making the scriptures plain

Notes

Through His prophets, God unfolds the plan of salvation to mankind. He provided a living example in the Genesis story of Abraham preparing to sacrifice his son Isaac as a burnt offering. The Book of Numbers records an account of the miraculous healing of the children of Israel when they looked at the serpent of brass on the pole. It was God’s desire that both of these events would point people from the symbolic animal sacrifices to the greater Sacrifice who was to come.

But it is the Psalms that contain the clearest predictions in the Bible of the life and work of God our Saviour. Comparing them with Jesus’ life on earth, it is hard to understand why the people of His day failed to see Jesus of Nazareth as the Son of God and the Lamb that takest away the sins of the world.

Psalm 2 reveals to the world that God has a Son who will rule the earth. Psalm 16 speaks of the Father’s care for His Son, right there beside Him and not allowing His body to rot in the grave. The assurances and promises of the Father contained in such verses were a source of comfort and strength to Jesus as He studied the Scriptures and as He suffered His ordeal.

It is believed that Jesus recited the Twenty Second psalm on the cross, finishing with the words 'it is finished'. It is a song of agony, of the suffering that He willingly bore for our sakes, His hands and feet pierced by evil men. He becomes a reproach, despised and afflicted, exposed and vilified, the very clothes on His back stripped off Him and shared out. But in the midst of His agony He has a vision of the reason for it all. People coming back to God and worshipping Him. From now on the sin problem is completely settled. And God rules all nations in peace and harmony.

Can we see Jesus, the carpenter’s son, reading by an oil lamp in His simple home? Reading that the gates of heaven will rejoice when He ascends to heaven after His resurrection. Reading that none of His bones will be broken in the trial that is coming. Reading that He is written about in the Scriptures. Reading that He takes joy in doing His Father’s will, with His instructions written on His heart. Reading that His throne will endure forever and He is blessed and majestic, anointed by God.

The God turned Saviour that even the daughters of kings shall worship. The Bridegroom being presented with His beautiful bride, the ones redeemed by His blood. The people praising Him forever and ever.

For Jesus, who came to free the captives from sin, shall set up a kingdom, through David’s line, that shall last forever. All the nations shall be subject to Him. We will worship Him forever and call Him the Prince of Peace, He who first laid the foundations of the earth.

The oil lamp flickers and He must rest, to be ready for another day of toil in the carpentry workshop, until the appointed time shall come….

Thou art my Son

Psa.2.2 The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD, and against his anointed, saying,
Psa.2.3 Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us.
Psa.2.4 He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision.

Psa.2.5 Then shall he speak unto them in his wrath, and vex them in his sore displeasure.
Psa.2.6 Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion.
Psa.2.7 I will declare the decree: the LORD hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee.

Serve the LORD with fear

Psa.2.8 Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession.
Psa.2.9 Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel.
Psa.2.10 Be wise now therefore, O ye kings: be instructed, ye judges of the earth.
Psa.2.11 Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling.
Psa.2.12 Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that put their trust in him.

And on the third day, He rose

Psa.16.8 I have set the LORD always before me: because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.
Psa.16.9 Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth: my flesh also shall rest in hope.
Psa.16.10 For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.

Jesus' prayer on the cross

Psa.22.1 To the chief Musician upon Aijeleth Shahar, A Psalm of David. My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? why art thou so far from helping me, and from the words of my roaring?
Psa.22.2 O my God, I cry in the daytime, but thou hearest not; and in the night season, and am not silent.
Psa.22.3 But thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel.

Psa.22.4 Our fathers trusted in thee: they trusted, and thou didst deliver them.
Psa.22.5 They cried unto thee, and were delivered: they trusted in thee, and were not confounded.
Psa.22.6 But I am a worm, and no man; a reproach of men, and despised of the people.
Psa.22.7 All they that see me laugh me to scorn: they shoot out the lip, they shake the head, saying,
Psa.22.8 He trusted on the LORD that he would deliver him: let him deliver him, seeing he delighted in him.
Psa.22.9 But thou art he that took me out of the womb: thou didst make me hope when I was upon my mother's breasts.
Psa.22.10 I was cast upon thee from the womb: thou art my God from my mother's belly.

