The Lord Says to My Lord

Posted on October 18, 2018 by Tim Farley

Reading the Word

Psalm 110:1–7 (ESV)

A Psalm of David. ¹ The Lord says to my Lord: “Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool.” ² The Lord sends forth from Zion your mighty scepter. Rule in the midst of your enemies! ³ Your people will offer themselves freely on the day of your power, in holy garments; from the womb of the morning, the dew of your youth will be yours. ⁴ The Lord has sworn and will not change his mind, “You are a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.” ⁵ The Lord is at your right hand; he will shatter kings on the day of his wrath. ⁶ He will execute judgment among the nations, filling them with corpses; he will shatter chiefs over the wide earth. ⁷ He will drink from the brook by the way; therefore he will lift up his head.

Understanding and Applying the Word

Jesus quotes this psalm in Mark 12:36-37:

David himself, in the Holy Spirit, declared, “ ‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at my right hand, until I put your enemies under your feet.” ’ David himself calls him Lord. So how is he his son?” And the great throng heard him gladly.

Jesus points out that David, the king of Israel, calls another one “my Lord.” How could David, the king of Israel, refer to another as his Lord? The answer is that there would be a descendant from David who would be greater than David. Of course, that descendant is Jesus himself, the divine King of Israel. The remainder of the psalm speaks of Jesus’ reign and judgment over the nations.

Jesus is the promised King (i.e. Messiah) of the line of David. However, Jesus is not just any king. He is the King of kings and Lord of lords. He is God in the flesh. He is the divine ruler of all creation whose kingdom will never end. And he will judge the nations with righteousness and justice. In the end, every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord (Philippians 2:10-11).

**Shaped by the Word is a daily Bible reading devotional. Please use the links at the bottom to subscribe to this page. You can also share this post with your friends through social media using the buttons below. Thanks for reading!

They Had No Faith

Posted on October 3, 2018 by Tim Farley

Reading the Word

Psalm 106:24–31 (ESV)

²⁴ Then they despised the pleasant land, having no faith in his promise. ²⁵ They murmured in their tents, and did not obey the voice of the Lord. ²⁶ Therefore he raised his hand and swore to them that he would make them fall in the wilderness, ²⁷ and would make their offspring fall among the nations, scattering them among the lands. ²⁸ Then they yoked themselves to the Baal of Peor, and ate sacrifices offered to the dead; ²⁹ they provoked the Lord to anger with their deeds, and a plague broke out among them. ³⁰ Then Phinehas stood up and intervened, and the plague was stayed. ³¹ And that was counted to him as righteousness from generation to generation forever.

Understanding and Applying the Word

Even after all God did to bring the people out of Egypt, the people had no faith in his promises to them. They saw the plagues and miraculous events that made it possible for them to leave, but they quickly forgot and murmured against God. The events in view in these verses are those of the spy expedition in Numbers 13-14 and Balaam’s actions in Numbers 25.

As a result of their unbelief, God did not allow the entire generation that came out of Egypt to enter the Promised Land. They wandered the desert for forty years until they had all died and all that was left were their descendants. The Bible uses many words to speak of our belief (e.g. trust and faith) in him and his word. We are told that when we believe that Jesus is the Savior that we need to save us from our sin and trust in his sacrifice, that we find forgiveness and eternal life through him. If we do not believe, our sin condemns us and we will not enter the promised new heaven and new earth. Believe God’s word and trust in Jesus Christ today!

He Stood in the Breach

Posted on October 2, 2018 by Tim Farley

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Reading the Word

Psalm 106:19–23 (ESV)

¹⁹ They made a calf in Horeb and worshiped a metal image. ²⁰ They exchanged the glory of God for the image of an ox that eats grass. ²¹ They forgot God, their Savior, who had done great things in Egypt, ²² wondrous works in the land of Ham, and awesome deeds by the Red Sea. ²³ Therefore he said he would destroy them— had not Moses, his chosen one, stood in the breach before him, to turn away his wrath from destroying them.

Understanding and Applying the Word

These verse recall when the Israelites fashioned an idol while Moses met with God at Mount Sinai. God’s anger was turned toward the people for their idolatry, but Moses “stood in the breach” on behalf of the people. The imagery is of a soldier who stands in the breach of a wall willing to sacrifice himself to stop a threat by sacrificing himself to the attacker. As a result of Moses’ intercession for the people, God turned away from his anger and the people were spared.

Scripture tells us that all people have sinned against God and are under his wrath. There is coming a day when God will judge mankind for their sin and all will be condemned. However, Jesus Christ has stood in the breach for all of people. He has given himself as a sacrifice to take the wrath that we deserve. All who trust in him will be saved from the coming judgment and given eternal life. Praise God for a Savior who serves his people by giving his life on our behalf!

