Christian Churches of God
No. F019
Commentary on The Psalms:
Introduction
(Edition 2.5 20230601-20230618)
Christian Churches of God
E-mail: secretary@ccg.org
(Copyright © 2023 Wade Cox)
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Commentary
on The Psalms: Introduction
Outline
The Psalms are
based on, and reflect, the theology of Israel as given by Christ to Moses at
Sinai after he had taken Israel out of Egypt, as the Angel of the Presence. He
had then given the Law of God to Israel at Sinai (Nos. 070; 098; 115; 173); so that they might be prepared to be
developed over the seven thousand years of the Adamic Creation to the end of
the Second Resurrection (see Rev. Chapter 20). This preparation was in order
that they become Elohim as stated by Christ, both through Moses, and through
David, and the priesthood, in the Psalms, and as explained through the apostles
and evangelists in the NT texts of Jn. 10:34-36; Acts 7:30-53; 1Cor. 10:1-4;
Rev. Chs. 20-22. The structure of the Creation, as
explained in the Pentateuch and in Job and the prophets up to and including the
Psalms, rests on the basis of the fact that there is One True God, Eloah who
was responsible for the Creation, firstly of the Elohim, where Eloah extended
His being to become Ha Elohim (The God) as the Father and creator of the
Elohim, as sons of God (see also Job 1:6; 2:1; 38:4-7), and the Spirit which
empowered them (No. 117).
Unfortunately the structure of the Triune God has been incorrectly superimposed
on the texts and their understanding, by the Sun and Mystery Cults from the
Third and Fourth Centuries CE (see Nos: 076; 127 and 127B). The
structure of the Sons of God was organised, after the re-creation, and then the
flood, into the Council of the Elohim (see Psa. 82) which were given
responsibility for the Human Host. The Humans were all to become elohim as sons of God (Psa. 82:6). This view was also seen
to occur in Deuteronomy 32:8 (see LXX, RSV and DSS; not the later alteration in
the MT); where the Sons of God were given authority over the nations. The
Elohim of Israel was allocated Israel as his inheritance as part of the Plan of
God (No. 001). Israel was dedicated under the Messiah
to be the vehicle of the Plan of
Salvation (No. 001A) as we see in the text Israel as the
Vineyard of God (No. 001C) (see also 001B).
Abraham was used
as the vehicle for this transition post flood and post the rebellion at Babel.
The nations associated with him are now so widespread (incl. mtDNA) as to be almost universal. The sequence of nations is listed in the 212
series, incl. Israel and Judah) at 212E and 212F.
We need to see
also the further explanations of the structure of the Host. See, in addition to
No. 002; The Shema (No. 002B);
How God Became a Family
(No. 187); The Holy Spirit (No. 117)
(see also No. 199).
The appointment of
the Messiah as the Elohim of Israel was explained in the Psalms (see spec. Pss. 45:6-7; 110; (see Heb. 1:8-9). He was appointed Elohim
above his partners by His Elohim, the One True God, the Most
High, the Father of All. God the Father is also referred to in the texts
as Yahovah of Hosts.
Introductory Note to The Book of Psalms
A.
The
reason for this work is simply that all other translations and
also even the Revised Standard Version, the English Standard Version and
all other Bibles are not directly translated from the original texts with
commentaries based on the early understanding.
B.
A
reading and study of the Bible, demonstrates that the translated versions of
the above mentioned Bibles and numerous others have
basically been copied from the Textus Receptus and hence the King James
Version. For this work we have inserted the Revised Standard Version for
clarity of intent and as nearest to the Hebrew text. The theologians of the Triune
sects have reflected their theology in the explanations of the intent of the
psalms.
C.
For
more understanding on the names of God, please refer to the paper The Names of God (No.
116), at Christian Churches
of God, at the website ccg.org.
D.
An
example of a word change is the word saint or saint’s
used for the word kindly ones, or kind ones in the Hebrew Interlinear and as a
replacement for Qedosim. The meaning of the word
saint: a person acknowledged as holy or virtuous and regarded quite erroneously
in the Trinitarian Christian faith as being placed in heaven after death; or
formally recognized as a saint and canonized after death by The Roman Catholic
Church. The meaning of the word kindly: is warm, affectionate, tender, loving,
good natured, benevolent, thoughtful, helpful, obliging, generous, selfless,
gracious, sympathetic and the list goes on.
E.
Notations
are also from CCG work as stated in the texts.
F. It is believed that these Psalms will be appreciated, enjoyed and understood with clarity by those seeking the understanding of the original faith in the First Century Churches of God.
***************
THE PSALMS
THE STRUCTURE OF THE BOOK AS A
WHOLE.
