bestows on his sheep. Not only does he meet our every physical need, but he meets our […]
Green Pastures and Still Waters
“He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters.” -Psalm 23:2 All follows from verse one. Because the Lord is our shepherd, we can expect green pastures and still waters. Commentators often spend too much time analyzing the details of Psalms like this, but doing so is like explaining a […]
I Shall Not Want
“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.” -Psalm 23:1 Since the Lord is our shepherd, the logical conclusion is “I shall not want.” That is, I shall not go without my needs being met. Matthew records Jesus’ exposition of what it means to have the Lord as our shepherd. “Therefore I tell you, […]
The LORD is my Shepherd
“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.” -Psalm 23:1 The Psalmist is both a shepherd and a poet (1 Samuel 16:19, 23; 2 Samuel 5:2 & 23:1; Psalm 78:70–71). David was not only a shepherd of sheep but also of Israel. It’s not hard to imagine one like David pondering the sheep and […]
The Twenty-third Psalm
“A Psalm of David. The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I […]
A Boundless Kingdom
“For kingship belongs to the Lord, and he rules over the nations. All the prosperous of the earth eat and worship; before him shall bow all who go down to the dust, even the one who could not keep himself alive. Posterity shall serve him; it shall be told of the Lord to the coming […]
All the Ends of the Earth
“All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to the Lord, and all the families of the nations shall worship before you. For kingship belongs to the Lord, and he rules over the nations.” -Psalm 22:27–28 David now turns his attention from the congregation to the world at large. This is a natural […]
The Afflicted Shall Eat and be Satisfied
“From you comes my praise in the great congregation; my vows I will perform before those who fear him. The afflicted shall eat and be satisfied; those who seek him shall praise the Lord! May your hearts live forever!” -Psalm 22:25–26 Continuing in the theme of the votive feast, we see that these verses are […]
A Brief Outline of the Research
The three authors under consideration offer valuable insights into the universal nature, conception, and manifestation of Christian humanism as a socio-theological concept valid—and it will be argued, preferred—in any and every epoch, including these post-modern times. Because an important objective of this dissertation will be to demonstrate the manner in which each make significant use […]
Praising God in the Congregation
“I will tell of your name to my brothers; in the midst of the congregation I will praise you: You who fear the Lord, praise him! All you offspring of Jacob, glorify him, and stand in awe of him, all you offspring of Israel! For he has not despised or abhorred the affliction of the […]
O You My Help!
“But you, O Lord, do not be far off! O you my help, come quickly to my aid! Deliver my soul from the sword, my precious life from the power of the dog! Save me from the mouth of the lion! You have rescued me from the horns of the wild oxen!” -Psalm 22:19–21 This […]
Pierced for Our Sake
“For dogs encompass me; a company of evildoers encircles me; they have pierced my hands and feet— I can count all my bones— they stare and gloat over me; they divide my garments among them, and for my clothing they cast lots.” -Psalm 22:16–18 Dogs in the ancient world were scavengers. Much like buzzards that […]
A Richly Developed Theological Vision
Returning full circle, the primary reason for focusing on these three authors is the fact that each possessed a richly developed theological vision for writing fiction that included the use of the grotesque as a means of exploring the nature of the human being (i.e., his soul and his ability to flourish) and the human […]
A Shadow of Reality
“I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint; my heart is like wax; it is melted within my breast; my strength is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue sticks to my jaws; you lay me in the dust of death.” -Psalm 22:14–15 The profound imagery paints a […]
Bulls and Lions
“Many bulls encompass me; strong bulls of Bashan surround me; they open wide their mouths at me, like a ravening and roaring lion.” -Psalm 22:12–13 In verses 12-18, David describes the voracious and cruel nature of his enemies in bestial metaphors. Bulls are aggressive and insensitive. The bulls of Bashan, in particular, refer to the […]
From My Mother’s Womb
“Yet you are he who took me from the womb; you made me trust you at my mother’s breasts. On you was I cast from my birth, and from my mother’s womb you have been my God. Be not far from me, for trouble is near, and there is none to help.” -Psalm 22:9–11 Simply […]
When We Are Worms
“But I am a worm and not a man, scorned by mankind and despised by the people. All who see me mock me; they make mouths at me; they wag their heads; “He trusts in the Lord; let him deliver him; let him rescue him, for he delights in him!”” -Psalm 22:6–8 Every post-pubescent human […]
Reasons for Focusing on Lewis, O’Connor, and Tolkien
The broader and more comprehensive reason for focusing on these particular authors are several. First, and most obvious, is their shared Christian faith. It is common knowledge that all three of the authors considered here were Christians who held orthodox beliefs about God. None had reservations about confessing his or her faith amidst an unbelieving […]
Finding Strength in our Christian Heritage
“Yet you are holy, enthroned on the praises of Israel. In you our fathers trusted; they trusted, and you delivered them. To you they cried and were rescued; in you they trusted and were not put to shame.” -Psalm 22:3–5 Allen Ross suggests this Psalm is not about illness but about execution. He asserts, “It […]
My God, My God!
“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, from the words of my groaning? O my God, I cry by day, but you do not answer, and by night, but I find no rest.” -Psalm 22:1–2 The horror this passage invokes in our spirit who contemplate […]
Be Exalted in your Strength!
