Lesson Highlights

Perfect Worship?
Perfect Worship?

Perfect Worship?

In "God's Word for Today" David Woods writes:

Psalm 145 is the last Psalm in the Psalter that cites David as its author. It is a praise Psalm, and is noted for being an acrostic. Each verse in this Psalm begins with a letter of the Hebrew alphabet. There is a problem with this, however. The Hebrew alphabet has twenty-two letters; this Psalm is comprised of only twenty-one verses. This Psalm is missing a verse beginning with the Hebrew letter nun. Interestingly, the Jewish transla-tors of the Septuagint, the Greek version of the Old Testament that Jesus and many of the New Testament writers quoted, added a verse to make up the missing nun. While well-intentioned, this probably should not have been done. (The KJV does not include this verse, but some newer translations do [verse 13b], with a marginal note. The English Standard Version renders this verse as: “[The Lord is faithful in all his words and kind in all his works],” but notes that these two lines are only in one Hebrew manuscript, the Septuagint, and the Syriac.) Commentators suggest the absence of one letter of the alphabet in this acrostic Psalm does not indicate a problem with God's Word, but rather was intentional. J. Vernon McGee writes: “From Psalm 145 to 150 we find that every one of them is a hallelujah Psalm. It is an increasing crescendo. Why would one verse be left out of Psalm 145? I think it speaks of the fact that our praise is imperfect.”

Source: Studies in the Psalms: Adult Teacher's Insights, page 77.

Herald & Banner Press2016-11-26T08:00:00+00:00November 26th, 2016|Categories: Lesson Highlights|Tags: worship|0 Comments

What single word should you use to describe God's greatness?
What single word should you use to describe God's greatness?

What single word should you use to describe God's greatness?

"And men shall speak of the might of thy terrible acts: and I will declare thy greatness." (Psalm 145:6)

In "Biblical Perspective" Gordon Snider writes:

The psalmist could not find a single adjective to describe the greatness of God. So he added adjective to adjective: “mighty” (v. 4), “wondrous” (v. 5), and here, thy terrible acts. What God does and the way He acts inspires in the righteous reverence and awe. In the unrighteous these same actions inspire fear and dread. The theme of discussion of all generations is the source of His power to do these works. I will declare thy greatness again emphasizes man's public recounting of the mighty acts of God.

Source: Studies in the Psalms: Adult Teacher's Insights, page 77.

Herald & Banner Press2016-11-25T09:00:00+00:00November 25th, 2016|Categories: Lesson Highlights|Tags: God|0 Comments

What makes a song a hymn?
What makes a song a hymn?

What makes a song a hymn?

In "Doctrinal Discussion" William Sillings writes:

While gospel songs are forms of praise, traditionally hymns have carried the greater weight of praise. Defining a hymn is an elusive task, but most authorities, says Ralph Martin, appeal to Augustine. Augustine claimed there were three distinctive characteristics of a hymn. 1. A hymn is praise. 2. It is designed to be sung. 3. It is directed to God. Furthermore, a hymn differs largely from a gospel song in that the gospel song tends to be more subjective. That is, it tends to concentrate on “my experience” of certain great spiritual truths. In contrast, the most remarkable characteristic of a hymn is its objectiveness. Hymns express in virtually universally applicable terms the praise of the Church to God, whereas a gospel song may describe one person's experience — which, in turn, may not have significance for someone halfway around the world.

Source: Studies in the Psalms: Adult Teacher's Insights, page 80.

Herald & Banner Press2016-11-24T09:00:00+00:00November 24th, 2016|Categories: Lesson Highlights|Tags: worship|0 Comments

Why are the Proud Cursed?

"Thou hast rebuked the proud that are cursed, which do err from thy commandments." (Psalm 119:21)

In "Biblical Perspective" Gordon Snider writes:

These are people whose sense of self-importance causes them to accept authority for themselves which belongs only to God. And this naturally leads to a refusal to follow the directions of God. Thus, to the psalmist, to be proud is to be cursed. The proud were specifically described as those who do err from thy commandments. The connection between the proud and do err at first seems unusual. The proud deliberately choose to resist God, while err means to sin through ignorance. There may be a suggestion here that open rebellion against God makes it impossible for us to see the “road signs” along the way that indicate we are going the wrong direction. Thus we truly are not only ignorant of our wrong, but willfully ignorant.

Source: Studies in the Psalms: Adult Teacher's Insights, page 73.

Herald & Banner Press2016-11-19T09:00:00+00:00November 19th, 2016|Categories: Lesson Highlights|Tags: Pride|0 Comments

What is the Word of God?
What is the Word of God?

What is the Word of God?

In "Doctrinal Discussion" William Sillings writes:

What is the “Word of God”? The Word of God is the direct self-revelation of God to humanity. This part of revelation is often listed by theologians in the area of “special revelation” and includes both words and deeds of God's direct self-revelation.

Sillings continues on page 74 about how God's Word takes three forms.
Source: Studies in the Psalms: Adult Teacher's Insights, page 74.

Herald & Banner Press2016-11-18T09:00:00+00:00November 18th, 2016|Categories: Lesson Highlights|Tags: God's Word|0 Comments

A Spiritual Primer?
A Spiritual Primer?

A Spiritual Primer?