1—150. THE FIVE BOOKS †.
1—41.
p. 723-758.
THE GENESIS BOOK ‡ : CONCERNING MAN. The counsels of God ||
concerning him. All blessing bound up in obedience (cp. 1. 1 with Gen. 1. 28).
Obedience is man's "tree of life" (cp. 1. 3 with Gen. 2. 16).
Disobedience brought ruin (cp. Ps. 2 with Gen. 3). The ruin repaired only by
the SON OF MAN in His atoning work as the seed of the woman (cp. Ps. 8 with
Gen. 3. 15). The book concludes with a Benediction and double Amen.
42—72.
p. 761-788.
THE EXODUS BOOK ‡ : CONCERNING ISRAEL AS A
NATION. The counsels of God || concerning ISRAEL'S RUIN, ISRAEL'S REDEEMER, and ISRAEL'S REDEMPTION
(Ex. 15. 13). Cp.
Ps. 68. 4 with Ex. 15. 3, "JAH". It begins with Israel's cry for deliverance, and ends with Israel's king reigning over the
redeemed nation. The book concludes with a Benediction and a double Amen.
73—89.
p. 790-809.
THE LEVITICUS BOOK ‡ : CONCERNING THE SANCTUARY.
The counsels of God || concerning the Sanctuary in its relation to man, and the
Sanctuary in relation to Jehovah. The Sanctuary, Congregation, Assembly, or
Zion, &c, referred to in nearly every Psalm. The book concludes with a
Benediction and a double Amen.
90—106.
p. 811-825.
THE NUMBERS BOOK ‡ : CONCERNING ISRAEL AND THE
NATIONS OF THE EARTH. The counsels of God || concerning the EARTH, showing that there is no hope or rest
for the Earth apart from Jehovah. Its figures and similes are from this world
as a wilderness (cp. the references to mountains, hills, floods, grass, trees,
pestilence, &c.). It begins with the prayer of Moses (the Man of the
Wilderness), Ps. 90, and closes with a rehearsal of ISRAEL’S rebellions in the wilderness (Ps. 106). Note "the New
Song" for "all the earth" in Ps. 96. 11, where the theme is
contained in one sentence which gives an Acrostic, spelling the word
"Jehovah": "Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be
glad" (see note on 96. 11). The book concludes with a Benediction and
Amen, Hallelujah.
107—150.
p. 828-864.
THE DEUTERONOMY BOOK ‡ : CONCERNING GOD AND HIS
WORD. The counsels of God || concerning His Word, showing that all
blessings for MAN (Book I), all blessings for ISRAEL (Book II), all blessings for the EARTH and the NATIONS (Book IV), are bound up with living on the
words of God (Deut. 8. 3). Disobedience to Jehovah's words was the source of MAN'S sorrows, ISRAEL'S dispersion, the SANCTUARY'S ruin, and EARTH'S miseries. Blessing is to come from that
Word written on the heart (cp. Jer. 31, 33, 34; Heb. 8. 10-12; 10. 16, 17). Ps.
119 is in this book. The Living Word (John 1. 1) began His ministry by quoting
Deut. 6. 13, 16; 8. 3; 10. 20 in Matt. 4. 4, 7, 10. The book begins with Ps.
107, and in v. 20 we read, "He sent His WORD and healed them", and it concludes
with five Psalms (one for each of the five books), each Psalm beginning and
ending with "Hallelujah".
* Manuscript and Massoretic
authorities, the Talmud (Kiddushin 33a) as well as the ancient versions,
divide the Psalms into five books.
The Midrash on Ps. 1. 1 says.
"Moses gave to the Israelites the five books of the Law; and corresponding
with these David gave them the five books of the Psalms."
The Structure of each Psalm being perfect in itself, we may well expect to find the same
perfection in the arrangement of the five books respectively as well as of the
one hundred and fifty Psalms as a whole.
Many attempts have been made from ancient
times to discover the reason for the classification of the Psalms under these
five books; but none of them is so satisfactory as to preclude this further
attempt.
It is certain that the present order in
which we have the Psalms is the same as it was when they were in the hands of
our Lord, and were quoted repeatedly by Him, and by the Holy Spirit through the
Evangelists and Apostles. Indeed, in Acts 13. 33, the Holy Spirit by Paul
expressly mentions "the second Psalm". This puts us upon sure
ground.
There must be a reason therefore why
"the second Psalm" is not (for example) the seventy-second;
and why the ninetieth (which is the most ancient of all the Psalms,
being a prayer of Moses) is not the first.
The similar endings to each book are noted
above. There are in all seven "Amens", and twenty-four Hallelujahs.
