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Take a breath, find your place, and read deeply. Discover the joy of reading God’s word with the Immerse New Living Translation (NLT) Bible.
This daily Bible podcast will take you through the Bible in a year following the Immerse Bible Reading Experience. So grab your family and small group and go through the Bible in a year together with Immerse. Each of the 6 volumes is available online or at your favorite Christian bookstore.
Immerse Poet: Welcome To Immerse:
The Daily Bible Reading Experience.
Day two hundred and eighty five.
Poets
introduction to poets,
the five covenants God made with
humanity through Noah, Abraham,
Moses, David, and Jesus provide
the deep structure of the Bible.
The vital historic events that occasioned
the first four of these covenants, the
flood, the Call of Abraham, the Exodus
and the establishment of Israel's
monarchy are found in the beginnings
and kingdoms volumes, the words and
deeds of the prophets who spoke for God
to the people of Israel, follow in the
prophet's volume as the Jewish people
assembled their scriptures over time.
They included another group of
books that they called the writings.
These books from the latter part of the
first Testament provide a key link for
us to Israel's world during and after
the nation's 70 year exile in Babylon.
By the time these books were collected
in final form, Israel's political
independence had ended and the people were
living under the rule of foreign powers.
While some of the Jewish people
remained in their traditional homeland,
many were dispersed throughout
the ancient near Eastern world.
The sages and scribes who wrote
and gathered the writings, provided
stories, songs, and wise words to
God's people to keep them closely
tethered to their ancient identity.
And calling the unique stories and
historical records of the writings are
collected in the Chronicles volume.
The poetical books from the writings
are collected here in poets.
The first books in this volume,
Psalms, Lamentations, and Song of
Songs are collections of song lyrics.
These song collections provide scriptures
that reflect the rich reality of human
life and a full range of human emotions.
They are closely tied to Israel's life
and history, expressing the agony of their
trials and the joy of their celebrations.
Through the deep sorrow of Lamentations,
the joyful exuberance of the love songs.
Of songs of songs, and the
complaints, Thanksgiving, exaltation
and praise of Psalms, we enter
more deeply into Israel's story.
Israel's regular worship calendar
from weekly Sabbath observances to
annual festival celebrations formed
a vital part of the nation's ongoing
covenant relationship with God.
Many of the songs Israel used in worship
are preserved in the great collection
of lyric poems known as Psalms.
Through these songs, we can also
learn to find our own voice for
talking to God about the heights
and depths in our own life journey.
These Hebrew songs are primarily expressed
through parallel lines of Hebrew poetry.
Most Hebrew poetry is written
in groupings of parallel lines.
Usually two lines though, sometimes three.
These lines work together in various ways.
Often using rich metaphors and
other poetic features to state
and then revisit their points.
Second and third lines can reinforce,
extend, deepen, or even talk back
to the opening statements, the
final books in this collection,
Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Job
come from Israel's wisdom tradition.
These books share customary features
with the wisdom writing of the ancient
near Eastern world, but they have
the invaluable advantage of seeing
life from within the context of
a covenant relationship with God.
They proclaim that fear of the Lord.
Yahweh Israel's covenant.
God is the foundation of true knowledge.
These wisdom books explore the workings
of life in God's good but fractured World.
Their core premise is that the Creator
has embedded his wisdom into his
creation, and they invite people to find
and then follow that good way of life.
Wisdom books commend the path
of wisdom or righteousness.
Asserting that the God who created the
world is the one who can best instruct
us on how to live and flourish within it.
The Wisdom books are also written
mostly in poetry, though in a
greater variety of forms than the
lyric poetry of Israel's songs.
Proverbs consists almost entirely
of couplets, two lines of
verse, while Job mostly contains
much longer poetic speeches.
Ecclesiastes is a mixture
of poetry and prose.
Though the prose receives its shape
more from recurring words and imagery
as in a poem than from the linear
progression of a plot line as in a story.
It is a tremend tremendous gift
to us that the Bible is not just a
collection of lectures about God.
These books of songs and wisdom
add depth, color, and texture
to the biblical narrative.
Through the use of beautiful lyric
poetry and striking imagery, they
help us fully realize that God's
truth is truth for the real world.
They invite us to see all the
struggles, triumphs, and complications
of our own lives within the bigger
story of God's ongoing work not yet
completed to bring flourishing life
and peace to the world he created.
Immersed in Psalms, there are moments
in the life of faith that need to be
expressed with a full strength of human
emotion, and nothing serves that need
better than putting words to music.