All the ends of the world shall remember and turn unto the LORD

Psa.22.23 Ye that fear the LORD, praise him; all ye the seed of Jacob, glorify him; and fear him, all ye the seed of Israel.
Psa.22.24 For he hath not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted; neither hath he hid his face from him; but when he cried unto him, he heard.
Psa.22.25 My praise shall be of thee in the great congregation: I will pay my vows before them that fear him.
Psa.22.26 The meek shall eat and be satisfied: they shall praise the LORD that seek him: your heart shall live for ever.
Psa.22.27 All the ends of the world shall remember and turn unto the LORD: and all the kindreds of the nations shall worship before thee.

The kingdom is the LORD'S

Psa.22.28 For the kingdom is the LORD'S: and he is the governor among the nations.
Psa.22.29 All they that be fat upon earth shall eat and worship: all they that go down to the dust shall bow before him: and none can keep alive his own soul.
Psa.22.30 A seed shall serve him; it shall be accounted to the Lord for a generation.
Psa.22.31 They shall come, and shall declare his righteousness unto a people that shall be born, that he hath done this.

The Ascension of Jesus

Psa.24.7 Lift up your heads, O ye gates; and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in.
Psa.24.8 Who is this King of glory? The LORD strong and mighty, the LORD mighty in battle.
Psa.24.9 Lift up your heads, O ye gates; even lift them up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in.
Psa.24.10 Who is this King of glory? The LORD of hosts, he is the King of glory. Selah.

It is written of me..... from the beginning

Psa.34.20 He keepeth all his bones: not one of them is broken.
Psa.40.6 Sacrifice and offering thou didst not desire; mine ears hast thou opened: burnt offering and sin offering hast thou not required.

Psa.45.1 To the chief Musician upon Shoshannim, for the sons of Korah, Maschil, A Song of loves. My heart is inditing a good matter: I speak of the things which I have made touching the king: my tongue is the pen of a ready writer.
Psa.40.7 Then said I, Lo, I come: in the volume of the book it is written of me,
Psa.40.8 I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart.
Psa.45.2 Thou art fairer than the children of men: grace is poured into thy lips: therefore God hath blessed thee for ever.
Psa.45.3 Gird thy sword upon thy thigh, O most mighty, with thy glory and thy majesty.

Thy throne, O God

Psa.45.4 And in thy majesty ride prosperously because of truth and meekness and righteousness; and thy right hand shall teach thee terrible things.
Psa.45.5 Thine arrows are sharp in the heart of the king's enemies; whereby the people fall under thee.
Psa.45.6 Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: the sceptre of thy kingdom is a right sceptre.
Psa.45.7 Thou lovest righteousness, and hatest wickedness: therefore God, thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows.
Psa.45.8 All thy garments smell of myrrh, and aloes, and cassia, out of the ivory palaces, whereby they have made thee glad.

Kings' daughters

Psa.45.9 Kings' daughters were among thy honourable women: upon thy right hand did stand the queen in gold of Ophir.
Psa.45.10 Hearken, O daughter, and consider, and incline thine ear; forget also thine own people, and thy father's house;
Psa.45.11 So shall the king greatly desire thy beauty: for he is thy Lord; and worship thou him.

The king's daughter is all glorious within

Psa.45.12 And the daughter of Tyre shall be there with a gift; even the rich among the people shall entreat thy favour.
Psa.45.13 The king's daughter is all glorious within: her clothing is of wrought gold.
Psa.45.14 She shall be brought unto the king in raiment of needlework: the virgins her companions that follow her shall be brought unto thee.

Psa.45.15 With gladness and rejoicing shall they be brought: they shall enter into the king's palace.

I will be exalted among the heathen

Psa.45.16 Instead of thy fathers shall be thy children, whom thou mayest make princes in all the earth.
Psa.45.17 I will make thy name to be remembered in all generations: therefore shall the people praise thee for ever and ever.
Psa.46.10 Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.

Jesus saves the Captives

Psa.50.7 Hear, O my people, and I will speak; O Israel, and I will testify against thee: I am God, even thy God.
Psa.68.18 Thou hast ascended on high, thou hast led captivity captive: thou hast received gifts for men; yea, for the rebellious also, that the LORD God might dwell among them.
Psa.69.9 For the zeal of thine house hath eaten me up; and the reproaches of them that reproached thee are fallen upon me.