All the latter (except the four in Book IV) are in Book V.
† For the relation of the five books of the
Pentateuch to each other see Ap. 1.
‡ For the relation of the five books of
the Psalms to the Pentateuch, see above, and the Structures prefixed to each
book.
|| For
the Divine Names and Titles occurring in the Psalms see Ap. 63. V.
(Cf.
Bullinger’s Companion Bible Page 720.)
www.companionbiblecondensed.com
Name. The Hebrew word means praises or hymns,
while the Greek word means psalms. It may well be called the "Hebrew
Prayer and Praise Book." The prevailing note is one of praise, though some
are sad and plaintive while others are philosophical.
Authors. Of the 150 Psalms, there is no means of
determining the authorship of 50. The authors named for others are David,
Asaph, the sons of Korah, Herman, Ethan, Moses and
Solomon. Of the 100 whose authorship is indicated, David is credited with 73,
and in the New Testament he alone is referred to as the author of them. Lu. 20:42.
Relation to the
Other Old Testament Books.
It has been called the heart of the entire Bible, but its relation to the Old
Testament is especially intimate. All divine manifestations are viewed in regard to their bearing on the inner experience. History
is interpreted in the light of a passion for truth and righteousness and as
showing forth the nearness of our relation to God.
The Subjects of
the Psalms. It is very
difficult to make any sort of classification of the Psalms and any
classification is open to criticism. For this reason
many groupings have been suggested. The following, taken from different
sources, may be of help. (1) Hymns of praise, 8, 18, 19, 104, 145, 147, etc.
(2) National hymns, 105, 106, 114, etc. (3) Temple hymns or hymns for public
worship, 15, 24, 87, etc. (4) Hymns relating to trial and calamity, 9, 22, 55,
56, 109, etc. (5) Messianic Psalms, 2, 16, 40, 72, 110, etc. (6) Hymns of
general religious character, 89, 90, 91, 121, 127, etc.
The following
classification has been given in the hope of suggesting the most prominent
religious characteristics of the Psalms. (1) Those that recognize the one
infinite, all-wise and omnipotent God. (2) Those that recognize the
universality of his love and providence and goodness. (3) Those showing
abhorrence of all idols and the rejection of all subordinate deities. (4) Those
giving prophetic glimpses of the Divine Son and of his redeeming work on earth.
(5) Those showing the terrible nature of sin, the divine hatred of it and
judgment of God upon sinners. (6) Those teaching the doctrines of forgiveness,
divine mercy, and the duty of repentance. (7) Those emphasizing the beauty of
holiness, the importance of faith and the soul's privilege of communion with
God.
Analysis.
I.
Davidic
Psalms. 1-41. These are not only ascribed to him but reflect much of his life
and faith.
II.
Historical
Psalms. 42-72. These are ascribed to several authors, those of the sons of
Korah being prominent and are especially full of historical facts.
III.
Liturgical
or Ritualistic Psalms. 73-89. Most of them are ascribed to Asaph and, besides
being specially prescribed for worship, they are strongly historical.
IV.
Other
Pre-Captivity Psalms. 90-106. Ten are anonymous, one is Moses' (Ps. 90) and the
rest David's. They reflect much of the pre-captivity sentiment and history.
V.
Psalms
of the Captivity and Return. 107-150. Matters pertaining to the captivity and
return to Jerusalem.
https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/bul/psalms-0.html
Psalms from the Temple Worship
This section is based on No.087.
The Church worships every day by prayer and by fasting on some days. In
accordance with the Temple system there were sacrifices every day. The daily
sacrifices were divided into the morning and evening sacrifices.
The Church followed, and still follows, the Temple system of worship
and its calendar based on the twelve months, with the second twelfth month
intercalated seven times every nineteen years (see the paper God’s Calendar (No. 156)). It operates according to the
conjunction and numbers the days from the conjunction. There are approximately
59 days every two months. The Sabbath is every seventh day, which is and always
has been the day we now call Saturday in the English paganised or heathenised
system, being named after the god Saturn.
The Church also
worships on New Moons and on Holy Days of the Feasts, and meets on the Feasts
for their entirety three times a year as commanded by God through the prophets
(see also Seven Days of the Feasts (No. 049)). On these three Feast
periods the entirety of the twenty-four divisions of the priesthood officiated
together (Schürer, History of the Jewish People in
the Age of Jesus Christ, Vol. II, p. 292). The daily sacrifice occurred in
the morning and the evening. The divisions of the priesthood mounted duty on a
weekly basis and the priests changed over on the Sabbath. The retiring course
offered the morning sacrifice, and the incoming course offered the evening
sacrifice (Schürer, ibid.).
The priesthood was
divided into twenty-four divisions as were the Levites also, and the nation or
Congregation of Israel was also divided into twenty-four divisions “each of
which was to serve in weekly rotation as the people’s representative before
God, when the daily sacrifice was offered” (Schürer,
ibid., pp. 292-293). Unlike the priests and Levites, the congregation, however,
was not obliged to go up to Jerusalem for the week, but
assembled in their synagogues for prayer and Bible reading, and probably only a
delegation went up to Jerusalem (ibid., p. 293). After Israel went into
captivity the twenty-four divisions were reformed from the three divisions of
Levites left in Judah, Benjamin and Simeon.
The timing of the sacrifices was at 9 a.m. or the third hour for
the morning sacrifice, and 3 p.m. or the ninth hour of the day for the
evening sacrifice. It was on this evening sacrifice at the ninth hour that they
began killing the Passover lambs. That is why we celebrate the Death of the
Lamb at that service each year on the 14th of the First month
(Abib), having commemorated the Lord’s Supper the evening before. The lambs
were killed from the ninth hour to the eleventh hour, i.e.
3 p.m. to 5 p.m., on 14 Abib (cit.
Josephus, Wars of the Jews, VI, ix, 3). This timing was in accord with
the standard daily sacrifice in the evening.
In the antechamber
of the Temple (the eastern room) were the three sacred vessels. In the centre
stood the golden altar of incense, also called the inner altar on which
incense was offered daily – both morning and evening. South of that was the
golden seven-branched lamp stand of oil which was kept continuously burning (Schürer, pp. 296-297; fn. 17, p. 297). North of the altar
stood the golden table of the shewbread, which had its twelve loaves replaced
every Sabbath.
The Bible texts
tell us that the lamps of the Menorah were to be lit in the evenings so that
they burned during the night. The practice in the Temple was that they lit
three during the day and all seven at night according to Josephus (Antiq.
Jews, III, viii, 3); but according to the Mishnah it was one by day and
all seven by night (m.Tam.
3:9); 64:1; likewise Sifra on Lev. 24:1-4; cf. Schürer, fn. 17 p. 297).
We know that the Church kept the timings of the daily sacrifices in
their worship, as they were all together in worship at Pentecost at the third
hour, which was 9 a.m. At that time the Holy Spirit entered and was given to
the Church. This was exactly fifty days from the Wave-Sheaf Offering, which was
waved at the morning sacrifice on the First day of the week or Sunday during
the Feast of Unleavened Bread (cf. also Lev. ch. 23).
The Church kept all Sabbaths, New Moons and Feasts –
the entire system of the Feasts as we know from the Gospels, Acts and Epistles
– and continued to do so wherever it was not prevented by persecution. We also
know the Church kept the New Moons, Feasts and Holy Days according to the
Temple Calendar, and that the postponement system was not in operation until
the third century CE.
It is being
claimed that in the days of Ahaz, the morning offering was a burnt offering and the evening sacrifice was usually a grain
offering (2Kgs. 16:15) (cit. Schürer, ibid., p. 300).
Thus, at the grain offering meant towards evening (lKgs. 18:29-36). However, we also know that burnt offerings
were made in the evenings (Ezra 9:4,5; Dan.
9:21). Schürer makes this point to claim that there
were alterations to the sacrifice. Ezekiel shows us that a burnt offering and a
grain offering were made in the evening (Ezek. 46:13-15). However, Schürer claims this is indication of the changing
sacrifices (ibid.). To support that claim he then states the texts are
composite, and the so-called “Priestly code” provides that a burnt offering and
a grain offering be made at both morning and evening sacrifices, and a drink
offering with each (Ex. 29:38-42; Num. 28:3-8). The provision of a burnt
offering twice a day was of long standing as we know from Chronicles (lChr. 15:40; 2Chr. 8:11; 31:3).
The fact of the matter is that both daily sacrifices at morning and
evening were full systems of worship, and required proper care, effort and attention by all three areas of the nation, from
Priests and Levites to the National Divisions in their areas of residence. The
morning sacrifice saw the procedures implemented from early morning when the
day had started, and the officers who so wished commenced by cleaning the ashes
of the altar of the burnt offering. Those wishing to perform the duty had
bathed before the arrival of the officer of the division. They cast lots for
the performance of the task. In the glow of the altar fire the man chosen
washed his hands and feet in the bronze basin standing between the Temple and
the altar. He ascended the stairs and swept up the ashes with a silver pan.
During this activity the priests preparing the baked grain offering of the High
Priest attended to their tasks.
