Suggested Readings To Read Through The Bible In A Year
Monday July 27, 2009 1 Corinthians 6-8 & Psalm 89
Psalm 89:1
A maskil of Ethan the Ezrahite.
I will sing of the Lord's great love forever;
with my mouth I will make your faithfulness known through all generations.
We know the name of the author of this 89th Psalm and the title by which he was known. However, what we don’t know for sure is just which generation this Ethan the Ezrahite belonged to . . . We know that this song was written in a time when Israel was experiencing great political unrest. It would appear that the reigning king has been disposed in some manner and there was a void of godly leadership. Some suggest that this song was written after Babylon had overthrown Judah and Jerusalem - or - it may have been in the time when Solomon’s son Rehoboam was king and had been invaded by the Egyptians. What I want to take away from this reading today is four things that Ethan reminds us of as he talks to God about what is going on in his world.
1. God is faithful in his character so our response should be - Praise Him! The first 18 verses are all about praise to God. Ethan gives praise for God’s faithfulness, for his love, and for the covenants he has made. Ethan points out the fact that the heavens are a testimony to the greatness and the faithfulness of God. We are blessed when we give Him praise.
2. God is faithful to his covenant so our response should be - Trust Him! In verses 19-37 Ethan reminds himself of the covenant that God made with David – that there would be a son of David on the throne forever. (And of course, that promise was fulfilled through Jesus)
3. God is faithful in his chastening. While God loves forever, his love does not allow him to overlook the disobedience of his children. In fact, it His love that motivates him to hold us accountable for our actions.
4. God’s faithfulness will never cease so wait for Him! Ethan understood that the issue was not the waning of God’s love for his people, but rather the people waned in their love for God. The chastening that they were experiencing would help them to re-prioritize their hearts and their thinking. The chastening would not last forever – but God’s love will!
Suggested Readings To Read Through The Bible In A Year
Tuesday July 28, 2009 1 Corinthians 9-11 & Psalm 90
Wednesday July 29, 2009 1 Corinthians 12-14 & Psalm 91
Thursday July 30, 2009 1 Corinthians 15-16 & Psalm 92
Friday July 31, 2009 2 Chronicles 1-4 & Psalm 93
