Proper 14 – Year C

Sermon Notes from the Church’s Ministry Among Jewish People

RCL Readings – Isaiah 1:1, 10-20; Psalm 50:1-8, 22-23; Hebrews 11:1-3, 8-16; Luke 12:32-40

ACNA Readings – Genesis 15:1-6; Psalm 33(1-9) 10-21; Hebrews 11:1-16; Luke 12:32-40

Introduction. Faith in Greek is πίστις (pistis), which is a feminine noun. However, in Hebrew faith is אמונה (emunah) which is a verb. Actually, it’s a gerund, which are words formed from verbs that can have both properties of verbs and nouns. In English, we see them as words ending in -ing. Walking, looking, and seeing are gerunds. Someone who is walking is acting out the verb “to walk’. The biblical understanding of faith is therefore more than something believed; it is something acted out and put into practice.


Common Theme. Our readings this week bring to attention what a true and living faith is. We will learn the call of true religion in the Prophets, be encouraged by the heroes of faith who walked out their faith in obedience and be challenged by Jesus to be vigilant in our faith today.


Isaiah 1:1, 10-20. There are seven people in the Bible with the name Isaiah. The name means God is Salvation and remains quite popular in both Jewish and Christian communities to this day. According to tradition, the prophet Isaiah was a cousin of King Uzziah (11th king of Judah) and his prophetic career occurred during a time of material prosperity but superficial religiosity. In the first verses of Isaiah, God calls heaven and earth as witnesses that Judah is in a state of spiritual rebellion. To get the people’s attention, the Lord calls his people Sodom and Gomorrah, which the people would know from their sacred history are evil cities destroyed by God for their wickedness. What’s at the stake is the moral character of the Jewish people, not the number of their religious festivals, of which there are many. The people of Judah participate in religious worship, follow the sacred calendar and attend regular prayer. But their hearts are not in line with their actions. The religious ideal of God is care and justice for the weakest members of society: the orphans and widows. Isaiah challenges the people – not to learn how to pray better, sing louder or have more festivals but – to “learn to do good”, especially to the poor and disenfranchised. True faith is not found in a prayer; it’s seen in an action. While the spiritual condition of Judah was poor, the prophetic voice declares hope that ”though your sins are as scarlet, that shall be whiter than snow”.


Psalm 50:1-8, 22-23. Asaph begins the psalm with the image of the Almighty summoning his creation. God will talk to Israel, but he will have the attention of all the peoples of the earth while he does so, which is very similar to the opening verses of Isaiah. A famous line from the movie Spiderman says: “With great power comes great responsibility”. Israel is special to God. The psalm reminds us that God shines forth from Zion. With great privilege comes great responsibility, and now the Lord will enter into judgment with his people before the witnessing world. The psalmist describes how the sacrificial system is not the reason for the Lord’s rebuke. Empty repetitious ritual is! Sacrifices are not bribes as God already owns the animals that we would bring as gifts. Worship must always be an engagement with the heart. Any worship, song, or prayer that does not engage with our hearts ends as empty ceremony. The sacrificial system was not an evil institution as it was God who had initially ordained it. The psalm itself was composed for temple worship and would have been sung in the temple where the sacrifices were taking place. The last two verses from Asaph declare that God is glorified through a truly thankful heart and a right walk with the Lord. This does not mean that the worshipper will never offer any sacrifices at all, but that a living relationship with God always starts from an obedient heart.


Hebrews 11:1-3, 8-16. The writer of Hebrews presents a list of biblical characters whose stories emphasize their faithful perseverance as a reflection of true faith. An honest criticism of the Church is that we have too many practical atheists, people with a theoretical belief in God that has no impact on their daily lives or walk with the Lord. One of our tasks is to encourage each other to have more than just the ability to believe but to put that belief into action. Faith, particularly from the Jewish point of view, meant faithfulness and trust that is active and lived out rather than a matter of mere belief. Thus Hebrews writes, “by faith Abraham … obeyed and went.” and “all these people were living by faith when they died”. Faith is not only a noun, but it’s also an active verb.


