Reflections on The Psalms Jack Kelley Introduction ........................ 10 Psalm 1 ........................... 11 Psalm 2 ........................... 13 Psalm 3 ........................... 15 Psalm 4 ........................... 17 Psalm 5 ........................... 19 Psalm 6 ........................... 21 Psalm 7 ........................... 23 Psalm 8 ........................... 25 Psalm 9 ........................... 27 Psalm 10 .......................... 29 Psalm 11 .......................... 31 Psalm 12 .......................... 33 Psalm 13 .......................... 35 Psalm 14 .......................... 37 1 Psalm 15 .......................... 39 Psalm 16 .......................... 41 Psalm 17 .......................... 43 Psalm 18:1-19 ....................... 45 Psalm 18:20-50 ...................... 47 Psalm 19:1-6 ........................ 49 Psalm 19:7-14 ....................... 50 Psalm 20 .......................... 52 Psalm 21 .......................... 54 Psalm 22 .......................... 56 Psalm 23 .......................... 59 Psalm 24 .......................... 60 Psalm 25 .......................... 61 Psalm 26 .......................... 63 Psalm 27 .......................... 65 Psalm 28 .......................... 67 Psalm 29 .......................... 69 Psalm 30 .......................... 71 2 Psalm 31 .......................... 73 Psalm 32 .......................... 75 Psalm 33 .......................... 77 Psalm 34 .......................... 79 Psalm 35 .......................... 81 Psalm 36 .......................... 84 Psalm 37:1-27 ....................... 86 Psalm 37:28-40 ...................... 88 Psalm 38 .......................... 90 Psalm 39 .......................... 92 Psalm 40 .......................... 94 Psalm 41 .......................... 96 Psalm 42 .......................... 98 Psalm 43 ..........................100 Psalm 44 ..........................102 Psalm 45 ..........................104 Psalm 46 ..........................106 Psalm 47 ..........................108 3 Psalm 48 ..........................110 Psalm 49 ..........................112 Psalm 50 ..........................115 Psalm 51 ..........................117 Psalm 52 ..........................119 Psalm 53 ..........................121 Psalm 54 ..........................123 Psalm 55 ..........................124 Psalm 56 ..........................127 Psalm 57 ..........................129 Psalm 58 ..........................131 Psalm 59 ..........................132 Psalm 60 ..........................134 Psalm 61 ..........................136 Psalm 62 ..........................138 Psalm 63 ..........................141 Psalm 64 ..........................143 Psalm 65 ..........................145 4 Psalm 66 ..........................147 Psalm 67 ..........................149 Psalm 68 ..........................151 Psalm 69 ..........................154 Psalm 70 ..........................157 Psalm 71 ..........................158 Psalm 72 ..........................161 Psalm 73 ..........................163 Psalm 74 ..........................166 Psalm 75 ..........................168 Psalm 76 ..........................170 Psalm 77 ..........................172 Psalm 78 ..........................174 Psalm 79 ..........................178 Psalm 80 ..........................180 Psalm 81 ..........................182 Psalm 82 ..........................184 Psalm 83 ..........................186 5 Psalm 84 ..........................188 Psalm 85 ..........................190 Psalm 86 ..........................192 Psalm 87 ..........................194 Psalm 88 ..........................196 Psalm 89 ..........................198 Psalm 90 ..........................201 Psalm 91 ..........................203 Psalm 92 ..........................206 Psalm 93 ..........................208 Psalm 94 ..........................209 Psalm 95 ..........................212 Psalm 96 ..........................214 Psalm 97 ..........................217 Psalm 98 ..........................219 Psalm 99 ..........................221 Psalm 100 .........................223 Psalm 101 .........................225 6 Psalm 102 .........................227 Psalm 103 .........................229 Psalm 104 .........................231 Psalm 105 .........................234 Psalm 106 .........................237 Psalm 107 .........................240 Psalm 108 .........................242 Psalm 109 .........................244 Psalm 110 .........................247 Psalm 111 .........................249 Psalm 112 .........................250 Psalm 113 .........................252 Psalm 114 .........................254 Psalm 115 .........................256 Psalm 116 .........................258 Psalm 117 .........................260 Psalm 118 .........................262 Psalm 119: 1-40 ......................265 7 Psalm 119:41-88 ......................267 Psalm 119:89-136 .....................270 Psalm 119:137-176, Conclusion .............273 Psalm 120 .........................275 Psalm 121 .........................277 Psalm 122 .........................279 Psalm 123 .........................281 Psalm 124 .........................282 Psalm 125 .........................283 Psalm 126 .........................285 Psalm 127 .........................287 Psalm 128 .........................288 Psalm 129 .........................290 Psalm 130 .........................292 Psalm 131 .........................294 Psalm 132 .........................295 Psalm 133 .........................297 Psalm 134 .........................298 8 Psalm 135 .........................299 Psalm 136 .........................301 Psalm 137 .........................303 Psalm 138 .........................305 Psalm 139 .........................308 Psalm 140 .........................310 Psalm 141 .........................312 Psalm 142 .........................314 Psalm 143 .........................316 Psalm 144 .........................318 Psalm 145 .........................320 Psalm 146 .........................323 Psalm 147 .........................325 Psalm 148 .........................327 Psalm 149 .........................329 Psalm 150 .........................331 About the Author .....................333 9 Introduction What you are about to read is not a commentary on the Psalms. I made no attempt to interpret them or reveal new levels of understanding. Instead, it’s a collection of thoughts I wrote down over a period of several years as I read through the Psalms. Some are recollections from my own experience, others are ideas I gleaned from various books and articles I’ve read, and still others are just the thoughts that came into my mind as I thought about what I was reading. My original purpose in writing this series was to give visitors to the website a brief middle of the week med- itation. I wanted each one to be practical and uplifting, in the hope of adding substance to our faith. For that reason, they are not meant to be read at one sitting or even in a structured way. They are designed to provide a break in our routine, to be taken one at a time followed by a few quiet moments of consideration. Being in e-book format they can go where you go, to be enjoyed any time you have a few minutes, over coffee, while waiting for an appointment, or just because you want a few minutes with the Lord. Download them to your tablet or phone and they will be ready when you are. 10 Psalm 1 Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, or stand in the way of sinners, or sit in the seat of mockers. But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on His law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers. Not so the wicked! They are like chaff that the wind blows away. Therefore the wicked will not stand in the Day of Judgment, nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous. For the Lord watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish. The Bible promises a long, prosperous and healthy life for those who follow the ways of the Lord. There’s an intrinsic value in doing this from which even non-believers benefit. But believers tend to gravitate toward one of two extremes where God’s Law is concerned, and both are wrong. The first is the legalist, who thinks that by being “righteous” he’s earning favor with God, and the second sees God’s grace as a license that relieves him of the consequences of his behavior, no matter how sinful. The Legalist misses out on the joy of his salvation, grinding through a life of “have-tos” and “don’ts”. He doesn’t enjoy the freedom purchased for him at the cross, his behavior constrained by a narrow set of rules he himself has devised, never realizing that he dwells in a prison of his own making. His counterpart, we’ll call him the permissive, spends most of the time out of fellowship with God, not under- standing that his un-confessed sins are a source of guilt that drives a wedge between the Lord and him. This failure to acknowledge his behavior as sin and confess makes him fair game for an enemy who delights in tormenting him, and his life becomes an example to be avoided in the eyes of those around him. One is focused only on what he must do to earn God’s favor, and the other only on what God should do for him. Neither understands that our behavior good or evil cannot affect God. Our sins only hurt us and those around us; just as our good deeds only benefit us and them. (Job 35:6-8) But our relationship with God