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Summary

So, we're going to, we're going to actually, before we look at the Doxology, we're going to back up just a little bit and look at that promise in beginning in verse 49, where he says, Lord, where is your steadfast love of old, which by your faithfulness you swore to David. So, no, it's just very, very cool, and it's incredible that that the end of this, you know, with the whole book of songs were brought through the story of Scripture, were brought through the the the rich, rich story of God's word for his people of God's doing for his people, and it's so beautiful that that the end, it's just this five Psalms filled with, let's praise the Lord for who he is. So so when you are when you open your Bible to the middle and you find yourself at the book of Psalms that is not only at the center of the Bible, but it's also in the center of the books of wisdom books of wisdom in scripture include Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes and Song of Solomon so that middle section of your scripture prior to the prophet and after the Pentateuch and history that is where we find these books of what wisdom wisdom is living life the way that God intended in the books of wisdom we receive a bounty of living a righteous life we find righteousness written about talked about a lot in the books of wisdom we also see God in the books of wisdom we see God that he is holy he is righteous wise he is the just creator all of these themes are found within the books of wisdom it's interesting because you'll will hear in the in throughout the ages in the secular world and even within the Christian world some of you'll hear these comparisons made between the Israelites and Christians and those around them and and saying there are all these overlaps that you know well well the Christians have a story of creation but so does this culture and so does this culture and and really it's just a story and and it's just a way to try to explain things every culture has a creation story and so it's it's leading into this comparison comparison where where we compare the Bible as one of many ways to know God or one of many ways to show us how to live righteously but that that is in error it is an error to say that the Bible is just one more story in how we can live or how we can speak to be good people some overlap there is some overlap in wise sayings in the books of wisdom there might be some some some overlap between the books of wisdom and other cultures of the ancient near east but there's a major clarification that has to keep forefront for us in our minds and that wisdom wisdom is based on God's created order wisdom is based on God's created order all wisdom all truth belongs to God and he has given this to his people also biblical wisdom is different than all the other cultures and religions because it emphasizes one God it emphasizes one God God who is the source of all knowledge God who is the source of all understanding all that is right and wrong is according to God's wisdom and perfection whether we want to make comparisons or not we know that the source of all truth the source of all that is true is God and so everything everything we know everything we learn everything we do everything we say is is in accordance with the wisdom of God it's according to his wisdom according to his perfection and our right our righteousness our rightness is fulfilled in Christ for us wisdom books are filled with poetry and prose but don't let this stop you from loving the Psalms don't let this stop you from loving the books of wisdom and don't let it stop you or intimidate you from turning to the Psalms I know so oftentimes with the book of Psalms it is either oh I love the Psalms or oh my gosh I'm trying to get through the Psalms because it's it's very high high nature with with the writing it's very very high uh verbiage and and so it's we get lost or we can get lost um I personally am not one that sits down often with a book of poetry but Psalms are different the Psalms are different and so even if you do not uh excuse me even if you do not love poetry you can still love the book of Psalms and the books of wisdom um uh uh do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do so Okay, so this is so cool. I also know that there are times in my life when it is absolutely appropriate to to go to the book of Esther and it really speaks and then there are other times in my life when I would I would not understand what I'm supposed to get what I'm supposed to be led in from the book of Esther right does that make sense but in the book of Psalms as we turn to the Psalms maybe it's Psalm 23 that I need in this very moment maybe it's the first Psalm maybe it's the last Psalm maybe it's Psalm 119 speaking of God's word maybe it's Psalm 51 and I will full confession here Psalm 51 I go to a lot a lot but it's I think that one and this is a biased opinion that one just gets right to the heart of man and to the heart of God love Psalm 51 So I'm going to stop talking about it right now because I can't stop I love it So Luther also calls the Psalter the spirits summary of the whole Bible he says the Psalter should be precious to us if only because it most clearly promises the death and resurrection of Christ and describes his kingdom and the nature and standing of all Christian people it could well be entitled a little Bible since everything contained in the entire Bible is beautifully and briefly comprehended and compacted into a manual it seems to me as if the Holy Ghost had been pleased to take on himself the trouble of putting together a short Bible touching the whole of Christianity in order that they who are unable to read the whole Bible may never the last never the last find almost the whole sum comprehended in one little book the Psalter is the very heragon of books don't be scared of the book of Psalm we are going to have a great time going through this I hope and I pray that our study will open the book of Psalms for each of us for every single one of us and and that we will be able to weave it into our life of prayer into our prayer life because it is God's own word given to us that we get to recite to pray right back to him and we don't have to worry if we're eloquent when we pray we don't have to worry if we're getting exactly what we're trying to portray because we are praying God's own words to him and that's a beautiful thing that is a beautiful thing Blessed, Lord God, we give you thanks for the opportunity to gather in your house on this the Lord's day. So this is a broad study, but being a broad study, if you have any specific questions or thoughts or, you know, that, that you just want to get out there or, or ask, email them to me, because then I know, just like we've done in other classes, where it's a broader topic, and you have questions, then I know, like, oh, okay, so this is what, because we're all different, and we're going to have different things, different questions pop up. We are called into this one body with Christ at the head to be in communion with one another in a loving relationship with one another and by His grace and by His spirit He empowers us so that in His command to love one another as He has loved us it is not a burden but it is a shared joy that we are allowed the opportunity to serve our brothers and sisters in need to love our neighbor who has not yet known the love of Jesus Christ and just serve the Lord by serving one another and loving one another by putting the other ahead of the self the if of our relationship with Jesus the if of the friendship that has been answered the if as a conditional has been eliminated because Jesus loves you Jesus claims you and Jesus has sealed you in His spirit offering you choosing you and claiming you as His friend now and forever You open your Bible's please with me to the second chapter of the Book of Philippians.

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