Old Testament
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I The Eight Symbolic Visions B The Communication of the Visions 1 The vision of the Horseman, Text: 1:7-17 Title: False Peace Introduction Things are not always what they seem. In the situation, in general, it looks like the nations raised up to punish God’s people are prospering while the Jews returned from Babylon are…
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I The Eight Symbolic Visions A The Commencement 2 Particulars of the Call, Text: 1:2-6 Title: Overtaken Introduction It is generally understood that the message of the Old Testament prophets was repent or else. This is also the way the gospel is introduced in the first century at the commencement of Jesus’ ministry. John the…
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I The Eight Symbolic Visions A The Commencement 1 The Preface to the Call, Text: 1:1 Title: Hidden Truths Introduction There is a class of prophets who are called post-exilic, that is, they prophesied after the Jewish people returned from Babylon and began rebuilding. This is in the same period as the books of Ezra…
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OUTLINE OF ZECHARIAH I Eight Symbolic VisionsA The Commencement of the Visions1 The Preface 1:12 The Particulars 1:2-6B The Communication of the Visions1 The Vision of the Horsemen 1:7-172 The Visions of the Horns 1:18-213 The Vision of the Holy City 2:1-134 The Vision of the High Priest 3:1-105 The Vision of the Help 4:1-146…
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The Songs of Ascent Text: Psalm 134 Title: Going with God Introduction We are in the temple on Zion, in the sacred precincts and the last word that is spoken is blessing. We call this the benediction. Here we have an exhortation to praise the Lord and the blessing of the Lord upon His people.…
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The Songs of Ascent Text: Psalm 133 Title: Lost Blessings Introduction The returnees from Babylon have reached the end of their journey, Here they gather in the company of the faithful and praise the Lord. In Psalm 55:13 and 14, David is complaining about a supposed friend who betrayed him and he recalls the sweet…
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The Songs of Ascent Text: Psalm 132 Title: The Captive Heart Introduction In this longest of the songs of ascent the central theme is God’s covenant of grace. The pilgrim is approaching the city of God, and as he prepares to worship the Lord he pleads with the Lord to remember His faithfulness. The covenant…
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The Songs of Ascent Text: Psalm 131 Title: Humility and Hope Introduction The worshipper has reached his destination and in the presence of God he declares his creaturely submission. This is a very short Psalm to read but a very long Psalm to learn. Having received the mercy of the Lord the psalmist is expressing…
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The Songs of Ascent Text: Psalm 130 Title: The Penitential Prayer Introduction The previous song dealt with affliction and persecution by the enemies of God. This is one of the great penitential psalms. Psalms 6, 32, 38, 51, 102, and 143 are all penitential psalms, but the best known are 32, 51, and 130. Martin…
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The Songs of Ascent Text: Psalm 129 Title: All Our Afflictions Introduction We are in a sense back in Babylon, but as each triad advances over the previous one, this Psalm is filled with hope of deliverance. Still the focus is on the recounting of all the miseries that have been endured, of which, the…
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The Songs of Ascent Text: Psalm 128 Title: A Holy Family Introduction Having left the strange land where they could not sing the Lord’s song, and traveled up to the city of God singing His song with rejoicing, the psalmist now contemplates the settled life that will characterize their move back to their ancestral home.…
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The Songs of Ascent Text: Psalm 127 Title: The Covenant Family Introduction The pilgrims have left the place of weeping and are returning with joy, and now they contemplate the city of God where they will be rebuilding what the Babylonians have destroyed including the walls of Jerusalem and the temple. They are replacing the…
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The Songs of Ascent Text: Psalm 126 Title: Reaping in Joy Introduction The journey begins again in this Psalm. It begins with joy, but the Psalms are not chronologically arranged and Psalm 137 is a Psalm of the captivity, so listen to the lament in verses 1-4, By the rivers of Babylon we sat and…
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The Songs of Ascent Text: Psalm 125 Title: The Lot of the Righteous Introduction In this last Psalm of the present triad we have now arrived in the Holy City. We are rejoicing in the Lord. We began with reverence, then came deliverance and now the theme of this Psalm is providence. We have read…
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The Songs of Ascent Text: Psalm 124 Title: On Our Side Introduction As the worshipers leave behind the scorn of the world and approach the holy city they are reminded of the way in which the God of Israel has delivered them from their enemies. They are singing because he has enabled them to make…
