PSALM 81
OH, THAT MY PEOPLE WOULD LISTEN TO ME
This psalm calls for the Israelites to praise God with trumpets, harps, and tambourines! They know that God is worth praising for all He has done for Israel. In the second half of the psalm, God warns His people to follow Him and keep their covenant.
Psalm 81:1-2 - Sing aloud to God our strength; shout for joy to the God of Jacob! Raise a song; sound the tambourine, the sweet lyre with the harp.
PSALM 82
RESCUE THE WEAK AND NEEDY
This short psalm calls upon God, asking Him to be the judge of humanity. Earthly leaders and false gods are powerless and ignorant compared to God. The psalmist knows that God will ultimately reign over everything.
Psalm 82:4 - Rescue the weak and the needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked.
PSALM 83
O GOD, DO NOT KEEP SILENCE
The psalmist cries out to God in anguish over the many enemies of Israel, asking God to defeat them and turn them into dust. Although God has been sovereign over Israel, the Israelites have been attacked by many opposing nations. This psalm is a reminder that God’s people do not always lead easier lives with less hardship.
Psalm 83:18 - …that they may know that you alone, whose name is the Lord, are the Most High over all the earth.
PSALM 84
MY SOUL LONGS FOR THE COURTS OF THE LORD
This psalm describes longing for being in God’s dwelling place, claiming that one day in God’s court is better than a thousand elsewhere. The author writes that no good thing is withheld from those who are righteous and upright. This psalmist shows confidence in God’s presence as the greatest source of joy!
Psalm 84:2 - My soul longs, yes, faints for the courts of the Lord; my heart and flesh sing for joy to the living God.
PSALM 85
REVIVE US AGAIN
The Israelites praise God for the land He has provided them and ask God to continue His faithfulness. They ask God to restore them, acknowledging that they are the ones in need of change, not God.
Psalm 85:7 - Show us your steadfast love, O Lord, and grant us your salvation.
PSALM 86
GREAT IS YOUR STEADFAST LOVE
David prays, asking God to hear and answer him. David petitions God to preserve his life and gladden his soul. Knowing his life has been spared by God’s goodness and forgiveness, David remains dependent on God. He desires to be obedient and asks God to teach him to walk in truth.
Psalm 86:11 - Teach me your way, O Lord, that I may walk in your truth; unite my heart to fear your name.
PSALM 87
GLORIOUS THINGS ARE SAID ABOUT YOU
This psalm speaks of the glory of God’s presence, while also celebrating the honor and significance of Jerusalem as the city of God's foundation. Singers and dancers alike point to God as the source of beauty and creativity.
Psalm 87:1 - On the holy mount stands the city He founded.
PSALM 88
I CRY OUT DAY AND NIGHT BEFORE YOU
As an example of bringing despair and depression before God, the author of this psalm believes he is as good as dead. The author both refers to God as his salvation and also blames God for his misfortune. This psalm highlights the internal struggle of viewing God as both merciful and vengeful when evaluating one’s own circumstances.
The author questions God, asking if steadfast love is declared in the grave. What the author doesn’t know at this time is that God does work wonders in the grave, and His steadfast love would later be declared in the empty grave of Christ.
Psalm 88:10 - Do you work wonders for the dead? Do the departed rise up to praise you?
PSALM 89
I WILL SING OF THE STEADFAST LOVE OF THE LORD
The author praises God for establishing David and his kingdom, emphasizing God's faithfulness and eternal promises to David's lineage and the hope of a future king. This psalm reflects upon the brevity of human life in contrast with the eternal nature of God.
Psalm 89:29 - I will establish his offspring forever and his throne as the days of the heavens.
PSALM 90
FROM EVERLASTING TO EVERLASTING
Moses reflects on the faithfulness and power God has displayed throughout his life. Moses refers to God as the dwelling place of generations, showing how both God has drawn near to Moses, and Moses has drawn near to God. Moses recalls God sweeping away their enemies in a flood, possibly a reminder of the Egyptians drowning in the Red Sea in Exodus 14.
Considering God’s mercy and forgiveness, Moses writes that the iniquities of the Israelites are set out before God and their secret sins are in the light of God’s presence. Despite knowing the severity of their sinfulness, God pursues the Israelite people. Moses asks God for discernment and a heart of wisdom. Knowing that the Israelites would have many challenging years of suffering, Moses asked God to make them glad for as many days as they were afflicted.
Psalm 90:12 - So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom.
PSALM 91
MY REFUGE AND MY FORTRESS
The author of this psalm praises God for His protection, referring to Him as a refuge and fortress. This psalm acknowledges present troubles while remaining hopeful for future victory.