Fresh wood was
then brought to the altar. When it was lit the priests washed their hands and
feet and went to the lishkath ha-gazith, which was the place of meeting of the Sanhedrin
right up until the destruction of the Temple. There they cast further lots.
Their meeting in the New Testament account in the house of the High Priest is
explained by the irregularity of the proceedings at night (cf. Schürer, ibid., pp. 224-225).
The officer cast
lots to decide: 1) the slaughterer; 2) the sprinkler of blood on the altar; 3)
who should clean the ashes from the inner altar; 4) who should clean the lamps,
and then decide who should bring each piece of the sacrificial victim to the altar
steps which are: 5) the head and one hind leg; 6) the two forelegs; 7) the tail
and the other hind leg; 8) the breast and neck; 9) the two sides; 10) the
entrails; 11) who should carry the fine flour; 12) the baked grain offering (of
the High Priest); 13) the wine (cit. Schürer, ibid.,
p. 304).
The sacrifices did not occur before daybreak. While the lamb was then
selected after daybreak, the two priests chosen to clean the altar of incense
and the lamp-stand went to the Temple – the former
with a golden pail and the latter with a golden pitcher. They opened the great
Temple gate and entered. In the case of the golden lamp-stand,
if the two lamps furthest east were burning they were left untouched and only
the remaining lamps were cleaned. If the two eastern most lamps had gone out,
then they were cleaned and relit first, before the remainder were cleaned and
filled.
The two priests left the utensils they had been using behind them in
the Temple when they departed.
While they were occupied in the cleaning the other appointed priests
selected the lamb and killed it. It was then skinned and divided into its parts
and each of the appointed priests received the parts due to him. The animal was
divided among six priests in total. The entrails were washed on marble tables
at the slaughter area. A seventh priest had the flour offering, an eighth had
the baked grain offering of the High Priest, and a ninth had the wine for the
drink offering. All this was then laid on the western side of the steps to the
altar and supplied with salt. The priests then withdrew to the lishkath ha-gazith
where they recited the Shema. Having done this
they again cast lots. Firstly, the lot was cast for the performance of the
Incense Offering among those who had never performed this duty. The lots were
then cast to see who would carry the individual elements of the sacrificial
offering to the altar. (According to R. Eliezar bin Jacob, the same priests who
did it initially performed the duty and carried them to the altar steps.) Those
on whom no lot fell were free to go, and they removed their sacred garments and
retired.
The priest selected to bring the incense offering now took a lidded
golden pan containing a smaller pan with the incense. A second priest fetched
coals from the altar of burnt offerings in a silver ladle and emptied them into
a golden ladle. The two then went into the Temple. One of them poured the coals
onto the altar of incense, prostrated himself in adoration, and then retired.
The other priest took the small pan with the incense out of the large pan,
handed the latter to a third priest and then poured the incense out of the pan
onto the coals on the altar so that the smoke ascended. He also prostrated
himself and then retired. The two who had already attended to the cleaning of
the altar and the lamp-stand had already re-entered
the Temple before these others to fetch their implements mentioned above. The
cleaner of the lamp-stand then cleaned the more
easterly of the lamps still unclean. The other was left burning so that the
others could be lit from it in the evening. If it had gone out it was then cleaned
and relit from the fire on the altar of burnt offering.
The five priests
who had been busy inside the Temple then mounted the steps in front of the
sanctuary with their five golden utensils and pronounced the priestly blessing
(Num. 6:22-23) on the people. In doing this they pronounced the Divine Name as
it is written. They said Yahovah. They did not
say Adonai (cit. Schürer, ibid., p. 306). Thus the idea that the priest did not say the name of God is
completely false. They not only uttered it, but they also did it in public
prayer as part of the actions of the Temple at Jerusalem and elsewhere.
Next, the
presentation of the burnt offering took place. The appointed priests laid hands
on the separate pieces of the sacrificial animal lying at the altar steps and
took them to the altar and placed (threw, so Schürer)
them on the altar. When the High Priest wished to officiate
he is alleged to have had the priests hand the pieces to him (cf. Ecclus. 1:12)
and he threw them on the altar. Lastly, the two grain offerings – of the people
and the High Priest – were presented together with the drink offering. When the
priests bent to pour out the drink offering, a sign was given to the Levites to
begin singing. They broke into song and at every pause in the singing two
priests blew silver trumpets. “With every blast of the trumpets the people
prostrated themselves in adoration” (Schürer, ibid.).
“The evening worship was very similar to the morning. In the former, however,
the incense offering was made after rather than before the burnt offering, and
the lamps of the candelabrum were not cleaned in the evening but lit” (cf. also
Schürer, p. 303).