So we should not be surprised that Ancient
Israel had a song book used in large
gatherings at the temple and also in
smaller settings within local communities.
Psalms is a book of song lyrics.
And many have musical notations,
instructions, and even the
names of tunes still attached.
The fact that our scriptures include
heartfelt expressions like these of
God's people speaking directly to him,
highlights that he wants to hear from us.
He wants us to express our deepest
longings and feelings to him.
These songs were gathered into the large
collection we have today during the
time after Israel's exile to Babylon.
But many are preserved from earlier times.
King David is associated with 73 of
them, nearly half of the total number.
Our collection now includes 150 Psalms.
Those Psalms nine and 10 and 42 and
43 were each originally written as one
Psalm, but later divided, and one Psalm
is repeated twice, appearing as both.
Psalm 14 and Psalm 53.
Whether birthed in the spiritual journey
of an individual or the experiences
of the community of God's people,
all these songs came to be used in
the corporate worship of Israel.
But Psalms is more than a song book.
As the collection came together,
it was shaped in two, five books,
each closing with a doxology
special words of praise to God.
These five books of Psalms recall
the five books of Moses, the Torah.
At the beginning of the Bible, just as the
Torah was used for instruction and study,
Psalms came to be used the same way.
In fact, Psalm one seems to have
in placed first precisely to
encourage people to meditate on
Psalms as a book of instruction.
This shows that these songs
that were sung in worship could
also be read as scripture.
These song lyrics are written in
the usual form of Hebrew poetry
with groupings of parallel lines.
The second line repeats, contrasts, or
intensifies the meaning of the first line.
The figurative language in these
poems is perfectly suited for
forcefully expressing authentic
human responses within God's story.
Most of the Psalms in the
Bible are one of three types,
praise, lament, or Thanksgiving.
Psalms of praise call on people to
worship and sing to God, honoring
him for his goodness and grace.
Songs of lament are prayers to God for
deliverance in deeply troubled times.
Lament typically begin with an urgent and
emotional cry describing the struggles
that the person or community is facing,
and then make a specific request for help.
Almost always ending with
expressions of trust in God.
Psalms of Thanksgiving often review the
troubles that someone was experiencing,
explained that they called upon God and
were delivered, and then invite others
to share in thanking and praising God.
This collection of Psalms also include
some other types of Psalms, Royal
Psalms celebrate the role of Israel's
king, both the human king and God
as the nation's High King pilgrim.
Psalms also called Psalms of ascent.
Were sung by pilgrims making their
way up to Jerusalem for one of
the great Jewish festivals, wisdom
Psalms, echo Israel's traditions
about following God's instructions to
discover the path to flourishing life.
It is important that the Psalms
are more than just psal of praise.
The laments and cries for justice
prevent the songs from being merely
a celebration of the status quo.
The life of faith includes the
shattering pain of injustice
and wrongdoing that calls God's
power and goodness into question.
In such situations, God's deliverance
of his people and answer to their
cries leads them to a more profound
appreciation of his faithfulness and care.
The enduring message of the book
overall is that God welcomes the
honest expressions of our hearts.
Reflecting all the challenges of
our ongoing relationship with him.
The Book of Psalms was very
popular in the first century AD
and is crucial for understanding
the story of Jesus the Messiah.
The writers of the New Testament saw
the themes of Psalms continuing in
the ongoing story of God's people.
This can be true for us today.
Also, as we read, sing, reflect on.
And enter into the same story of
struggle, rescue, and restoration.
Israel's songbook gives us the words
for expressing our own movements
through lament and praise and
thanksgiving on our journey with God
toward a world of justice and peace.
The Psalms book one,
Psalms one through 41.
Psalm one O.
The joys of those who do not follow the
advice of the wicked or stand around
with sinners or join in with mockers,
but they delight in the law of the
Lord meditating on it day and night.
They are like trees planted along
the river bank bearing fruit.
Each season.
Their leaves never wither and
they prosper in all they do.
But not the wicked.
They are like worthless,
chaff, scattered by the wind.
They will be condemned
at the time of judgment.
Sinners will have no place
among the Godly for the Lord.
Watches over the path of the
godly, but the path of the
wicked leads to destruction.
Psalm two, why are the nations so angry?
Why do they waste their time?
With feudal plans, the kings of
the earth prepare for battle.
The rulers plot together against
the Lord and against his anointed.
One, let us break their chains.
