Difference between revisions of "Sermon for July 22nd, 2018"

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==Psalm 117:1-2==
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==Psalm 117:1-2 (Neal's translation)==
 
<poem>
 
<poem>
1Praise the Lord, all you nations!
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1Praise Yahweh, all you gentiles
    Extol him, all you peoples!
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Glorify him, all you gods!
2 For great is his steadfast love toward us,
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2For great is his favor and
    and the faithfulness of the Lord endures forever.
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Forever his truth endures
Praise the Lord!
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Hallelujah!
 
</poem>
 
</poem>
  
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9. EVERYTHING MEN KNOW ABOUT WOMEN
 
9. EVERYTHING MEN KNOW ABOUT WOMEN
 
8. THE AMISH PHONE DIRECTORY
 
8. THE AMISH PHONE DIRECTORY
7. THE WALL I BUILT THAT MEXICO PAID FOR - by Donald J. Trump
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7. THE WALL I BUILT THAT MEXICO PAID FOR - by President Donald J. Trump
 
6. TO ALL THE MEN I'VE LOVED BEFORE - by Ellen DeGeneres
 
6. TO ALL THE MEN I'VE LOVED BEFORE - by Ellen DeGeneres
 
5. HOW TO SUSTAIN A MUSICAL CAREER - by Art Garfunkel
 
5. HOW TO SUSTAIN A MUSICAL CAREER - by Art Garfunkel
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</poem>
 
</poem>
  
 +
You'd think that since Psalm 117 is so short, there wouldn't be much to say about it.  But the great reformer Martin Luther loved this psalm so much he wrote a 38 page long commentary on it.  By contrast, John Calvin's commentary on Psalm 117 was just two pages.  Luckily for you, I'm a Calvinist, not a Lutheran.
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In Semitic languages, including Hebrew, Phoenician, Syriac and Arabic the fifth letter of the alphabet is the letter "he."  In its most ancient form, it was written as a hieroglyph shaped like a person with arms uplifted in praise.  The Hebrew word for praise is "Hallel" as in "Hallelujah" which literally means "Praise Jah (Yahweh)."
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In Jewish tradition, Psalm 117 is part of a series of six consecutive psalms called the "Hallel" Psalms -- beginning with Psalm 113 and going through Psalm 118.  All six Psalms are all songs of praise, and are recited on prominent Jewish holidays, like Passover.  That means it's fairly likely that Jesus and the disciples recited this Psalm together on the night of the Last Supper. 
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 +
There is some debate about which chapter or verse is in the very middle of the Bible.  Ancient manuscripts actually don't have chapters and verses--those weren't added until sometime in the 16th century.  So depending on what translation you use, and how you count, the middle chapter or middle verse could either be in Psalm 115, 117, or 118.  It's pretty safe, however, to say that Psalms--and specifically the Hallel Psalms, or Psalms of Praise--are at the heart of the Bible. 
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 +
And that's fitting, because the act of Praising God should be at the heart of all our prayers, our worship, and even our existence as God's people. 
  
הַֽלְל֣וּ אֶת־יְ֭הוָה כָּל־גּוֹיִ֑ם שַׁ֝בְּח֗וּהוּ כָּל־הָאֻמִּֽים׃
 
  
כִּ֥י גָ֘בַ֤ר עָלֵ֨ינוּ׀ חַסְדּ֗וֹ וֶֽאֱמֶת־יְהוָ֥ה לְעוֹלָ֗ם הַֽלְלוּ־יָֽהּ׃
 
  
  

Revision as of 18:55, 21 July 2018

Psalm 117:1-2 (Neal's translation)

1Praise Yahweh, all you gentiles
Glorify him, all you gods!
2For great is his favor and
Forever his truth endures
Hallelujah!

Psummer of Psalms - The Shortest Psalm

In honor of our sermon today on Psalm 117, the shortest of all 150 Psalms AND the shortest chapter in the Bible, I've decided to share with you a list of the World's top 15 shortest books:

World's shortest books:

15. VIKING TABLE ETIQUETTE
14. OBEDIENCE TRAINING FOR CATS
13. THE ENGINEER'S GUIDE TO FASHION
12. AMERICA'S MOST POPULAR LAWYERS
11. CAREER OPPORTUNITIES FOR LIBERAL ARTS MAJORS
10. DIFFERENT WAYS TO SPELL BOB
9. EVERYTHING MEN KNOW ABOUT WOMEN
8. THE AMISH PHONE DIRECTORY
7. THE WALL I BUILT THAT MEXICO PAID FOR - by President Donald J. Trump
6. TO ALL THE MEN I'VE LOVED BEFORE - by Ellen DeGeneres
5. HOW TO SUSTAIN A MUSICAL CAREER - by Art Garfunkel
4. TASTY SPOTTED OWL RECIPES - by the EPA
3. ALL THE TIMES YOU WERE RIGHT - by your spouse.
2. A GREENER, CLEANER WORLD AND HOW TO GET THERE - by Exxon Mobile
1. NEW MEXICO'S BEST AND SAFEST DRIVERS

You'd think that since Psalm 117 is so short, there wouldn't be much to say about it. But the great reformer Martin Luther loved this psalm so much he wrote a 38 page long commentary on it. By contrast, John Calvin's commentary on Psalm 117 was just two pages. Luckily for you, I'm a Calvinist, not a Lutheran.

In Semitic languages, including Hebrew, Phoenician, Syriac and Arabic the fifth letter of the alphabet is the letter "he." In its most ancient form, it was written as a hieroglyph shaped like a person with arms uplifted in praise. The Hebrew word for praise is "Hallel" as in "Hallelujah" which literally means "Praise Jah (Yahweh)."

In Jewish tradition, Psalm 117 is part of a series of six consecutive psalms called the "Hallel" Psalms -- beginning with Psalm 113 and going through Psalm 118. All six Psalms are all songs of praise, and are recited on prominent Jewish holidays, like Passover. That means it's fairly likely that Jesus and the disciples recited this Psalm together on the night of the Last Supper.

There is some debate about which chapter or verse is in the very middle of the Bible. Ancient manuscripts actually don't have chapters and verses--those weren't added until sometime in the 16th century. So depending on what translation you use, and how you count, the middle chapter or middle verse could either be in Psalm 115, 117, or 118. It's pretty safe, however, to say that Psalms--and specifically the Hallel Psalms, or Psalms of Praise--are at the heart of the Bible.

And that's fitting, because the act of Praising God should be at the heart of all our prayers, our worship, and even our existence as God's people.



-Shortest Psalm -Shortest chapter in the Bible

-It's about praise. We praise what we love. We can't help it. We want everyone else to love what we love.

-John Piper: "The reason God seeks our praise is not because he won't be complete until he gets it. He is seeking our praise because we won't be happy until we give it."

-Again, Piper: "When God chose Abraham, the father of the nation of Israel, he said in Genesis 12:2-3, "I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed." All the families of the earth - all the nations, all the peoples - will be blessed through Abraham."

-Great commission: God calls all of us to be either goers or senders.


-The most famous of the questions (known to a great many Presbyterian children) is the first: Q. What is the chief end of man? A. Man's chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy him forever.