Luke 12:32-40. In Acts 20:35, Paul quotes Jesus as saying, “It is more blessed to give than to receive”. The Gospels don’t record Jesus actually saying that so Paul probably heard it through an oral tradition. The sentiment though is very similar to the teaching of Jesus we have here in this Gospel passage. Jesus is encouraging us to lead relatively simple lives and to have a non-attachment to wealth and possessions. This message is incredibly counter-cultural in today’s world. At the time of Jesus, some other Jewish people thought similarly, such as the Dead Sea community where they sold everything and were quite critical of wealth. Jesus however is not against wealth per se, as wealth can be a blessing from the Lord. Jesus is critical of the attachment we might have to material treasure that distracts us from following the heart of God. In contrast to the world’s preoccupation with gaining material items, the life of a disciple of Jesus should be characterized by generosity, especially towards the poor. Jesus urges us to be vigilant in our faith, not distracted by greed or anxiety for the future. In summary, Jesus tells a story in which we are described as servants and need to be ready to serve the Master who may return at any time. Faith is something active, something that does not wane over time and engages in acts of generosity.


ACNA Readings 


Genesis 15:1–6. After Abram’s victory over the confederation of kings in Genesis 14 and the restoration of his nephew Lot and his family and all his possessions, Abram was blessed by Melchizedec, King of Salem, priest of the Most High God, affirming that the dramatic deliverance was because of the blessing of the Most High God and not because of Abram’s power. After this, God’s word comes to him afresh. The reading divides into two: verses 1–6 about God’s promise of a son and heir for Abram, and verses 7–21 about God’s covenantal pledge of future redemption for the nation and a promise of a land. Abram raises questions of doubt in each section, and God affirms the promises fulsomely!

Verse 1, “The word of the Lord comes to Abram in a vision,” just like the prophets later, as Abram too was a prophet in his generation (Gen 20:7). The Lord backs up Melchizedec’s message with a promise—Abram does not need to fear attacks from any number of aggressors, as the Lord is his shield and reward! The word for shield here is from the verb used by Melchizedec (14:20) when he praised the Most High God who delivered Abram’s enemies into his hand. And the pronoun is emphatic: “I (am) a shield for you.” Some then translate the next phrase as “your reward will be very great” (e.g., NASB, NRSV), taking the statement as an independent clause, but the evidence from elsewhere[2] suggests “great abundance” or “very great” is modifying the noun “your reward,” in apposition to “a shield for you.” So the Lord is saying: “I am a shield for you and your reward in great abundance.” What a stunning promise against fear—God our shield and our very great reward!

Verse 2. Up to this point in Genesis, Abram has only been silent in response to the Lord’s speeches, so this is the first record of him actually responding. Robert Alter says it “reveals a hitherto un-glimpsed human dimension of Abram.” [3] Abram starts: “O, Sovereign Lord”, which is an English translation of the Hebrew, “Adonai YHWH.” The tetragrammaton (YHWH) is usually written in the Tanakh with the vowels like Adonai (to avoid readers pronouncing the divine name), but in this verse (and v. 8), it would lead to a repetition of Adonai, so here the tetragrammaton is pointed instead with the vowels for the word Elohim (God), which produces the reading “Master, God,” in the Jewish textual tradition. Also, Abram’s response continues with an emphatic personal pronoun, parallel with the Lord’s: “since I (am) going childless.” The participle for going/walking here could suggest Abram’s personal anguish about continuing to walk around in life childless. The Lord is promising I am your shield and abundant reward, but Abram says in fact I am walking about childless! Or the context suggests “going” could be a euphemism for “going to my end,” so meaning: “I am dying without any children.” The childlessness reminds us of the opening part of Abram’s story, regarding Sarai’s infertility (11:30).

The next sentence appears to have an intentional word-play in the Hebrew, literally: “The son of the acquisition (ben-mesheq) of my house is Eliezer of Damascus (dam-meseq).” The sound-play is in keeping with the belief that “the omen is in the nomen.” Damascus may mean “a well-watered land,” so Abram seems to be saying: I continue to go around childless and so Eliezer my steward will fulfil his name and become a well-watered land, as the inheritor of all my wealth! Verse 3 drives it home boldly with more alliteration in the original: literally, “Look, to me you have not given seed, and look, a son of my house is inheriting me.” The argument is “since … then.” But the narrator in verse 4 mirrors Abram’s “Look,” with the word of the Lord coming to him in direct response. “Look, the Lord said: ‘This one will not inherit you.” Notice, the Lord does not use the steward’s name, as he refuses to give the name any authority or significance as a well-watered land! Instead, the Lord says, “the one who comes out from your body (literally, belly/womb), he (emphatic) will inherit you,” emphasizing for the first time Abram’s biological propagation. Abram had sceptically argued that the Lord had given him no seed, but the Lord shows him the stars of heaven and says “so shall be your seed.” In 13:16 the offspring is compared to the “dust of the earth,” but here to the “stars of the heaven,” with a grand visual display of the heavenly hosts! In 22:17 and 32, the seed is also likened to “the sand on the seashore.” Do these metaphors suggest an earthly and a heavenly seed coming from Abram? 

Verse 6 in the Hebrew does not follow in a sequence but stops the reader short, to consider Abram’s response to God’s promise. Abram trusted the Lord. The verb used here (from which we get “amen” = it is true, sure) and the form of the verb[4] means “to consider something reliable or dependable.” Abram regarded the Lord who made this promise as reliable and fully capable of making it a reality.

And because of this, the Lord reckoned it to him as righteousness. Firstly, what is the pronoun “it” (feminine in Hebrew) referring to here? There are two possibilities: firstly, it could be referring back to Abram’s act of faith—Abram trusted the Lord and the Lord reckoned it, his act of faith, as righteousness. Secondly, it could be referring forward to the feminine noun “righteousness,” so meaning “and the Lord reckoned it to him, [namely] righteousness.”[5] The use of “reckoned” and “righteousness” only occur together here and in Psalm 106:31. It says there that Phinehas’ actions in Numbers 25 were credited to him for righteousness. In that context, the use of “for” before righteousness makes the meaning explicit, but here in this context it is omitted, so here the Lord “reckoned it to him, righteousness.” In both contexts the word “righteousness” (tzedakah) seems to carry the meaning of “loyal, rewardable behaviour,” and in comparable inscriptions, related words mean “correct, justifiable conduct.” [6] An ancient Jewish midrash (commentary) on this verse says: “And thus do you find that our father Abraham inherited this world and the world to come only in the merit of his believing in the L-rd. As it is written (in this connection, Gen 15:6), ‘And he believed in the L-rd, and it was accounted unto him as tzedakah.’ [7] So faith here and in the Tanakh generally means “trusting profoundly in a person … the personal God who has reiterated his promise.” [8]

Genesis 15:1-12, 17-18.[9] God tells Abram that He will be Abram’s shield. The shield, in context, is clear as Abram had just fought an international battle and come out victorious. Melchizedek declares that Abram is blessed by God who had just delivered Abram’s enemies into his hands. God as shield, (מגן, magen) in Genesis 15:1 and God as deliverer (מגן, magan) in Genesis 14:20 are nearly identical. 


However, God also declared that He would be Abram’s great reward. Abram was a very wealthy man even after he left his home. Following the battle with the five kings of the north where he rescued Lot, Abram returned all the possessions he had earned, by right of victory, to the king of Sodom. But Abram’s response is not what we would expect, either from someone who had great riches nor from a man who faithfully followed God.


Riches, in so many ancient cultures and to this day in many parts of the Middle East, revolves around two things: children and the land they would inherit.[10] Abram chooses to refute God’s declaration of great reward, “what will you give me, for I continue childless”. Jewish tradition gives Eleazer, the servant of Abram, a high place of honour.[11] However, while Eleazer was incredibly faithful he was not Abram’s child. Genesis 15:2 highlights this as Abraham uses word play to say that he is without child and heir (משק, mesheq) and instead it is a Damascene (דמשק, dam’mesheq) who will become the inheritor. Abram did not think himself richly rewarded as long as he had no child.


Even as Abram refute’s God grace, “You have given me no offspring”, God does not rebuke Abram. Instead, God restated His earlier promise that “to your offspring I will give this land.” But this time, instead of a promise, God made a binding covenant. 


While many covenants did not require blood and would still be binding, God gave Abram specific directions to make a blood sacrifice, separating the offerings with one party on one side, and the other facing them on the other side. This particular form of covenant is spelled out in similar covenants of the Middle East, such as the Sefire Stele between two kings. Should a party fail to fulfill their part of the covenant they state, “[as] this calf is cut up, thus Matti’el and his nobles shall be cut up.” 


Provocatively, besides Abram’s act of bringing the sacrifices and dividing them, the covenant is very much one-sided—God is the only one that can break the covenant and be punished for doing so.[12] The smoking fire pot and flaming torch is sometimes thought to also be part of a Mesopotamian ritual to ward off evil. But throughout the Scriptures, the presence of smoke and fire is commonly used to speak of the close presence of God.[13] Abram had to wait for God to fulfill His covenant, but He could wait with hope. Abram “believed the LORD, and He counted it to him as righteousness.”


As for the people who were in the land of Canaan that God promised to give to Abram and his offspring? Caleb, of the tribe of Judah, was also a Kenizzite. The chronology of Judah, in I Chronicles 2 and 4, is a bit confusing. No father is given for Caleb in I Chronicles 4, while in I Chronicles 2 Hezron has three children, Jerahmeel, Ram and Chelubai but later Caleb is also named as a son of Hezron. It is possible that Caleb joined with Judah as part of the mixed multitude that left Egypt and was incorporated into the family. And yet he was chosen to represent Judah even while Nahshon may have been the more natural choice.[14] Nahshon was called the “prince of the sons of Judah.” Instead, it was a Kenizzite, one of those who would be dispossessed who followed God and possessed part of the land as a clan within Judah.


As for Nahshon, his daughter-in-law was Rahab. Rahab was likely an Amorite but she joined Israel, specifically Judah, where she became incredibly important in her own right as the great-great-grandmother of King David and foremother of the Messiah.[15] Yael, the Kenite, saved Israel from Sisera and Jabin when they were oppressed.[16] David bought a threshing floor from Aravnah, a Jebusite—not just any Jebusite but a king in his own rights—where the Temple would later be built.[17] Urriah the Hittite was faithful to David (even though David was not faithful towards Urriah). As the Bible shows from Cain to the Church today, God continuously shows mercy to His enemies. 


Psalm 33. This is a psalm of praise for God’s faithful care and for the joy of trusting in God. The Creator of the world also maintains it, and, in contrast to him, all human power pales in significance. The psalm is incorporated into the morning service of Sabbath and the festivals (JSB).

Stanza 1[18]

vv. 1–3: A call to praise. This psalm presents as a hymn, with a collective and choral setting, so the thanksgiving is not individual, but national and global. The first three verses suggest public performance with orchestra and chorus. Verse 3b calls the orchestra to play the music well, that is, skillfully.

vv. 4–5: After the call to praise, the psalmist now gives a series of reasons why the Lord is worthy of praise. Literally, verse 5 describes YHWH as: “loving righteousness and justice”—what an amazing expression of his nature! The verses argue that the world was created on the principles of righteousness, justice and hesed! What a contrast to so many modern arguments! Verses 4, 6: his work and his word made the heavens, referring back to Genesis 1:1 and Day 2 (Gen 1:6–8) and the host of the stars on Day 4 (Gen 1:14–19; and 2:1)

vv. 6–7: “[He] gathers like a pile the waters of the sea.” Some prefer to emend נֵד (ned, “heap, pile”; cf. NASB) to נֹד (nod, “bottle”; cf. NRSV; NIV “into jars”), but “pile” is used elsewhere to describe water that the LORD confines to one place (Exod 15:8; Josh 3:13, 16; Ps 78:13). This verse appears to refer to Genesis 1:9, where God decrees that the watery deep be gathered to one place so that dry land might appear. If so, the participles in this and the following line depict this action with special vividness, as if the readers were present on the occasion. Another option is that the participles picture the confinement of the sea to one place as an ongoing divine activity (NET, note 11). The word in 7b for oceans is the same word as in Gen 1:2b “the deep” or abyss (tehōm). Verse 7 is a double pun, picking up day 3 of creation and also Exodus 15.8 in the exodus, that the reed sea “streams stood up as a mound.” The phrase “the breath of his mouth,” is a parallel to “the word of the Lord,” but also picks up the use of “breath” (ruach) in Genesis 1:2 and in 1:27.

Stanza 2

vv. 8–9: No comment.

vv. 10–12: Verse 12 literally: “O the blessednesses/happinesses of the nation whose God is YHWH; the people he chose for an inheritance for him.” What an amazing expression! It states Israel’s special relationship as a nation with YHWH. The blessedness it refers to comes from God-given security and prosperity (NET, note 19). Verses 10–11: The Lord thwarts the counsel of nations, but his counsel stands forever.

vv. 13–15: Verse 15, literally, “the one forming together their heart.” Heart refers to human nature, but “together” is not so clear, maybe meaning the Lord forms every human person. The whole verse says he forms every heart, and he knows all their actions! These verses are not national, as above, but globalist and universal (Alter).

