Psalm 110, one of the clearest messianic prophecies in the psalms, gives us a picture of a king who is both ruler and priest. This morning, the hymns we sing celebrate both of these realities as they are fulfilled in Christ. In Praise, My Soul, The King Of Heaven and O Christ, Our Hope, we declare our fealty to our…
Isaac Watts (1674-1748) was without a doubt one of the most beloved authors of hymn texts in Christian history. His poems, which have been set to melodies by countless composers in the past three centuries, include classics such as When I Survey The Wondrous Cross and Alas! And Did My Savior Bleed, as well as three we’ll sing today: Blest…
Certainly a candidate for one of the greatest love songs in all of Scripture, Psalm 45 was likely written in honor of King Solomon’s wedding. But as John Calvin puts it, “there can be no doubt, that under this figure the majesty, wealth, and extent of Christ’s kingdom are described and illustrated … to teach the faithful that there is…
Continuing our short series on the “Royal Psalms,” this week we come to Psalm 2, the great warning to the nations of men that they must yield to Christ’s kingship: “Kiss the Son lest he be angry” and “break them with a rod of iron” (Psalm 2:9, 12). The service begins with the hymn Crown Him With Many Crowns, acknowledging…
Have you noticed that in each of the psalms that we’ve been studying the last few weeks, the psalmist speaks to his own soul? In Psalm 42 he asks the question “Why are you cast down, O my soul?” (Psalm 42:5), while in Psalm 62 he instructs his soul to “wait in silence, for my hope is from Him” (Psalm…
He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be greatly shaken. —Psalm 62:2 The psalmist calls God his “rock” three separate times in Psalm 62, expressing his security and confidence in the Lord. We will be using this image quite a few times this morning. We will declare that the man “who trusts in God’s…
As I was reading through Psalm 42 this week, one aspect that jumped out at me is the number of references to water. The psalmist is thirsty (vs. 2), and he compares himself to a deer panting for streams of water (vs. 1). He pours out his soul (vs. 4), and he describes God’s waterfalls, breakers, and waves (vs. 7).…
This Sunday is the first Sunday of Lent, a traditional time of prayer, fasting, and repentance observed by Christians since the days of the early church. Several elements of the service have been adjusted to fit the penitential character of this season. We will begin each Sunday by singing What Wondrous Love Is This (meditating on the sacrifice of Christ…