As Far as the East Is from the West

Posted on September 11, 2018 by Tim Farley

Reading the Word

Psalm 103:6–12 (ESV)

⁶ The Lord works righteousness and justice for all who are oppressed. ⁷ He made known his ways to Moses, his acts to the people of Israel. ⁸ The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. ⁹ He will not always chide, nor will he keep his anger forever. ¹⁰ He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities. ¹¹ For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him; ¹² as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us.

Understanding and Applying the Word

The Lord is merciful and gracious and abounding in steadfast love. This is good news because it means that he does not give us what we deserve, which is his unrelenting wrath. We have all sinned against God through our rebellion and disobedience, but God is a God who forgives our sin and removes it from us “as far as the east is from the west.” It is completely and finally forgiven!

The most amazing thing about God is his love for us. Even though we are sinners, God sent his Son, Jesus Christ, into the world to make atonement for our sins. He went to the cross at Calvary to die as a sacrifice. It was through Jesus’ death that our sins were paid for and forgiven. Why did God provide such a sacrifice? Because he is merciful and gracious and abounding in steadfast love. Let us praise him for all he has done!

Let This Be Recorded

Posted on September 8, 2018 by Tim Farley

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Reading the Word

Psalm 102:18–22 (ESV)

¹⁸ Let this be recorded for a generation to come, so that a people yet to be created may praise the Lord: ¹⁹ that he looked down from his holy height; from heaven the Lord looked at the earth, ²⁰ to hear the groans of the prisoners, to set free those who were doomed to die, ²¹ that they may declare in Zion the name of the Lord, and in Jerusalem his praise, ²² when peoples gather together, and kingdoms, to worship the Lord.

Understanding and Applying the Word

“Let this be recorded,” begins this passage. The psalmist desires for the acts of God to be written down so that later generations would know of his wonderful works and give him praise.

The Bible is the recording of the words and works of God. It is through the Scriptures that we hear of all that God has done in the past in saving his people. It is through the Scriptures that we learn of and come to know our Savior, Jesus Christ and the events of the cross. We are the later generations the psalmist speaks of. And it is through the Bible, the recording of God’s work, that we know him and are drawn to worship. Praise God for his word!

Devoted to the Lord

Posted on September 5, 2018 by Tim Farley

Reading the Word

Psalm 101:1–8 (ESV)

¹ I will sing of steadfast love and justice; to you, O Lord, I will make music. ² I will ponder the way that is blameless. Oh when will you come to me? I will walk with integrity of heart within my house; ³ I will not set before my eyes anything that is worthless. I hate the work of those who fall away; it shall not cling to me. ⁴ A perverse heart shall be far from me; I will know nothing of evil. ⁵ Whoever slanders his neighbor secretly I will destroy. Whoever has a haughty look and an arrogant heart I will not endure. ⁶ I will look with favor on the faithful in the land, that they may dwell with me; he who walks in the way that is blameless shall minister to me. ⁷ No one who practices deceit shall dwell in my house; no one who utters lies shall continue before my eyes. ⁸ Morning by morning I will destroy all the wicked in the land, cutting off all the evildoers from the city of the Lord.

Understanding and Applying the Word

The words of this psalm may seem harsh at first glance. The writer speaks of his devotion to the Lord, which is a good thing, but he also speaks of “destroying” those who slander and the wicked. However, when we read it in its proper context, the psalm becomes clear.

The words of Psalm 101 are from David, who was king in Israel. These words reflect his personal devotion to ruling according to the word of God and also his commitment to see to it that the entire government of Israel would be committed to the Lord. We know from Scripture that David failed on several accounts to live faithfully and that Israel’s government was often corrupted by sin. However, these words also point us to the one King descended from David who would be fully devoted to the will of God as well as to a day when the people would live under the rule of a just and righteous government. That King is Jesus, the King of kings and hope of all nations.

Holy Is He!

Posted on September 2, 2018 by Tim Farley

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

Shaped by the Word is a daily Bible-reading devotional. I do not publish devotional material on Sundays, but I do include a suggested reading for the day. Thank you for reading. Please be sure to subscribe to this page so you can follow along each day as we read through the Book of Psalms in 2018.

Reading the Word

Psalm 99:1–5 (ESV)

¹ The Lord reigns; let the peoples tremble! He sits enthroned upon the cherubim; let the earth quake! ² The Lord is great in Zion; he is exalted over all the peoples. ³ Let them praise your great and awesome name! Holy is he! ⁴ The King in his might loves justice. You have established equity; you have executed justice and righteousness in Jacob. ⁵ Exalt the Lord our God; worship at his footstool! Holy is he!

