These Psalms cry out to God as Israel’s avenger and own up to Israel’s failures.
More than anything else, these Psalms SHOUT out the praises of God – extoling His virtues, His power and deliverance and how GREAT God is to and among His people!
The word “Shout” or something akin to it show up more in these chapters than any other successive chapters in all the books of Psalms. (Though Psalm 29 holds the record for any single Psalm)
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This begins the 4th division within the greater book of Psalms.
It starts off with a the only known Psalm by Moses who composed it in the wilderness in response to God’s wrath at Israel’s unwavering unfaithfulness. Moses acknowledges God’s power, eternal nature and sovereignty. He openly admits Israel’s failings but nevertheless cries out to God for a return of His mercies.
Psalm 91 is well known among Christians as a Psalm of God’s protection. However, this Psalm makes it clear that His protection is towards those who abide with Him, are lovingly devoted to Him and who know His name. It is an Old Covenant promise which still has some implications for those under the New Covenant.
Psalm 92 is an interesting Psalm for the Sabbath and has to be read in that context or you will miss its direction and meaning.
Finally Psalm 93 is simply a brief but exaltant praise of God – His power, majesty and eternal nature. In this way it addresses the key points Paul makes in Romans 1.
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A Prayer of David and two Psalms of the sons of Korah.
David prays for and expects in the deliverance of God due to their relationship of faithfulness to each other and God’s great mercy.
The sons of Korah write a Psalm about the great value God places on every heart which is completely His and that He knows those who belong to Him from every nation, tribe and tongue.
Finally the sons of Korah approach God in prayer. They extol His love and His faithfulness to His covenants. But then present God with a conundrum which callenges their faith. God promised David to have one of his descendants on the throne but now, in Babylonian exile the one ruling over them is a foreigner. One from the lineage of David never again took the throne and this was a source of uncertainty for Korahites. In the end, though we know Jesus was, is and will be the final and eternal king of God’s Kingdom, Israel and the world they did not. But even in their uncertainty they took their stand, trusting in God’s unwavering charcter even when it seemed all evidence pointed to the contrary.
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Psalm 83 is unique in that it is the last of the “Elohist” psalms -w chi are psalms which make predominate use of Elohim as God’s name. It is also the final known composition of Asaph in this books of Psalms and is almost certainly a prediction which is still yet to come since all of the conditions have never yet been met.
Psalm 84 is a beautiful and fantasticly written psalm from the sons of Korah. As imagry based examples it utilizes the 3 Jewish pilgrim feasts as a pattern for the life journey of all God’s committed covenant people. The analogies equally fit and are relevant to both those who were under old covenant in Judaism and those under the New in Christianity.
Finally chapter 85 is a 4 part psalm which begins with recalling God’s faithfulness to unfaithful Israel in past generations.
It then rhetorically asks if God will forget to be merciful to the unfaithful generation at hand.
It then moves into a declaration of faith and hope in God being true to His merciful nature and the writers commitment to surrender obedience in faith to Him.
It ends with a prediction of God’s amazing kindness which will be realized in the Millennial Kingdom.
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Psalms 81 and 82 are both Psalms which require a little study to fully understand what Asaph was saying. This isn’t to say that you cannot be blessed without that specific knowledge, but you will NOT get out of it what the Spirit intended through its inspiration.
This is part of studying to show yourself approved as a good workman.
In Psalm 81 Asaph uses events surrounding the exodus of Israel from Egypt to teach a lesson to his generation who are repeating the sins of their forefathers.
Psalm 82 is actually rather straightforward, once you get clarification on the meaning of the word Eloheem which is often mistranslated.
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