"A Psalm of the Cross"
If you have been a student of the Bible for even a little while, you might recognize the opening plea of Psalm 22. "My God, My God, why have you forsaken me" is one of the seven statements Jesus makes from the cross. Evidently, Jesus wants all who heard Him cry out that day -- all those Jews who knew their scriptures -- to think about Psalm 22.
Psalm 21 is a wonderful postscript to Psalm 20. In that Psalm the people prayed for their king. God answered those prayers and in Psalm 21 there in great joy in a God who answers prayer! But Psalm 22 will be our focus.
Psalm 22 is remarkable in many ways. It describes suffering and pain and ridicule. In clear imagery it describes crucifixion 1000 years before Jesus and at a time when crucifixion had not yet been utilized as a means of punishment or execution. Other details defy our ability to connect it to anything in the life of David.
But as you will see and read, the events connect easily with those surrounding the life and death of Jesus. Although David penned the Psalm 1000 years earlier, the details are...well....miraculously prophetic.
One quote is of particular interest. "I am a worm and no man." Now there is someone with low self esteem, right? Are these the words of Jesus about Himself? What does He mean by that? What kind of worm? I am certainly not going to tell you, but I promise that the crimson worm will leave you in awe of the precision and purposefulness of God. To get the full story....
....VIEW AND SEE!
Steve
Psalms 21-22
March 9, 2022 • Pastor Steve Feden • Psalm 21, Psalm 22
Psalm 1
January 9, 2022 • Pastor Steve Feden • Psalm 1
"How to Find Happiness" We will open our Bibles to Psalm 1, which is familiar territory for many of God's people. Psalm 1 will serve as our intro to our year-long study of the Book of Psalms which will be on Wed nights, starting Jan 12. But for now..... Psalm 1 is simple, clear, and makes no demands. Instead, the Psalmist present two choices and urges the reader to make a decision based on what is presented. The big question is, what kind of life do you want to live? The Declaration of Independence guarantees people of America the right to pursue happiness. Donald Trump promised to "Make America Great Again", but couldn't make Americans happy again. In terms of national "happiness", people from Finland topped the 2018 survey, with Norway, Denmark, Iceland, and Switzerland rounding out the top 5. Those are some cold yet happy people! Brrrr. What about America? A humble 18th place and dropping each year. Regardless of national happiness, and how that is determined, the opening statement of Psalm 1 is "Oh how happy is the man......". And the Psalm goes on to describe the life of a happy man and compare his [or her] life to the opposite. Throughout the Psalm we will see some themes repeated from our recent study of Philippians while asking the questions, "Am I happy?", and "Who is responsible for my happiness?" This is a simple and great Psalm that may help get things on track for 2022. Lord knows, we need it! View and See.....!!!
Psalms 2-3
January 12, 2022 • Pastor Steve Feden • Psalm 2, Psalm 3
"The Heart of Worship" Tonight, after an intro to the Psalms and a little fun, we will start the ball rolling with Psalms 2 and 3. Psalm 2 is quoted a number of times in the NT, and could be title "Rebellion is No Joke". If you have ever thought to yourself, "What's the deal with the world? Why are people so set against Jesus?", then Psalm 2 is for you. I have often taught from Psalm 2 at Megiddo in Israel, just above the Valley of Armageddon. Wanna know why? You will understand after tonight! Psalm 3-5 seem to all be connected together and to an event in the life of King David. A very tough time when his Son Absalom "stole the hearts of the people of Israel". His leadership was undermined by his own good-looking, charismatic, and somewhat bitter son. How does he handle it all as his approval ratings plummet and he is forced off the throne. He is a laughingstock whom people are gossiping about. How would you feel? How would you handle it. The Psalms are full of raw emotion and heart. I believe the fruit of our study will be a return to the heart of worship. May God put a song in our hearts! If your life is dry, and your praise is flat, and you need Psalm-thing to sing about, then..... http://....view AND SEE! Steve