A Great Word.
So, recently I have discovered the beauty of online Bible commentaries. To some that may sound extremely lame & dull. But they really aren't! Especially to me.......I am majoring in BIBLE for Heaven's sake! :) Hahaha, anyway, I wanted to share a few ones that have meant a lot to me lately. I have been reading through the beginning of the Psalms this week in Pinelake's L3 journal (formerly the Life Journal, but now more "streamlined" for lack of a better term.
Backstory....I used to read the Psalms all the time. In fact, that used to be the only thing I would read from the Bible on my own. I think they are a great place to start, but when I first started reading I did not "dig deeper" as I have now come to call my Bible reading times. I just read & said things like, "pretty verse" or whatever. Very, very surface level...which is where one usually starts when reading the Word.
So, as I have been reading this week, and trying to dig, I looked for Bible commentaries online, and I was like, "YAY!", because it really does excite me, Hahaha. So here are a few websites I've found that are good:
Classic Bible Commentaries (Includes Matthew Henry, Spurgeon, Wesley, etc)
And here are the ones that I really dug into the word with this week:
First of all, Psalm 1, verse 6.
"...For the LORD knows the way of the righteous,
but the way of the wicked will perish."
Matthew Henry's Commentary says this:
"the LORD knows the way of the righteous."
That word knows denotes, according to Matthew Henry, "He [the LORD] chose them into it (not predestination, just that the LORD knows--just because God knows it doesn't mean he makes it happen...see next part of quote:), inclined them to choose it (see, it's a choice to be in a relationship, not a force), leads and guides them in it, and orders all their steps."
I thought that was really cool. The LORD knows the way because He is the way (cf. John 14:6). He orders the steps, even if we plan our way (cf. Proverbs 16:9).
Next, Psalm 2, verse 12 (the last phrase).
"...Blessed are all who take refuge in Him (trust in Him)."
Again in Matthew Henry's Commentary, it says:
"Blessed are all they that put their trust in Him."
"...Not in horses and chariots, in riches and honours, in their own wisdom, strength, and righteousness; but in the Son of God, the Lord Jesus Christ, and who is truly and properly God; or otherwise faith and trust would not be required to be put in him: and happy are those who betake themselves to him as to their strong hold and place of defence; who look to him and believe in him for pardon, peace, righteousness, every supply of grace and eternal life; these are safe and secure in him, nor shall they want any good thing needful for them; and they have much peace, joy, and comfort here, and shall have more grace as they want it, and hereafter eternal glory and happiness."
Beautiful, eh? A Great Word indeed.
Finally, Psalm 10, verse 1.
"Why, O LORD, do you stand far away?
Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble?"
Spurgeon says this:
The presence of God is the joy of his people, but any suspicion of his absence is distracting beyond measure. Let us, then, ever remember that the Lord is nigh [near] us. The refiner is never far from the mouth of the furnace when his gold is in the fire, and the Son of God is always walking in the midst of the flames when his holy children are cast into them....If we were carried in the arms of God over every stream, where would be the trial, and where the experience, which trouble is meant to teach us?
All great, great words. Written long ago, but still completely applicable. I hope you will make commentaries a top tool in your Bible study time. They are truly worth digging into! :)
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