Jesus, Our Champion

Posted on August 22, 2018 by Tim Farley

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Reading the Word

Psalm 94:16–23 (ESV)

¹⁶ Who rises up for me against the wicked? Who stands up for me against evildoers? ¹⁷ If the Lord had not been my help, my soul would soon have lived in the land of silence. ¹⁸ When I thought, “My foot slips,” your steadfast love, O Lord, held me up. ¹⁹ When the cares of my heart are many, your consolations cheer my soul. ²⁰ Can wicked rulers be allied with you, those who frame injustice by statute? ²¹ They band together against the life of the righteous and condemn the innocent to death. ²² But the Lord has become my stronghold, and my God the rock of my refuge. ²³ He will bring back on them their iniquity and wipe them out for their wickedness; the Lord our God will wipe them out.

Understanding and Applying the Word

These verses begin with two questions: “Who rises up for me against the wicked?” and “Who stands up for me against evildoers?” The answer is “the Lord”. God is the One who proves to be the help the writer needs. It is God who is a stronghold and a refuge. And it is God who will destroy the wicked because of their sin.

Believers have a Savior we can count on. Jesus Christ not only paid the price for our sins, but he also promises to never leave us nor forsake us. He bought us at a high price (the price of his own life) and he will never let us go. It is Jesus who will stand as our Champion in the end as he defeats Satan and destroys evil once and for all. Let us, as his people, find assurance in our Savior and know that the days of the wicked are numbered.

Have You Broken Your Promise?

Posted on August 8, 2018 by Tim Farley

yellow and pink flowers view behind broken glass

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Reading the Word

Psalm 89:38–45 (ESV)

³⁸ But now you have cast off and rejected; you are full of wrath against your anointed. ³⁹ You have renounced the covenant with your servant; you have defiled his crown in the dust. ⁴⁰ You have breached all his walls; you have laid his strongholds in ruins. ⁴¹ All who pass by plunder him; he has become the scorn of his neighbors. ⁴² You have exalted the right hand of his foes; you have made all his enemies rejoice. ⁴³ You have also turned back the edge of his sword, and you have not made him stand in battle. ⁴⁴ You have made his splendor to cease and cast his throne to the ground. ⁴⁵ You have cut short the days of his youth; you have covered him with shame. Selah

Understanding and Applying the Word

After focusing on the promises and faithfulness of God in the previous verse, now the psalmist asks why God has renounced his covenant with David. These verses reflect the time when Israel was defeated and taken into exile. It seemed as though the throne of David had come to an end.

God had not forsaken his promise to David. However, the promise was to be fulfilled in an unexpected way. God’s promised King would descend from David, but his kingdom would not be geopolitical. Jesus, the eternal King, established a kingdom for people from every nation and tribe and language. All who trust in him are a part of this kingdom, whether Jew or Gentile (i.e. non-Jew). Even in the midst of what seemed like defeat, God’s plans and purposes for Israel, and the entire world, were being fulfilled. And God was once again showing his faithfulness to his promises.

A Forever Promise

Posted on August 7, 2018 by Tim Farley

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Reading the Word

Psalm 89:27–37 (ESV)

²⁷ And I will make him the firstborn, the highest of the kings of the earth. ²⁸ My steadfast love I will keep for him forever, and my covenant will stand firm for him. ²⁹ I will establish his offspring forever and his throne as the days of the heavens. ³⁰ If his children forsake my law and do not walk according to my rules, ³¹ if they violate my statutes and do not keep my commandments, ³² then I will punish their transgression with the rod and their iniquity with stripes, ³³ but I will not remove from him my steadfast love or be false to my faithfulness. ³⁴ I will not violate my covenant or alter the word that went forth from my lips. ³⁵ Once for all I have sworn by my holiness; I will not lie to David. ³⁶ His offspring shall endure forever, his throne as long as the sun before me. ³⁷ Like the moon it shall be established forever, a faithful witness in the skies.” Selah

Understanding and Applying the Word

These verses continue the theme of yesterday’s reading regarding God’s promise to David. In 2 Samuel 7, God promises David that his throne will remain forever. There will always be a descendant of David on the throne. Not only would David and his descendants reign over Israel, but over all of the nations (v. 27). When we get to verse 30 we read about how God will respond if David’s descendants do not seek God and do not keep his commandments. They will be punished, but God will not remove his grace nor the kingship from them. God then swears y his own character that he would not go back on his promise to David (v. 34).

At first glance, this may seem like an unrealized promise. After all, if someone was supposed to sit on David’s throne forever, where is he today? When we read the Bible and come into the New Testament, we are shown that Jesus Christ is the final fulfillment of this promise. Jesus is a descendant of David and is the King of kings and Lord of lords (Matthew 1:1-17; Colossians 1:15-20) whose kingdom will never cease. We are called to be a part of his kingdom by repenting of our sins, turning to Christ for forgiveness, and living in obedience to our King. Praise to God for keeping his promises!

Shaped by the Word

A Bible Reading Devotional

Tag Archives: Jesus

The Lord Says to My Lord

They Had No Faith

He Stood in the Breach

As Far as the East Is from the West

Let This Be Recorded

Devoted to the Lord

Holy Is He!

Jesus, Our Champion

Have You Broken Your Promise?

A Forever Promise

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