Psalm 9 - Suffer with all your powers

AELW 10:91-92

"Confess is a single word in Hebrew that among Hebrews means as much as all these among us: praise, give thanks, recompense and acknowledge a benefit received. From this word comes “Judah” and “Jew,” that is, such a confessor or praiser or acknowledger of the blessings of God. And of such “Jews” “Jesus of Nazareth” is king (John 19:19 f.), leading them in His title of glory.

Some people confess with their lips only. They are the ones who say one thing in the heart and another with the mouth, like the sinner who has evil intentions and sings to God nevertheless. Concerning them Ps. 78:36–37 says: “They lied to Him with their tongue, but their heart was not right before Him.” Others confess with their heart, but not with the whole heart. These are the ones who confess with half a heart and do not do, or do sluggishly, what they say and understand. But those confess with the whole heart who are ready to do and suffer with all their powers, just as it is in their hearts."

Psalm 8 - Strength destroyed by weakness

AELW 10:89

"Who ever heard of strength being destroyed by weakness? Who has seen glory crushed by shame and not rather by greater glory? But this is what Christ did. In lowliness, weakness, and shame He stripped the whole world of its strength, honor, and glory, and altogether annihilated it and transferred it to Himself "

Psalm 8 - Raining the saving rain of the Word

AELW 10:88

"Heavens (v. 3) is the name here given to the apostles, the preachers of a new and heavenly law, because they preach heavenly things and things that come down from above. Therefore Bernard, On Canticles, sermon 27, says: “The church has her own ‘heavens,’ spiritual men, outstanding in life and judgment, pure in faith, strong in hope, broad in charity, elevated in contemplation. And these, raining the saving rain of the Word, thunder with rebukes, flash with miracles, proclaim the glory of God. They are stretched like tents over the whole earth.” And the apostle agrees, saying (1 Cor. 15:49): “If we have borne the image of the earthly, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly.” Therefore he says: When I see, that is, “believe” and “approve,” I will not be envious like “the avenger” and “the enemy” (v. 2). And, in my opinion, this is the meaning, that after the avenger and his law have been destroyed, a new law and “the heavens,” its proclaimers, are to be received. He will achieve this destruction not by [riotous] force, but by the humility of his people, that is, by the preaching of the humble and the evangelization of the poor"

Psalm 7 - Life on earth, Life in Heaven.

AELW 10:84

"Life on the earth is the substance of this world by means of which bodily life is preserved. And the life in heaven is the Word of God and grace, by means of which the life of the spirit is preserved."

Psalm 7 - Those who are friends only to friends are confused.

AELW 10:83

"[it] is not enough before God, that someone does good only to the good and to friends, unless he is roundly and completely the same person to all the good and evil, to friends and enemies. For this is the Christian religion, to be just to all without a selection according to the person and physical partiality. Just as the fig tree produces figs, whether it stands among thorns or among roses, so it is with the vine (cf. James 3:12). “A sound tree cannot bear evil fruit” (Matt. 7:18). But those who are friends only to their friends are confused. Concerning them the Lord says (Matt. 7:16): “Are figs gathered from thistles?” Thus they do not gather thorns from fig trees, because they are thorny to enemies, but gentle to friends."

Psalm 6 - Rebuked in mercy

AELW 10:81-82

"Now draw together the weight of feelings in this psalm, and you will see that it cannot be heard without many tears. (1) Everyone who has been rebuked is afraid that the wrath of God is upon him. This fear makes him very uneasy and seems long, and therefore he prays “not to be rebuked in anger,” but in mercy, that is, that this very thing that was mentioned be done to him. (2) He is afraid he will be chastised without fruit while there is only wrath. Therefore he sighs the same prayer because of these two, for it is hard to be struck by one who is angry and to be struck only in a punitive way without constructive result. (3) He is “weak” and unable to withstand or repel these. (4) He cannot easily bear it. And these again are two burdens, namely, that he cannot escape them, and yet cannot bear them either. Therefore he calls himself “weak” and says that his “bones are troubled.” (5) His soul is not only “troubled” because of these, something that happens with all of them, but it is by itself troubled also through its own suffering, and that exceedingly. (6) This fear and excessive trembling seems endless to everyone who experiences it. Therefore he says, “How long?” This delay is an intensification of all those other woes. (7) He says “Turn” because the Lord’s being turned away is cause for weeping. (8) So that the “mercy” of God may not be lost but be glorified, there is here again another kind of feeling of love to God and of worship. (9) “For in death there is no one who remembers Thee,” that is, “who will promote Thy fame before others.” (10) “In Sheol there is no one to confess,” even if he were to “remember Him,” but rather he utters curses. This is a remarkable verse, that the saints dread blasphemy of God more than hell. Thus someone prayed that if he were damned, he would nevertheless praise and glorify God. Therefore he does not say here, “Lest I be in hell,” but, “Lest there be no remembrance of Him,” which is what happens in hell. And not for this reason, that it is hell, does he pray that he may not come to hell, but for the reason that there is no praise of God there. Therefore he prays that his body may be saved from death and his soul from hell. (11) “He has toiled in his groaning” in a singular way. (12) “He washes his bed every night, etc.” (13) He “waters his couch with his own tears.” (14) He abhors his sins [because those which agitate him are great] with a holy and intensive “rage.” (15) All afflict him, and he is alone among them all."

Psalm 5 - God shows no partiality

AELW 10:76

"[verse] 4. For Thou art not a God who delights in wickedness, that is, in an esteeming of persons. It is as if he were saying: “My salvation is in faith and grace, and not in the Law or physical descent.” Otherwise God would be unjust, one who would receive all who are children of Abraham after the flesh and his heirs, even though many among them are ungodly and evil; therefore, to choose and receive them thus without distinction [without discrimination] would be a manifest injustice. But now the Lord “comes to judge the earth” (Ps. 98:9; 1 Chron. 16:33), and He rules in judgment, because He receives neither according to the flesh nor according to the person. But “he who believes will be saved” (Mark 16:16). Therefore Peter says, Acts 10:34: “Truly I perceive that God shows no partiality.”

Psalm 4 - A psalm for the end, a psalm for victory, a psalm for invitation.

AELW 10:45

"because he [King David] is so certain, he does not say “invitation” (which can fail with many), but “victory,” as if to say: “This psalm is so efficacious a stimulus that it makes him so sharp that he will without a doubt achieve the victory.” For that reason it was rightly made “for victory,” as if in a war the soldiers were animated with so much ardor that victory might without a doubt be taken as a foregone conclusion. Hence it can be said: This drum is not simply a stimulus, but it is efficacious and perfect; it causes the accomplishment of that to which it incites and the achievement of the goal. For the same reason some read “for the end,” namely, what is intended by the stimulus, and the end must be pre-understood or be in view at the same time, so that in one statement all three are understood: לַמְנַצֵּחַ, the invitation [effectively inviting] to the victory and the intended goal, as if to say: “He invites in such a way that its goal will not be left unattained.” Therefore it is an invitation “for the end” and the intended “victory,” that is, efficacious and relevant and bringing about the attainment of the goal. Therefore all of these expressions make good sense: “A psalm for the end,” “a psalm for victory,” “a psalm for invitation.” Hence the psalm says the same things."

Psalm 4 - Excursus

Psalm 4 is one of my favorites, I use it quite often in visits to the homebound and those who are near to death in this world, near to life eternal.

I especially like the versified version as authored by Henry V. Gerike. That version can be purchased through Concordia Publishing House.

I know it is pricey, but included in this CD is 27 Psalms with wonderful settings which you can cut and paste or print out for bulletins.

Personally, I have printed out the text for Gerike's Psalm 4 and put it in the back cover of my Pastoral Care Companion. I found great comfort in singing this to my father in his last breaths, as well as sharing this with many others.

I pray you will find comfort in the words of this Psalm and from Christ to which all scripture points...

Psalm 2 - The Rod of Iron...The Gospel that puts the mis-shapen in order

"Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron;

thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel." Psalm 2:9

AELW 10:35-36

"Rod of iron is the holy Gospel, in which Christ's royal scepter in His church and kingdom and which Esther kisses in devout faith (Esther 5:2). It is called a "rod" because it directs, convicts, reproves, and upholds, etc. But it is called a rod "of iron" for a threefold reason.

The first is that it is hard and opposed to the flesh, since it points to the cross and martyrdom according to the flesh, to "beak it to pieces like a potter's vessel," namely, poverty, humility, and patience, which are three horns of the cross against greed, the lust of the eyes, against the pride of life, against sensual pleasure and lust of the flesh (1 John 2:16)

...The second reason is that it is inflexible and of an invincible straightness.

