Sermon Central
Psalm 68-72
Psalm 68
2May you blow them away like smoke— as wax melts before the fire, may the wicked perish before God.
3But may the righteous be glad and rejoice before God; may they be happy and joyful.
4Sing to God, sing in praise of his name, extol him who rides on the clouds
5A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling.
6God sets the lonely in families,
7When you, God, went out before your people, when you marched through the wilderness,
8the earth shook, the heavens poured down rain, before God, the One of Sinai, before God, the God of Israel.
9You gave abundant showers, O God; you refreshed your weary inheritance.
10Your people settled in it, and from your bounty, God, you provided for the poor.
11The Lord announces the word, and the women who proclaim it are a mighty throng:
12“Kings and armies flee in haste; the women at home divide the plunder.
13Even while you sleep among the sheep pens,
14When the Almighty
15Mount Bashan, majestic mountain, Mount Bashan, rugged mountain,
16why gaze in envy, you rugged mountain, at the mountain where God chooses to reign, where the LORD himself will dwell forever?
17The chariots of God are tens of thousands and thousands of thousands; the Lord has come from Sinai into his sanctuary.
18When you ascended on high, you took many captives; you received gifts from people, even from
19Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior, who daily bears our burdens.
20Our God is a God who saves; from the Sovereign LORD comes escape from death.
21Surely God will crush the heads of his enemies, the hairy crowns of those who go on in their sins.
22The Lord says, “I will bring them from Bashan; I will bring them from the depths of the sea,
23that your feet may wade in the blood of your foes, while the tongues of your dogs have their share.”
24Your procession, God, has come into view, the procession of my God and King into the sanctuary.
25In front are the singers, after them the musicians; with them are the young women playing the timbrels.
26Praise God in the great congregation; praise the LORD in the assembly of Israel.
27There is the little tribe of Benjamin, leading them, there the great throng of Judah’s princes, and there the princes of Zebulun and of Naphtali.
28Summon your power, God
29Because of your temple at Jerusalem kings will bring you gifts.
30Rebuke the beast among the reeds, the herd of bulls among the calves of the nations. Humbled, may the beast bring bars of silver. Scatter the nations who delight in war.
31Envoys will come from Egypt; Cush
32Sing to God, you kingdoms of the earth, sing praise to the Lord,
33to him who rides across the highest heavens, the ancient heavens, who thunders with mighty voice.
34Proclaim the power of God, whose majesty is over Israel, whose power is in the heavens. 35You, God, are awesome in your sanctuary; the God of Israel gives power and strength to his people. Praise be to God!
Psalm 69
2I sink in the miry depths, where there is no foothold. I have come into the deep waters; the floods engulf me.
3I am worn out calling for help; my throat is parched. My eyes fail, looking for my God.
4Those who hate me without reason outnumber the hairs of my head; many are my enemies without cause, those who seek to destroy me. I am forced to restore what I did not steal.
5You, God, know my folly; my guilt is not hidden from you.
6Lord, the LORD Almighty, may those who hope in you not be disgraced because of me; God of Israel, may those who seek you not be put to shame because of me.
7For I endure scorn for your sake, and shame covers my face.
8I am a foreigner to my own family, a stranger to my own mother’s children;
9for zeal for your house consumes me, and the insults of those who insult you fall on me.
10When I weep and fast, I must endure scorn;
11when I put on sackcloth, people make sport of me.
12Those who sit at the gate mock me, and I am the song of the drunkards.
13But I pray to you, LORD, in the time of your favor; in your great love, O God, answer me with your sure salvation.
14Rescue me from the mire, do not let me sink; deliver me from those who hate me, from the deep waters.
15Do not let the floodwaters engulf me or the depths swallow me up or the pit close its mouth over me.
16Answer me, LORD, out of the goodness of your love; in your great mercy turn to me.
17Do not hide your face from your servant; answer me quickly, for I am in trouble.
18Come near and rescue me; deliver me because of my foes.
19You know how I am scorned, disgraced and shamed; all my enemies are before you.
20Scorn has broken my heart and has left me helpless; I looked for sympathy, but there was none, for comforters, but I found none.
21They put gall in my food and gave me vinegar for my thirst.
22May the table set before them become a snare; may it become retribution and
23May their eyes be darkened so they cannot see, and their backs be bent forever.
24Pour out your wrath on them; let your fierce anger overtake them.
25May their place be deserted; let there be no one to dwell in their tents.
26For they persecute those you wound and talk about the pain of those you hurt.