In "God's Word for Today" David Woods writes:

Psalm 119 is made up of twenty-two strophes (paragraph of poetry), one for each letter of the Hebrew alphabet, and each strophe has eight verses. Each of these verses begins with the Hebrew letter by which their particular strophe is named. Faithlife Study Bible notes that the most prominent feature in translation is the repetition of eight words: law, word (imrath), word (devar), judgments, testimonies, commandments, statutes, and precepts. Psalm 119 is characterized as a Torah Psalm, a wisdom Psalm, and an individual lament. The author is unknown. This Psalm emphasizes the Word of God, using some term for God's Word in almost every verse. Preacher's Commentary notes that the psalmist was involved in a real battle with enemies, but also was struggling with himself to do what was right and good. New Bible Commentary calls this Psalm the Golden ABC of God's Word.
Discussion: Early American education was profoundly impacted by The New England Primer, Webster's Speller, and the McGuffey Readers. How might our lives be impacted if we used Psalm 119 as a spiritual “primer”?

Source: Studies in the Psalms: Adult Teacher's Insights, page 70.

Herald & Banner Press2016-11-17T08:43:00+00:00November 17th, 2016|Categories: Lesson Highlights|Tags: God's Word|0 Comments

God's Word – Commandments vs. Statements
God's Word – Commandments vs. Statements

God's Word – Commandments vs. Statements

In "Biblical Perspective" Gordon Snider writes concerning Psalm 107:11…

The reason for this condition is clear. God's words are not so much commandments as they are statements of fact — this is the way life is. Man either aligns himself with the world as it was created, or he experiences some or all of the problems of verse 10. Man is by nature a rebel against God (Rom. 5). He despises and disdains the counsel of the most High. This name of God emphasizes His sovereign rulership over all creation as the Creator-God. Its use here amplifies the absurdity of the one created rejecting the advice of the one who made and rules all things

Source: Studies in the Psalms: Adult Teacher's Insights, page 66.

Herald & Banner Press2016-11-12T09:00:00+00:00November 12th, 2016|Categories: Lesson Highlights|Tags: God's Word|0 Comments

Applying God's Goodness to Our Lives
Applying God's Goodness to Our Lives

Applying God's Goodness to Our Lives

In "Doctrinal Discussion" William Sillings writes:

God's goodness has meaningful applications to our living today . For one thing, it puts definite limits on the kinds of spiritual, physical, emotional, or moral battles we go through as God's people. For instance, when Jesus was about to be crucified, He told Peter that Satan had desired to have them all in order to sift them as wheat through difficult and crushing circumstances, but He had prayed for them that when they were tested, their faith would not fail. The goodness of God limits what Satan is allowed to do. God has promised that nothing will come to us which we cannot bear, for He will, with the temptation, make a way of escape so we will be able to bear it. Second, if God's goodness can be imparted to us in the fruit of the Spirit (as we believe it can), we can be good like God is good. Being finite and human, we will never be perfectly good as God is, but we are partakers of the divine nature. It is not just a fable to talk about being good. God actually intends for us to have His goodness as part of our experience.

Source: Studies in the Psalms: Adult Teacher's Insights, page 68.

Herald & Banner Press2016-11-11T09:00:00+00:00November 11th, 2016|Categories: Lesson Highlights|Tags: Goodness|0 Comments

Have you forgotten the goodness of God?
Have you forgotten the goodness of God?

Have you forgotten the goodness of God?

In "God's Word for Today" David Woods writes:

In some phases of our lives, we may be tempted to forget or doubt God's goodness. During seasons of prosperity and blessing, we may begin to think our good life is due to our own ingenuity and hard work. During great trouble, we may think God has forgotten us. But it would be shameful if we were only grateful during those seasons in which God delivers us out of trouble. Instead, we should remember how God has worked in the past, and praise Him for His goodness at all times. At least three of the stanzas in Psalm 107 speak directly to the Israelites' history. The first stanza reminds us of the forty years of wandering in the wilderness. The second stanza seems to speak of the Babylonian exile. The third stanza could speak of various experiences in which the people suffered because of their sin, but if this Psalm were written after the exile, it could especially mirror the distress the returned exiles felt.
Discussion: What are three or four specific instances in our church's history, our personal lives, etc. in which God's goodness was demonstrated?

Source: Studies in the Psalms: Adult Teacher's Insights, page 67.

Herald & Banner Press2016-11-10T08:00:00+00:00November 10th, 2016|Categories: Lesson Highlights|Tags: Doubt|0 Comments

How to Overcome Trouble
How to Overcome Trouble

How to Overcome Trouble

In "Doctrinal Discussion" William Sillings writes:

Trouble comes to all Christians — sometimes through lack of foresight, sometimes through lack of perfect control over circumstances, and sometimes through the providence of God who allows Satan to test us. None are exempt from it, but neither do any have to fall prey to it. Trouble can be conquered — through better planning and exercising greater care, through trust in God, through changing one's mindset to perceive God in life rather than always perceiving trouble. Basically, trouble can be transformed into opportunity if we fully acknowledge that we do not have the power to control everything, but that God does.

Source: Studies in the Psalms: Adult Teacher's Insights, page 62.

Herald & Banner Press2016-11-05T09:00:00+00:00November 5th, 2016|Categories: Lesson Highlights|Tags: trouble|0 Comments