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The subject of Psalm 15 is the question, what is expected of a person who comes into the presence of God? Many scholars believe the psalm was inspired by and patterned after liturgies performed at (...)

The prophet Jeremiah likely delivered this oracle in the terrifying last days of the Judahite kingdom, during the reign of King Zedekiah. It comes near the end of a section of the book focused on (...)

Psalm 121 is a “song of ascent.” It is the second psalm in a collection used by Israelites making pilgrimages to Jerusalem (Psalms 120–134). In Exodus, Israelite males are commanded to “see the face of (...)

From its opening lines, Psalm 37 closely resembles the didactic tone of the book of Proverbs. For example, Proverbs 23:17 counsels, “Do not let your heart envy sinners, but always continue in the fear of the (...)

The Old Testament text for this Sunday is perhaps most famous because of the exquisite soprano aria from Handel’s Messiah: “I know that my Redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day (...)

In Psalm 17, the author finds himself in a dire situation. Verses 1–9 are a plea from an innocent to be vindicated in a world that seeks the psalmist’s demise. In the midst of this (...)

The book of Jeremiah is set during a turbulent period when Babylon twice invaded Judah (598 and 587 BCE), destroying Jerusalem and its temple and deporting large numbers of Judeans. Much of the blame for (...)

Advent and Christmas never fail to stir up a vast range of emotions. There is holiday cheer and family warmth and commercially-catalyzed retail therapy aplenty. There is also FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) in full (...)

The lectionary selection from Psalm 40 includes ten verses that express thanksgiving (verses 1-10) and one verse of petition for help (verse 11).1 The shift from thanks to plea represents a major problem of interpretation (...)

As much as any psalm in the Psalter, Psalm 27 expresses trust in the lord and claims absolute dependence on God.1 This is apparent in verse 1, which begins the lectionary reading: “The Lord is (...)