The people had assembled themselves in the Temple during the process in
the morning preparations for the final offerings. They prostrated themselves in
adoration at the blowing of the trumpets, during pauses in the singing. There
were different Psalms set for the days of the week. The Psalms were: the first
day of the week, Sunday, was Psalm 24; the second day of the week, Monday, was
Psalm 48; Tuesday was Psalm 82; Wednesday was Psalm 94; Thursday was Psalm 81;
Friday was Psalm 93; and Sabbath was Psalm 92.
The spiritual significance of these actions is of interest. Note the
morning sacrifice began at daybreak and went on into the morning. The people
were present and participated in the activities that reached their climax at
about the third hour.
The sacrifices represent the development of the Faith. The Passover
refers to the Messiah as the Lamb and the first-fruits
of the Wave Sheaf. The evening sacrifices refer to the Great Multitude of the
Church. The Sabbaths, New Moons and Holy Days refer to the elect of the
144,000. Each of the Sabbaths etc. has the morning and evening elements, which
is a requirement of the elect to advance in the Holy Spirit through their
relationship with God. The entire Church of God is the evening element of the
sacrifices, as there is no mention of the evening sacrifice in the later Temple
system. It should be obvious to us all that the services of the Church are to
be at 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. on each day of congregation. The Church has met at 10
a.m. and 2 p.m. on some Holy Days but it always meets at 9 a.m. for the Wave
Sheaf and Pentecost. This has been because many of the brethren travel long
distances to get to services and to return home. Where the Church is gathered together at a Feast, or where there are no people
with long distances to travel, it is expected that services will follow the
usual timings of the morning and evening sacrifices.
Christ also kept the Sabbath in due diligence, and on these days no
trade was permitted in accordance with the understanding of Amos 8:5. In
Matthew 14:14-15, we see that the people came to Christ at the time of the
evening sacrifice, which was on either a New Moon or a Sabbath. When the
Sabbath had ended and it was dark and people were still gathered
together, his disciples said to him that they should be allowed to go
and buy food.
Matthew 14:14-15 As He stepped ashore, He saw a huge crowd,
felt compassion for them, and healed their sick. 15When
evening came, the disciples approached Him and said, "This place is a
wilderness, and it is already late. Send the crowds away so they can go into
the villages and buy food for themselves." (HCSB)
The Church as the body of kings and priests is required to offer
prayers each day, both morning and evening (Ex. 30:7-8). The preparation and
prayers of the morning precede the timing of the offering of the morning
sacrifice, and the prayers of the evening follow after
the evening sacrifice. Thus our prayers act as the
incense offering and the light of the golden lamp-stand that stands before the
Holy of Holies, and intercede with God for the world. That is why the
twenty-four Elders are charged with monitoring our prayers and assisting us
(Rev. 5:8-10).
There is a requirement of diligence in the Faith in the aspect of the
Calendar. Whom we worship is not just determined by our understanding of the
nature of God. The fact that there is only One True God, who is the God and
Father of us all, who sent Jesus Christ – and which forms the basis of our
worship –can be undermined by the misapplication of the Calendar and process of
worship. If we keep a wrong calendar, we worship the god for which it was
formed. If we postpone the days of worship we put
another god before the One True God. Do not be misled. Hold fast to the Faith
once delivered to the saints.
The Psalms
As we have seen, the Temple system used a
specific Psalm each day for the conduct of the daily sacrifices. Beginning with
the first day of the week, which we call Sunday in the paganised calendar
system, we see that Psalm 24 commences with the concept of the creation of God.
In this Psalm we see the development of the person in the Holy Spirit, and the
one who walks with God on the mountain of Yahovah.
Contrary to popular myth, the written name of
God was specifically mentioned in the Temple services; and that name was Yahovah (YHVH) and not Adonai. It was
not only uttered by the priests daily, it was also
sung by the congregation and the priests in their entirety as the body of
Israel, in the Psalms.
These Psalms are selected to identify the
nation as the chosen of God. They identify Israel as the people of God, and
that the salvation of the body of Israel is ongoing, and
will result in the final establishment of the worship by Israel from the
mountain of Yahovah the Most High.
The Psalms for each day show an ongoing
development of the creation through the six thousand-year
period allowed by God until it arrives at the millennial Sabbath, which
represents the reign of Justice under the Messiah and the loyal Host.
First
Day of the Week (Sunday): Psalm 24 (The
King of Glory) – A Davidic psalm
We see in Psalm 24
that the elohim of the salvation of Israel and of the
individual was Yahovah of Hosts, and the God of the
Patriarchs. Here, at the beginning of the week, the congregation of God is told
that the entire creation belongs to Yahovah. The
congregation is told who is acceptable to God in the process of worship and who
may draw near to God.
Second Day of the Week (Monday): Psalm 48 (Zion Exalted) – A psalm of the sons of Korah
On the second day of the week the City of
Zion is identified as the City of Yahovah. His Temple
is identified as being there. The conflict with Yahovah
eternally protecting the congregation is the theme of the Psalm. The ships of
Tarshish were based in Europe in southern Iberia, or southern Spain. They
supported a powerful system of trade throughout the world.
Yahovah is Yahovah of Hosts and thus Yahovah,
The Most High.
Third
Day of the Week (Tuesday):
Psalm 82 (A Plea for Righteous Judgment) – a psalm of Asaph
We see from this Psalm that
the elohim are a plurality of the sons of God, and
the elohim in question here takes his place among the
divine assembly of the Council of the Elohim. He commences to judge the Earth
because all nations have been given into his judgment.
The first element
of the creation is the heavenly Host who are elohim.
The human host also become sons of God as elohim, and it is here on the third day of the week, now
called Tuesday, that this Psalm was sung. This was the day prior to the
preparation day of 14 Abib in 30 CE.
Thus, when Christ uttered
these words he and everyone there knew they had been
sung on the day and just before sunset, approximately six hours previously.
The High Priest saw that on
the day following the day they had sung this Psalm, the purpose of the text was
made plain, and Christ declared the divine destiny of the elect. It is written
that the High Priest had prophesied prior to the event that someone would die
for the people.
The text that followed
Christ’s quote showed that elohim was to rise, and
was to judge the Earth, and that elohim was Messiah.
The High Priest thus saw
Christ as declaring himself as the Messiah, as the Son of God. The Psalm on the
fourth day, or Wednesday, confirms this fact and the High Priest knew that, as
did everyone.
Fourth
Day of the Week (Wednesday): Psalm 94 (The Just Judge)
Notice in Psalm 94 that the Elohim of vengeance
and justice is the Yahovah who was given
Israel as his inheritance. Thus the concept here is
one of Yahovah of Hosts conveying authority to Yahovah of Israel. This Being is the Yahovah
of Deuteronomy 32:8, who was one of the sons of God. The Masoretic text (MT)
was changed after this event and the death of Messiah to read: according to
the number of the sons of Israel. It was no doubt done to conceal this
fact. However, the text says, according
to the number of the sons of God, as we know from the Septuagint (LXX), and
now the Dead Sea Scrolls (DSS). The RSV shows the correct text.
The condemnation of the proud and arrogant
here was directly against the priesthood that did indeed condemn the innocent
and here slay the Messiah. This entire text was
directed against injustice, and the High Priests knew what they were doing to
Christ by prophecy and Christ’s own testimony at exactly the right time in this
sequence. The “me” in this text is the Messiah.
Fifth
Day of the Week (Thursday): Psalm 81 (A
Call to Obedience) – on the Gittith of Asaph
This Psalm was an admonition to Israel after
they had rejected Yahovah of the Exodus. In fact they had killed him the previous day in that year of 30
CE. Israel was taken through the wilderness and tested at the waters of Meribah – and that Elohim with them was Christ (1Cor.
10:1-4). They would not listen and Yahovah gave them
over to their own stubborn ways.
The Psalm
establishes the New Moon of Abib as the solemn Feast Day of Israel. This is the
commanded New Year. The post-dispersion Jews changed it to read "on the New Moon and on the Full Moon", and then used it to apply to 1 Tishri as
their corrupt New Year. But the original texts say on the New Moon, and
the text clearly shows that it relates to
the Exodus in Abib and therefore cannot be Tishri.
Sixth
Day of the Week (Friday): Psalm 93 (God’s
Eternal Reign)
Yahovah on High is
praised as being majestic. On this day of the Passover sequence in 30 CE,
Messiah was still in the tomb.
Seventh
Day of the Week (Saturday): Psalm 92 (God’s Love and Faithfulness) – A
song for the Sabbath day
This Psalm praises the Most
High as the One who is faithful in love and the object of praise, both
evening and morning.
Yahovah is used 7 times in Psalm 92 for the 7th day of the week.
Seven is the number of perfection.
On the Sabbath we see the duality of the
message. It is at the end of this day that Messiah was resurrected by God and
attended by the elohim. The promise of this Psalm
extends to the Millennium and the Rule of the Messiah. The Sabbath symbolises
this coming rule for the seventh thousand-year period from Adam.
The Resurrection of Christ at the end of the
Sabbath symbolises the General Resurrection of the dead at the end of the
millennial system. From that sequence we prepare for the salvation of all
mankind and the handover to God.