“Be exalted, O Lord, in your strength! We will sing and praise your power.” -Psalm 21:13 The Lord alone is to be exalted and the congregation vows to sing and praise his power and strength. This is a good reminder for us in the modern church who tend to focus only on the Lord’s mercy […]
The Enemy Will Not Succeed
“Your hand will find out all your enemies; your right hand will find out those who hate you. You will make them as a blazing oven when you appear. The Lord will swallow them up in his wrath, and fire will consume them. You will destroy their descendants from the earth, and their offspring from […]
The Steadfast Love of the Most High
“For you meet him with rich blessings; you set a crown of fine gold upon his head. He asked life of you; you gave it to him, length of days forever and ever. His glory is great through your salvation; splendor and majesty you bestow on him. For you make him most blessed forever; you […]
No Request Withheld
“O Lord, in your strength the king rejoices, and in your salvation how greatly he exults! You have given him his heart’s desire and have not withheld the request of his lips. Selah” -Psalm 21:1–2 The King’s desire here is likely his strategy or plans for war. God has blessed his battle plans and given […]
The King Rejoices
“O Lord, in your strength the king rejoices, and in your salvation how greatly he exults!” -Psalm 21:1 This Psalm appears to be complementary to Psalm 20. In the preceding, we discovered a corporate form designed to cultivate within the congregation of God’s people a certain earnestness for the preservation of their king. This Psalm […]
Answer Us When We Call
“O Lord, save the king! May he answer us when we call.” -Psalm 20:9 This closing petition is an inclusio to verse one: “May the Lord answer you in the day of trouble! May the name of the God of Jacob protect you!” -Psalm 20:1 The last verse echoes the first, but expands on it’s […]
Now I Know
“Now I know that the Lord saves his anointed; he will answer him from his holy heaven with the saving might of his right hand. Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God. They collapse and fall, but we rise and stand upright.” -Psalm […]
A Few Brief Thoughts on Politics
I wish I could say something intelligent about the results of the 2020 presidential election in this post, but that would be futile at this point, so perhaps it would be best to briefly share something helpful about politics in general. Thought One First, I wish to encourage you to get comfortable with politics. But, […]
May the Lord
“May the Lord answer you in the day of trouble! May the name of the God of Jacob protect you! May he send you help from the sanctuary and give you support from Zion! May he remember all your offerings and regard with favor your burnt sacrifices! Selah May he grant you your heart’s desire […]
A Royal Battle Psalm
“To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David. May the Lord answer you in the day of trouble! May the name of the God of Jacob protect you! May he send you help from the sanctuary and give you support from Zion! May he remember all your offerings and regard with favor your burnt sacrifices! Selah […]
Acceptable Words and Meditations
“Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.” -Psalm 19:14 David knew his words were the fruit of his heart’s meditations, and to be acceptable in the Lord’s sight, he had to mortify those sins as well. In other […]
Innocent of the Great Transgression
“Keep back your servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me! Then I shall be blameless, and innocent of great transgression.” -Psalm 19:13 Seeing the Law of the Lord is necessary to reveal errors and hidden sins, how much more do we need God’s help to be freed from those presumptuous […]
Hidden Faults and Indiscernible Errors
“Who can discern his errors? Declare me innocent from hidden faults.” -Psalm 19:12 My pastor is fond of saying none of us can see the back of our head. The point is we all have blind spots. And this is one of the promises of the Law, to show us the back of our head. […]
The Common Use of the Grotesque in Imaginative Literature
In order to understand the value of the Christian humanists’ perspective, it will be necessary to define exactly what is meant when the expression is used. The New World Encyclopedia defines Christian humanism as “the belief that human freedom, individual conscience, and unencumbered rational inquiry are compatible with the practice of Christianity or even intrinsic […]
The Work of the Law in Us
“Who can discern his errors? Declare me innocent from hidden faults. Keep back your servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me! Then I shall be blameless, and innocent of great transgression. Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, […]
Twentieth-Century Christian Humanists
Consider that by the turn of the twentieth century, the Nietzschean vision of humanity had “arrived,” and the West was surprised to find that it was exterminating itself by the millions and then plunging the survivors into “the great nausea, the will to nothingness, nihilism.” For example, in The Civilization of the West, Crane Brinton […]
Great Reward
“Moreover, by them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward.” -Psalm 19:11 David is here acknowledging to God that whatever success he had in life was due to the ordering of it by the Laws and testimonies of the Lord. This verse stands as a testimony to all who read or […]
More to be Desired
“More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb.” -Psalm 19:10 John Calvin says of this passage, “If the law did nothing else but command us, how could it be loved, since in commanding it terrifies us, because we all fail in keeping […]
A Chaste Fear
“the fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever; the rules of the Lord are true, and righteous altogether.” -Psalm 19:9 The expression the fear of the Lord refers to the way the Lord’s subjects (believers) serve him. Cleanness is chasteness. The fear of the Lord is not a distressing fear but one that endures […]
The Delightful and Enlightening Law of God
“the precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes;” -Psalm 19:8 The precepts (piqqûd) and commandment (mitsvâh) seem to speak of the precise instructions and the authoritative orders, respectively, with which God addresses his people, Israel. Some suggest David has in mind the specific […]
The Critical Purchase of Christian Humanists
In an essay titled, “Decadence and Its Critics,” Dr. Gleaves Whitney observes how difficult it has been for conservative cultural critics to get their message about the decline of Western civilization across to the public. He asserts three reasons why the prophets of Western decadence have been relegated to be “the Cassandras and Laocoöns of […]
The Law of The Lord
“The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple;” -Psalm 19:7 Though David’s immediate motivation is to remind Israel of their particular relationship with God, we who are under the new covenant (Christ) are ever yet benefited by the Law of God. We […]
Nothing Bad or Deficient
“The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple; the precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes; the fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever; the rules of the Lord […]