Psa.69.21 They gave me also gall for my meat; and in my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.

As long as the sun and moon endure

Psa.72.1 A Psalm for Solomon. Give the king thy judgments, O God, and thy righteousness unto the king's son.

Psa.72.2 He shall judge thy people with righteousness, and thy poor with judgment.
Psa.72.3 The mountains shall bring peace to the people, and the little hills, by righteousness.
Psa.72.4 He shall judge the poor of the people, he shall save the children of the needy, and shall break in pieces the oppressor.
Psa.72.5 They shall fear thee as long as the sun and moon endure, throughout all generations.

Unto the ends of the earth

Psa.72.6 He shall come down like rain upon the mown grass: as showers that water the earth.
Psa.72.7 In his days shall the righteous flourish; and abundance of peace so long as the moon endureth.
Psa.72.8 He shall have dominion also from sea to sea, and from the river unto the ends of the earth.

Psa.72.9 They that dwell in the wilderness shall bow before him; and his enemies shall lick the dust.

Jesus the Prince of Peace

Psa.72.10 The kings of Tarshish and of the isles shall bring presents: the kings of Sheba and Seba shall offer gifts.
Psa.72.11 Yea, all kings shall fall down before him: all nations shall serve him.
Psa.72.12 For he shall deliver the needy when he crieth; the poor also, and him that hath no helper.
Psa.72.13 He shall spare the poor and needy, and shall save the souls of the needy.

All nations shall call him blessed

Psa.72.14 He shall redeem their soul from deceit and violence: and precious shall their blood be in his sight.
Psa.72.15 And he shall live, and to him shall be given of the gold of Sheba: prayer also shall be made for him continually; and daily shall he be praised.
Psa.72.16 There shall be an handful of corn in the earth upon the top of the mountains; the fruit thereof shall shake like Lebanon: and they of the city shall flourish like grass of the earth.
Psa.72.17 His name shall endure for ever: his name shall be continued as long as the sun: and men shall be blessed in him: all nations shall call him blessed.

Jesus kingdom is forever

Psa.81.10 I am the LORD thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt: open thy mouth wide, and I will fill it.
Psa.89.19 Then thou spakest in vision to thy holy one, and saidst, I have laid help upon one that is mighty; I have exalted one chosen out of the people.
Psa.89.27 Also I will make him my firstborn, higher than the kings of the earth.

His throne as the days of heaven

Psa.89.29 His seed also will I make to endure for ever, and his throne as the days of heaven.
Psa.89.36 His seed shall endure for ever, and his throne as the sun before me.
Psa.89.37 It shall be established for ever as the moon, and as a faithful witness in heaven. Selah.

He laid the Foundation of the Earth

Psa.102.25 Of old hast thou laid the foundation of the earth: and the heavens are the work of thy hands.
Psa.102.26 They shall perish, but thou shalt endure: yea, all of them shall wax old like a garment; as a vesture shalt thou change them, and they shall be changed:

Psa.102.27 But thou art the same, and thy years shall have no end.
Psa.110.1 A Psalm of David. The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool.
Psa.110.2 The LORD shall send the rod of thy strength out of Zion: rule thou in the midst of thine enemies.

Thou art a priest for ever

Psa.110.3 Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power, in the beauties of holiness from the womb of the morning: thou hast the dew of thy youth.
Psa.110.4 The LORD hath sworn, and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek.
Psa.110.5 The Lord at thy right hand shall strike through kings in the day of his wrath.

He shall fill the places with the dead bodies

Psa.110.6 He shall judge among the heathen, he shall fill the places with the dead bodies; he shall wound the heads over many countries.
Psa.110.7 He shall drink of the brook in the way: therefore shall he lift up the head.

Blessed be he that cometh in the name of the LORD

Psa.118.22 The stone which the builders refused is become the head stone of the corner.
Psa.118.26 Blessed be he that cometh in the name of the LORD: we have blessed you out of the house of the LORD.

I am the rose of Sharon

Song.2.1 I am the rose of Sharon, and the lily of the valleys.