On the Sunday morning at 9 a.m., the
Wave-Sheaf Offering is waved before God. On Sunday morning after the
resurrection the previous evening, Christ ascended into the Mountain of God in
the heavens. There he was accepted as the righteous sacrifice and the sin
offering of the world. The Psalms also reflect the fact of the acceptance of
the righteous in the new cycle. The acceptance of all repentant mankind is
symbolised by this Wave Sheaf commencing with Christ and extending to all.
Thus the sequence of
the week of the execution by stauros Passover was
seen for a thousand years beforehand. The lie of the Friday sacrifice obscures
the true intent of the Psalms of the Temple worship and their meaning for
mankind.
Hallel Psalms
According to Schurer (Note 41; vol II pp.
303-304) the so-called Hallel psalms were also sung on the High Days of
the Feasts (according to the “common view” Pss
113-118; but Schurer states that tradition varies as to what is to be
understood by Hallel).
Note there are
only six psalms for the Seven Holy Days. Psa. 117 is very short. Psa. 114
mentions the Exodus and deals specifically with the text that deals with the elohim of Jacob that was the subordinate God of Israel (Ps.
45; Heb. 1:8-9) that Paul also mentions in 1Cor. 10:1-4 as being Christ.
Psalm 118:6 is quoted in Heb. 13:6 relating also to Christ. 118:22-23 is
specifically referring to Christ becoming the head of the corner and tying that
to the goodness and acts of the Lord God (see also Mat. 21:42; Acts 4:11; 1Pet.
2:7). Pss. 111, 112, and 119 are alphabetical
acrostics (as are Pss. 9-10; 25; 34; 37 and 145).
These three bracket the six psalms emphasising the commandments of God and His
Covenant. The purpose appears to be to enforce the Law of God in the Plan of
Salvation outlined by the Seven Holy Days, of which, the Last Great Day
represents the First and Second Resurrections (Rev. Ch. 20 F066v; ##143A; 143B). Admission to
and completing them entails keeping the Law and the Testimony. Those failing to
do that will face the Second Death (No. 143C). Psa. 118
ends with a hymn of praise as the God of the Messiah (Psa. 45) (comp. Psa.
136).
Davidic Origin of the Psalms
Some Psalms were found in the Qumran texts and
they proved apocryphal. Schurer has published a text on that at Vol. III pp.
188-190 with notes on pp. 191ff. There were also apocryphal psalms associated
with the LXX Greek translations as he notes. Many modern scholars have tried to
diminish the age and authority of the Bible texts and they have used the psalms
to do that and they have openly attacked the Davidic
authorship. Many have tried to date the Psalms as late as the Fifth century BCE
and some senior ministers have even given addresses placing the Bible as being
a text with its origin ca 200 BCE. This is a complete fabrication as proven by
the Elephantine texts of the Fifth Century BCE confirming the Texts and
priestly entities of Scripture of the Fifth Century BCE and the letters to them
re the construction of the Temple under Darius II (see Ginsburg's translations
of the Aramaic Letters in Pritchard J. B., The Ancient Near East; An
Anthology of Texts and Pictures (1958 ed. pp. 278-282) (See Sign of Jonah
and the History of the Reconstruction of the Temple (No. 013).) That
text also contains references to many psalms from Pss.
1 to 147 (ibid pp. 283-284) as well as a multitude of other Bible texts.
Many of these later attempts at redating Scripture are simply poor
fabrications. There is no basis for discounting the Davidic Origin and accounts
of the Psalms and the inspiration of Scripture in spite of
the later Trinitarian forgeries this millennium.
Use of the Books
As stated there are five books of the Psalms
based on the divisions of the books of the Pentateuch. These are the Genesis,
Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy Books.
These are distributed and used over the sacred year. The Psalms are
divided among the Books as follows:
Book
1 (Psalms 1–41)
Book 2 (Psalms 42–72)
Book 3 (Psalms 73–89)
Book 4 (Psalms 90–106)
Book 5 (Psalms 107–150)
Whilst there is no direction in Scripture for their use, we can see
from above that there were some psalms used by tradition for emphasis during
the weeks and months of the year and at the Feast Seasons.
The first or Genesis book of psalms is read or sung after Tabernacles
on to The New Year. The second or Exodus book is read from the New year at Abib
to the Feast at Pentecost (or perhaps at the New Moon) when the Leviticus Book
is commenced. The last two books are read (probably) from Ab to Tabernacles.
The Babylonian intercalations in Hillel and with Rosh Hashanah has probably
seen this practice diminished in Judaism.
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