They cry and free ourselves from
slavery to God, but the one who rules in
heaven laughs the Lord scoffs at them.
Then in anger, he rebukes them,
terrifying them with his fierce fury.
For the Lord declares, I have
placed my chosen king on the throne
in Jerusalem on my holy mountain.
The king proclaims the Lord's decree.
The Lord said to me, you are my son.
Today I have become your father.
Only ask and I will give you the nations
as your inheritance, the whole earth.
As your possession, you will
break them with an iron rod.
And smash them like clay pots
now, then you kings act wisely.
Be warned you.
Rulers of the earth serve the Lord with
reverent fear and rejoice with trembling.
Submit to God's royal son or he will
become angry and you will be destroyed
in the midst of all your activities.
For his anger flares up in an instant.
But what joy for all
who take refuge in him.
Psalm three, a Psalm of David regarding
the time David fled from his son, Absalom.
Oh Lord, I have so many enemies.
So many are against me.
So many are saying God
will never rescue him.
Interlude.
But you, oh Lord, are a shield around me.
You are my glory.
The one who holds my head high.
I cried out to the Lord and he answered
me from his holy mountain interlude.
I lay down and slept.
Yet I woke up in safety for
the Lord was watching over me.
I am not afraid of 10,000 enemies
who surround me on every side.
Arise, oh Lord.
Rescue me my God.
Slap all my enemies in the face.
Shatter the teeth of the
wicked victory comes from you.
Oh Lord, may you bless
your people interlude
Psalm four for the choir director,
a Psalm of David to be accompanied
by stringed instruments.
Answer me when I call to you, oh
God, who declares me innocent?
Free me from my troubles, have
mercy on me and hear my prayer.
How long will you people
ruin my reputation?
How long will you make
groundless accusations?
How long will you continue
your lies interlude?
You can be sure of this.
The Lord set apart the Godly for himself.
The Lord will answer when I call to him.
Don't sin by letting anger control you.
Think about it overnight
and remain silent.
Interlude.
Offer sacrifices in the right
spirit and trust the Lord.
Many people say, who will
show us better times?
Let your face smile on us, Lord.
You have given me greater joy than
those who have abundant harvests
of grain and new wine in peace.
I will lie down and sleep for you alone.
Oh Lord, will keep me safe.
Psalm five for the choir director, a Psalm
of David to be accompanied by the flute.
Oh Lord, hear me as I pray.
Pay attention to my groaning.
Listen to my cry for
help, my king and my God.
For I pray to no one but you.
Listen to my voice in the morning, Lord.
Each morning I bring my request to
you and wait expectantly, oh God.
You take no pleasure in wickedness.
You cannot tolerate
the sins of the wicked.
Therefore, the proud may not
stand in your presence for you.
Hate all who do evil.
You will destroy those who tell lies,
the Lord detests, murderers, and
deceivers Because of your unfailing
love, I can enter your house.
I will worship at your
temple with deepest awe.
Lead me in the right path, oh Lord,
or my enemies will conquer me.
Make your way plain for me to follow.
My enemies cannot speak a truthful word.
Their deepest desire is to destroy others.
Their talk is foul.
Like the stench from an open grave, their
tongues are filled with flat flattery.
Oh God, declare them guilty.
Let them be caught in their own traps.
Drive them away because of their many
sins for they have rebelled against you.
But let all who take
refuge in you rejoice.
Let them sing joyful praises forever.
Spread your protection over them.
That all who love your name
may be filled with joy for you.
Bless the Godly, oh Lord, you surround
them with your shield of love.
Psalm six for the choir director.
A Psalm of David to be accompanied
by an eight stringed instrument.
Oh Lord, don't rebuke me in your
anger or discipline me in your rage.
Have compassion on me Lord, for I am weak.
Heal me Lord, for my bones are in agony.
I am sick at heart.
How long, oh Lord, until you restore me.
Return, oh Lord, and rescue me.
Save me because of your
unfailing love for the dead.
Do not remember you.
Who can praise you from the grave.
I am worn out from sobbing all night.
I flood my bed with weeping,
drenching it with my tears.
My vision is blurred by grief.
My eyes are worn out
because of all my enemies.
Go away.
All you who do evil for the
Lord has heard my weeping.
The Lord has heard my plea.
The Lord will answer my prayer.
May all my enemies be
disgraced and terrified.
May they suddenly turn back in shame.
This concludes today's
immerse reading experience.
Thank you for joining us.