Stanza 3

vv. 16–17: Humans amass vast armies and warriors built up great strength. How this contrasts with the Lord in the previous verses, who brought about creation and salvation by the word of his mouth! Verse 17 literally says, “a lie [is] the horse for victory/salvation.” Even in the greatness of its strength, the horse will not be able to deliver! Trusting in human weapons for salvation will always disappoint!

vv. 18–19: Notice the broad terms here, “those who fear him” and “those who wait for him.”

vv. 20–22: Literally, “our nephesh,” meaning soul, life-breath, our very selves (Alter). YHWH is described as “our help and our shield.” The word for “help” (ēzer) is the same as used of the woman for the man in Eden (Gen 2:18).

Psalm 33.[19] The Psalm does not start with the many things God has done but rather simply states that the correct thing for us to do is praise, give thanks, and sing a new song to God. Only afterwards does it start to relay the reasons we are to sing a new song. 


“Sing to Him a new song” does not mean we have to sit down and write out a new melody, harmonies, and lyrics each day. Nor does it mean that we can’t sing the hymns, psalms, and worship songs that are so precious to us.[20] Indeed, although God was merciful to us yesterday, last week, and the decade before, the mercies of God are new every morning. 


Psalm 33 reminds the worshipper that the whole earth receives the goodness of God, not just the land or people of Israel. The greatness of God is expressed in all the wonder of His creation. Paul alludes to this in Romans 1:20 when he says, “For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.” The mystery and majesty of creation is as obvious to Gentiles as it is to the Jewish people. 


God has chosen a nation as His heritage and if He is their God and they are His people they are truly blessed. But God’s righteousness, justice, and His creative power is over all nations. All the earth should fear God. And not only the nations, but the hearts of all men, for He “sees all the children of man” and “the eye of the LORD is on those who fear Him”. 


And so, while the prophets often focus on the necessity of Israel to fear and obey God (along with His chastisement against them when they fail to do so), Psalm 33:6-19 is a reminder that God is a judge beyond the borders of Israel. There is a clear reference back to Genesis 1 in Psalm 33:6-7 but the specific words the author chose is much closer to Exodus 15:8, “At the blast of your nostrils the waters piled up; the flood stood up in a heap; the deeps congealed in the heart of the sea.” All the might of Egypt—the king, the horsemen, the chariots, and the army—could not stand against God when they chose to fight against Him and His people.


Many of the Psalms (and all Hebraic parables) aren’t only for Israel but open to any who hear. God is the creator of all and, as we remember God’s constant provision of food through the earth, He blesses all with rain and all that gives life. Beyond even that, God’s desire to redeem, as shown in His historical activity (though much of it is in and through Israel), isn’t limited to Israel. God is intimately involved with people at the individual level as well as with creation and nations. So let us sing a new song every morning as His steadfast love is on us.


Psalm 33.[21] The Psalm does not start with the many things God has done but rather simply states that the correct thing for us to do is praise, give thanks, and sing a new song to God. Only afterwards does it start to relay the reasons we are to sing a new song. “Sing to Him a new song” does not mean we have to sit down and write out a new melody, harmonies, and lyrics each day. Nor does it mean that we can’t sing the hymns, psalms, and worship songs that are so precious to us.[22] Indeed, although God was merciful to us yesterday, last week, and the decade before, the mercies of God are new every morning. 


Psalm 33 reminds the worshipper that the whole earth receives the goodness of God, not just the land or people of Israel. The greatness of God is expressed in all the wonder of His creation. Paul alludes to this in Romans 1:20 when he says, “For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.” The mystery and majesty of creation is as obvious to Gentiles as it is to the Jewish people. 


God has chosen a nation as His heritage and if He is their God and they are His people they are truly blessed. But God’s righteousness, justice, and His creative power is over all nations. All the earth should fear God. And not only the nations, but the hearts of all men, for He “sees all the children of man” and “the eye of the LORD is on those who fear Him”.[23] God is intimately involved with people at the individual level as well as with creation and nations. So let us sing a new song every morning as His steadfast love is on us.


Bibliography

  • JSB: Berlin, Adele, Brettler, Marc Z., & Fishbane, Michael A. (Eds.). (2004). The Jewish Study Bible: Jewish Publication Society Tanakh Translation. Oxford University Press.
  • Alter: The Hebrew Bible: A Translation with Commentary (3 vols): Robert Alter
  • NET: The NET Bible: Translation and Notes


About the RCL author. The Rev. Aaron Eime is a deacon at Christ Church Jerusalem and a teacher for CMJ Israel. Aaron studied in the master’s program at Hebrew University with a focus on early Jewish and Christian interpretation of the Bible. He also studied psychology and sociology at Queensland University in Australia. Aaron is a dedicated Bible teacher exploring the Hebraic roots of the Christian faith. He reads Aramaic and ancient Greek and is fluent in German and Hebrew. He has taught internationally, including in Europe, North America, Hong Kong, and China. He lives in Jerusalem with his wife and three children.