...The third reason is that , like iron, it crushes and crumbles, subdues and shapes everything, as Dan. 2:40 tells us. So the Gospel puts the misshapen in order, that is, it disciplines the undisciplined, it crushes the great(that is, it humbles the proud) [It bends what stands erect, that is, it puts down the puffed up], it smoothes the rough places (that is, it calms down the angry), it lengthens the short (that is, it banishes sloth), etc.

Valuable obedience is hidden

AELW 10:16-17

"God does not want sacrifice but obedience (1 Sam. 15:22) He does not care about our great works, because He Himself can do greater works. All He asks for is obedience. So also Saul spared the fat cattle and the exceedingly fat Agag (! Sam. 15:9). Many people imitate this and at times perform great and useful works according to their own idea but meanwhile neglect to do anything lowly that is commanded. Yet in that lowliness the most valuable obedience is hidden, just a the vilest kind of disobedience is concealed in that valuable usefulness. Like a treasure hidden in a field (Matt. 13:44), so is the value of obedience to a worthless and contemptible command. Again, like the bones of the dead and the whole filth in a tomb whitewashed on the outside, so is disobedience most foul in a great and notable work (Matt 23:27). Therefore hear the command and teaching of the Holy Spirit: "But his delight is in the law of the Lord (namely, the law of the superior), etc."

Blessed is the Man

AELW 10:11

"The first psalm speaks literally concerning Christ thus:

1. Blessed is the man. He is the only blessed One and the only Man from whose fullness they have all received (John 1:16) that they might be blessed and men and everything that follows in this psalm. He is “the firstborn among many brethren” (Rom. 8:29), “the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep” (1 Cor. 15:20), so that He might also be the firstfruits of those who are awake, namely, in the Spirit. For it is also written in the roll of this book concerning Him, to do the will of God (Ps. 40:8). He is a “man” in a threefold sense: first, because He is a man of manly virtue; second, because He is not a boy to be educated but is manly in grace; third, because He has a bride. This is the Man whom a woman has embraced, because as a bridegroom He went forth not only after but also from His chamber (cf. Ps. 19:6), having His own bride from the beginning."

Luther's lectures - The sensus principalis is Christ

AELW 10:xi - xii

"In general, Luther here still follows the traditional manner of his day, presenting a fourfold interpretation of a passage and labeling these interpretations as literal (or historical), allegorical, tropological, or anagogical, but in the printed preface to the Biblical text he announces from the very beginning that all prophecy and every prophet should be interpreted as speaking of Jesus Christ, “unless it is evident in clear words that the reference is to someone else.” Yet after this identification of the prophetic meaning of the Psalter, Luther is not averse to adding extended applications of the meaning according to the fourfold pattern of scholastic hermeneutics. His interpretations are, however, all under the control of his basic rule that none of them may come forward with anything that is not elsewhere expressly stated. “Otherwise Scripture would become a mockery.” Christ is in all interpretations the beginning. Thus whenever Luther makes use of the fourfold interpretation in these Dictata super Psalterium, he sees to it that it is under the guidance of the sensus principalis, which is Christ. This unity prompts him to say: “In this way all four interpretations of Scripture come together to one magnificent stream.” In fact, he can lump all four under a single heading: “All of these are Christ at the same time."

Lectures on Psalms - Luther in the margins

AELW 10:ix

"On October 22, 1512, the new doctor was with appropriate ceremony received as a colleague by the faculty senate and apparently immediately began his preparations for lectures on the Psalms.

These preparations included providing the Latin text of the Vulgate for the convenience of the students. Accordingly, Luther contracted with Johann Grunenberg to print, in a special edition with wide margins and generous interlinear spaces, the Latin text of the Psalter together with appropriate headings and short summaries of the contents of the individual psalms. Into the white space of one of these printed copies Luther then wrote his own interlinear and marginal notes, copied perhaps from slips of paper used during his preparation. These notes are the so-called glosses—brief explanations, mostly of a grammatical and philological nature, of individual words and phrases of the Biblical text. The students were expected to enter into their own, identical copies of the Psalter what Luther dictated from his. This was the normal way to begin such lectures. The glosses would then be followed by the so-called scholia—a wider interpretation of as many phrases or statements of the text as the lecturer chose, touching theological concepts and questions near and far and providing a wide range of support from Scripture generally and from the works of previous recognized interpreters. Again Luther had carefully written out his scholia in complete sentences, but in the lecture hall he may have spoken freely on the basis of his written plans, adding new ideas that came to mind and deleting whatever by that time may have seemed less appropriate."