August 22, 2019

Psalm 142: Sharing Our Worries With God

In our study of Psalm 142 tonight, we begin by noting how the Hebrew of the psalm is much later than David even though it claims to be a psalm of David and how the psalmist sees his present distress in the life of David.  We then do the same and discuss honestly sharing our complaints, difficulties, and pain with God.  We see how the psalmist, Jeremiah, and even Jesus Himself does this all the while completely trusting in God.  We also note some of the messianic overtones of the psalm, explore how our suffering and deliverance can be important to others, and conclude by considering the bounty of God toward us and our great hope in Him.

July 25, 2019

Ps 130: Hope In God’s Forgiveness & Ps 141: Resisting Evil Within

We covered Psalm 141 and dealing with evil within the Church as well as Psalm 130 about hoping in God's forgiveness.

The first half study of Psalm 130 examines the importance of recognizing the depth of our sin, addresses prayer and reparation for the sins of others, explores perspectives on hope, and discusses the meaning of redemption.

The second half on Psalm 141 looks at the dangerous and difficult situation where those within the Church are doing wrong.  We discuss the image of the Evening Sacrifice as well as the bodily expression of worship.  We look at the challenges to our speech in environments when surrounded by wrong both for compromise and retaliation.  We examine some ways we can unwittingly participate in the ways of the wrongdoers around us.  We discuss the dangers on both sides — the danger of falling into compromise with wrong and the danger of falling into excessive judgment of others.  We explore the image of pouring oil on one's head in the Israelite culture and some of the difficulties in the text of this psalm.  We conclude with a brief look at how we will indeed reap what we sow.

June 28, 2018

Canticle of Zechariah: God is on the Move; Psalm 57: God Delivers

We begin tonight's study with a discussion of the Ordinary, Proper, and Common regarding Mass and the Liturgy of the Hours as well as a discussion of Solemnities, Feasts, Memorials, and Optional Memorials.  We proceed to explore the Benedictus, the Canticle of Zechariah as part of the Ordinary of the Liturgy of the Hours including its historical setting, powerful Old Testament references, and images of light, darkness, and peace.

The second half proceeds to Psalm 57 which we will use when we pray the Morning Office from Thursday week I.  We show the possible connection to David's early flight from Saul and the treachery of Doeg and David's trust in God's deliverance.  We touch upon the constant spiritual threat to our lives.

March 23, 2017

Foundations of Bible Study: Distorted Relationships - Job, the Disciplined Man Who Did the Right Things

In this conclusion to the Foundations of Bible Study series, we review Elihu's speech, see how God addresses Job whom He had so complimented at the beginning of the book, see how Job's coming to self knowledge in the face of God transforms his relationship with God, and then review how the entire Foundations of Bible Study series ties together.