Today’s reading is Psalm 101.
Book III of the psalms presented judgment and lamentation. If we read the Psalter as a story of Israel, we see in Book III the destruction of God’s city and God’s house and the judgment on God’s people in the Babylonian captivity. Book IV of the Psalms began with a psalm of Moses, Psalm 90. It is like reading of a New Exodus from captivity. Surely, the exiled and post-exiled people sang these songs with that image in mind. Further, every psalm in the book sprang from that first one.
Psalm 91 meditated on and expanded “Lord, you have been our dwelling place…” (Psalm 90:1; see Psalm 91:1). Psalm 92 meditated on and expanded “Let your work be shown to your servants…” (Psalm 90:16; see Psalm 92:4-5). Psalm 93 meditated on and expanded “From everlasting to everlasting you are God” (Psalm 90:2; see Psalm 93:2, 5). However, Psalm 93 goes beyond God’s eternal existence to discuss God’s eternal reign and kingship. And there, the floodgates open. Psalm 93-99 meditate on, elucidate, worship, praise, sing about God as King. Psalm 100 then calls all the earth to respond to the reign of God. We are all to know God, worship God, serve God. Why? Because the “LORD is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations” (Psalm 100:5, ESV).
Then Psalm 101 begins:
I will sing of steadfast love and justice;
to you, O LORD, I will make music (ESV).
Certainly, we can learn from this statement that the psalmist has a habit of singing and praising God. But the declaration is actually about this psalm in particular. This psalm is a song to the Lord about steadfast love and faithfulness. “I will sing” it. The general cry for praise, worship, and thanksgiving from all people in Psalm 100 becomes particular and individual in Psalm 101. If all the earth should sing and worship the Lord, I should sing and worship the Lord.
Though the “king” is not mentioned particularly in this psalm, it seems almost certain David is writing as king. Who else had the authority to destroy slanderers (vs. 5) and the wicked (vs. 8)? Who else had the authority to cut off evildoers from the city of the LORD (vs. 8)? However, we must not skip past this psalm because we are not princes, prime ministers, presidents, or other potentates.
David recognizes the love and justice of the Ultimate King is supposed to impact him personally in his own walk, his home, his companions, his duties. His role as king must be impacted by the reign of the Ultimate King. Though we are not kings, the way our Ultimate King reigns should impact us in our roles, relationships, and other responsibilities. We’ll look at how throughout the rest of the week.
Tomorrow’s reading is Psalm 101.
PODCAST!!!
PATHS:
Discuss Today’s Meditation with Your Family
How does Psalm 101 prompt or improve your praise of God?
Read the Bible 