27Charge them with crime upon crime; do not let them share in your salvation.
28May they be blotted out of the book of life and not be listed with the righteous.
29But as for me, afflicted and in pain— may your salvation, God, protect me.
30I will praise God’s name in song and glorify him with thanksgiving.
31This will please the LORD more than an ox, more than a bull with its horns and hooves.
32The poor will see and be glad— you who seek God, may your hearts live!
33The LORD hears the needy and does not despise his captive people.
34Let heaven and earth praise him, the seas and all that move in them,
35for God will save Zion and rebuild the cities of Judah. Then people will settle there and possess it; 36the children of his servants will inherit it, and those who love his name will dwell there.
Psalm 70
2May those who want to take my life be put to shame and confusion; may all who desire my ruin be turned back in disgrace.
3May those who say to me, “Aha! Aha!” turn back because of their shame.
4But may all who seek you rejoice and be glad in you; may those who long for your saving help always say, “The LORD is great!” 5But as for me, I am poor and needy; come quickly to me, O God. You are my help and my deliverer; LORD, do not delay.
Psalm 71 1In you, LORD, I have taken refuge; let me never be put to shame.
2In your righteousness, rescue me and deliver me; turn your ear to me and save me.
3Be my rock of refuge, to which I can always go; give the command to save me, for you are my rock and my fortress.
4Deliver me, my God, from the hand of the wicked, from the grasp of those who are evil and cruel.
5For you have been my hope, Sovereign LORD, my confidence since my youth.
6From birth I have relied on you; you brought me forth from my mother’s womb. I will ever praise you.
7I have become a sign to many; you are my strong refuge.
8My mouth is filled with your praise, declaring your splendor all day long.
9Do not cast me away when I am old; do not forsake me when my strength is gone.
10For my enemies speak against me; those who wait to kill me conspire together.
11They say, “God has forsaken him; pursue him and seize him, for no one will rescue him.”
12Do not be far from me, my God; come quickly, God, to help me.
13May my accusers perish in shame; may those who want to harm me be covered with scorn and disgrace.
14As for me, I will always have hope; I will praise you more and more.
15My mouth will tell of your righteous deeds, of your saving acts all day long— though I know not how to relate them all.
16I will come and proclaim your mighty acts, Sovereign LORD ; I will proclaim your righteous deeds, yours alone.
17Since my youth, God, you have taught me, and to this day I declare your marvelous deeds.
18Even when I am old and gray, do not forsake me, my God, till I declare your power to the next generation, your mighty acts to all who are to come.
19Your righteousness, God, reaches to the heavens, you who have done great things. Who is like you, God?
20Though you have made me see troubles, many and bitter, you will restore my life again; from the depths of the earth you will again bring me up.
21You will increase my honor and comfort me once more.
22I will praise you with the harp for your faithfulness, my God; I will sing praise to you with the lyre, Holy One of Israel.
23My lips will shout for joy when I sing praise to you— I whom you have delivered. 24My tongue will tell of your righteous acts all day long, for those who wanted to harm me have been put to shame and confusion.
Psalm 72 1Of Solomon. Endow the king with your justice, O God, the royal son with your righteousness.
2May he judge your people in righteousness, your afflicted ones with justice.
3May the mountains bring prosperity to the people, the hills the fruit of righteousness.
4May he defend the afflicted among the people and save the children of the needy; may he crush the oppressor.
5May he endure
6May he be like rain falling on a mown field, like showers watering the earth.
7In his days may the righteous flourish and prosperity abound till the moon is no more.
8May he rule from sea to sea and from the River
9May the desert tribes bow before him and his enemies lick the dust.
10May the kings of Tarshish and of distant shores bring tribute to him. May the kings of Sheba and Seba present him gifts.
11May all kings bow down to him and all nations serve him.
12For he will deliver the needy who cry out, the afflicted who have no one to help.
13He will take pity on the weak and the needy and save the needy from death.
14He will rescue them from oppression and violence, for precious is their blood in his sight.
15Long may he live! May gold from Sheba be given him. May people ever pray for him and bless him all day long.
16May grain abound throughout the land; on the tops of the hills may it sway. May the crops flourish like Lebanon and thrive
17May his name endure forever; may it continue as long as the sun. Then all nations will be blessed through him,
18Praise be to the LORD God, the God of Israel, who alone does marvelous deeds.
19Praise be to his glorious name forever; may the whole earth be filled with his glory. Amen and Amen. 20This concludes the prayers of David son of Jesse.