About the ACNA author. Dr Paul Hocking has had a varied career in education, leadership and management development, planting and pastoring of a social-enterprise church, supporting the leadership of many churches and Christian charities under the auspices of Evangelical Alliance Wales, and directing the Cymru Institute for Contemporary Christianity (2010-2019). He has qualifications in Microbiology, Public Health and Action Research, and a PhD on the Hebrew Bible focusing on the composition of the book of Leviticus. He has publications in health services management and the Hebrew Bible, including two papers for CMJ on the Decalogue and Leviticus. Paul is married with two adult children.

Endnotes

[1] RCL alternative readings: Isaiah 1:1, 10-20; Psalm 50:1-8, 22-23

[2] NET Bible, Genesis 15, note 2.

[3] Robert Alter, The Hebrew Bible: A Translation with Commentary, (London: W.W. Norton, 2019).

[4] NET Bible. Genesis 15, note 20

[5] NET Bible. Genesis 15, note 22.

[6] NET Bible. Genesis 15, note 23.

[7] Mek. of Rabbi Ishmael, beshallah 7

[8] Berlin, Adele, Brettler, Marc Z., & Fishbane, Michael A. (Eds.). (2004). The Jewish Study Bible: Jewish Publication Society Tanakh Translation. (Oxford University Press), 35.

[9] ACNA includes Genesis 15:13-16

[10] See Hebraic Context

[11] Derech Eretz Zuta 1.18, a late tractate, went so far as to say that Eleazar was in the company of Enoch and Elijah in that he was translated to heaven without death.

[12] Jeremiah 34:17-22 shows what happens when people break their covenant.

[13] Exodus 13:21, 19:18, 40:34-38; Deuteronomy 4:11; II Chronicles 7:1-3; Isaiah 4:5

[14] Nahshon was the brother-in-law of Aaron according to Exodus 6:23. He also took the census of the tribe of Judah when God commanded it in Numbers 1:7 as he was the chief of Judah (Numbers 2:3; 10:14). Nahshon was the first to give an offering at the dedication of the altar of the tabernacle. Later tradition also states that he was the first one to step into the waters (Sotah 37a.3-4) and attribute parts of Psalm 69, written by David, to his great-great-great grandfather Nahshon. 

[15] Matthew 1:5

[16] Judges 4:11-24

[17] Aravnah is a title “lord” in Hurrian rather than a name. II Samuel 24:23 can also be translated, “All this Aravnah, the king, gave to the king.”

[18] Following the Stanza structure (and Strophe sub-structure) according to Fokkelman (reference above). I have shown the Strophes, even if there is no comment.

[19] Psalm 33 is one of 34 Psalms that do not bear a title or superscription in the Hebrew, although many of these do start with hallelujah as a prelude to the rest of the Psalm. The Septuagint attributes Psalm 33 to David (as only 17 Psalms are without superscription in the LXX). 

[20] When we pray the Lord’s Prayer, we never pray the same prayer we prayed the day or week before but rather we pray it completely anew. Just as when we tell our loved ones that we do, in fact, love them we are not repeating something old but declaring something new. Reading Psalm 23 or singing Amazing Grace should remind me of God’s amazing providence, grace, and mercy and, as I direct my adoration towards God in response, it is a new song.

[21] Psalm 33 is one of 34 Psalms that do not bear a title or superscription in the Hebrew, although many of these do start with hallelujah as a prelude to the rest of the Psalm. The Septuagint attributes Psalm 33 to David (as only 17 Psalms are without superscription in the LXX). 

[22] When we pray the Lord’s Prayer, we never pray the same prayer we prayed the day or week before but rather we pray it completely anew. Just as when we tell our loved ones that we do, in fact, love them we are not repeating something old but declaring something new. Reading Psalm 23 or singing Amazing Grace should remind me of God’s amazing providence, grace, and mercy and, as I direct my adoration towards God in response, it is a new song.

[23] Many of the Psalms (and all Hebraic parables) aren’t only for Israel but open to any who hear. God is the creator of all and, as we remember God’s constant provision of food through the earth, He blesses all with rain and all that gives life. Beyond even that, God’s desire to redeem, as shown in His historical activity (though much of it is in and through Israel), isn’t limited to Israel.