In Genesis 3:15, God promises that although the enemy will strike our heel, his head will eventually be crushed. This verse is speaking of Jesus as the one who will crush the enemy’s head and His ultimate victory over sin and death. Psalm 91:13 is a reminder of this, saying the serpent will be trampled underfoot.
Psalm 91:9-10 - Because you have made the Lord your dwelling place— the Most High, who is my refuge - no evil shall be allowed to befall you, no plague come near your tent.
PSALM 92
HOW GREAT ARE YOUR WORKS
This psalm was written for the Sabbath, reminding the Israelites to observe this day in honor of God. It contains great advice for the Sabbath day, telling the Israelites to praise God and give thanks, declaring God’s love in the morning and His faithfulness at night.
This psalm offers encouragement to the righteous, saying they will flourish like a palm tree and continue to be fruitful in old age. The author believes our lives are best spent praising God.
Psalm 92:4 - For you, O Lord, have made me glad by your work; at the works of your hands I sing for joy.
PSALM 93
THE LORD REIGNS
This psalm is a declaration of God’s kingship, saying the Lord reigns throned in majesty! He is mightier than all the obstacles and opposition of the Israelites. God’s decrees are trustworthy, and His house is holy.
Psalm 93:4 - Mightier than the thunders of many waters, mightier than the waves of the sea, the Lord on high is mighty!
PSALM 94
THE LORD WILL NOT FORSAKE HIS PEOPLE
This anonymous psalm calls upon God’s wrath and judgment for those who are wicked. This psalmist prays for God’s vengeance upon those who have been evil towards God’s people.
Although this psalm portrays God’s intense judgement, it also notes that those who are disciplined by God are blessed. The author points out that God’s wrath is for those who are evil, while His corrective discipline is for the benefit of His people. God amends the ways of those He loves but rebukes and punishes those who oppose Him.
Psalm 94:15 - For the LORD will not forsake his people; for justice will return to the righteous, and all the upright in heart will follow it.
PSALM 95
LET US SING SONGS OF PRAISE
This anonymous psalm of praise calls believers to make a joyful noise to God in response to His salvation. God is praised for His vast creation; the depths and heights of the world fit within His hands.
This psalm serves as a warning against hardened hearts that ignore the voice of God. Those who are attentive to God’s voice will enter into the rest and peace that He offers.
Psalm 95:3 - For the Lord is a great God, and a great King above all gods.
PSALM 96
WORSHIP IN THE SPLENDOR OF HOLINESS
This psalm is one of praise, honoring God’s creation and rule over earth. Recognizing that all other gods are worthless idols, this psalm declares that God alone is worthy of worship. Strength and beauty are found in God’s sanctuary.
Psalm 96:11 - Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice; let the sea roar, and all that fills it;
PSALM 97
LET THE EARTH REJOICE
This psalm rejoices in God’s ultimate authority and His endless reign. Because God’s throne is made of justice and righteousness, we can rejoice in His kingship! This psalm warns of the consequences of idol worship and says that all worshippers of worthless idols or images are put to shame. The author of this psalm calls the people who love God to also hate evil.
Psalm 97:2 - Clouds and thick darkness are all around him; righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne.
PSALM 98
MAKE A JOYFUL NOISE TO THE LORD
This anonymous psalm is one of praise, calling God’s people to sing and play instruments to praise God. Not only are God’s people called to sing a new song to God using trumpets and lyres, but the psalmist declares that God’s creation will also praise Him—the seas will roar, the rivers will clap, and the hills will sing with joy before the Lord. All the Earth will rejoice in God’s goodness and salvation!
Psalm 98:4 - Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth; break forth into joyous song and sing praises!
PSALM 99
THE LORD OUR GOD IS HOLY
This psalm honors God as an exalted and holy King. The anonymous author recalls how God responded to Jacob, Moses, Aaron, and Samuel with forgiveness in the past, instilling faith in believers that God indeed responds to His people. The psalm also recalls how God spoke to the Israelites through a cloud in the wilderness, starting in Exodus 13. Not only does God draw near to His people, but God is also holy and worthy of our worship!
Psalm 99:7 - In the pillar of the cloud he spoke to them; they kept his testimonies and the statute that he gave them.
PSALM 100
HIS STEADFAST LOVE ENDURES FOREVER
This short psalm is one of thanksgiving, thanking God for His faithfulness to all generations. The psalmist encourages the reader to enter God’s gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise!
Psalm 100:5 - For the Lord is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations.