Psalm 22 is clearly about Jesus on the cross, written centuries before it happened. Psalm 23 is about how we understand God to be shepherding us through our lives, and how it is that we need to accept his direction, even as he leads us through the “valley of the shadow of death.” Psalm 24 is typically read during Advent in many liturgical Christian traditions, as the King of Glory’s entrance is seen as a prophecy of the second coming of Christ.
Every psalm is important. All of the psalms, in one sense or another, foretell of Christ and endow us with a right spirit of worship in response to the Lord’s power and glory. The Proverbs, likewise, give us a right sense of the Lord. “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,” we are told. In an age that refuses to fear, is it any wonder we are so far from him?
Psalm 22
My God, my God,
why have You forsaken me?
Why are You so far from saving me,
so far from my words of groaning?
I cry out by day, O my God,
but You do not answer,
and by night,
but I have no rest.
Yet You are holy,
enthroned on the praises of Israel.
In You our fathers trusted;
they trusted and You delivered them.
They cried out to You and were set free;
they trusted in You and were not disappointed.
But I am a worm and not a man,
scorned by men and despised by the people.
All who see me mock me;
they sneer and shake their heads:
“He trusts in the LORD,
let the LORD deliver him;
let the LORD rescue him,
since He delights in him.”
Yet You brought me forth from the womb;
You made me secure at my mother’s breast.
From birth I was cast upon You;
from my mother’s womb You have been my God.
Be not far from me,
for trouble is near
and there is no one to help.
Many bulls surround me;
strong bulls of Bashan encircle me.
They open their jaws against me
like lions that roar and maul.
I am poured out like water,
and all my bones are disjointed.
My heart is like wax;
it melts away within me.
My strength is dried up like a potsherd,
and my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth.
You lay me in the dust of death.
For dogs surround me;
a band of evil men encircles me;
they have pierced my hands and feet.
I can count all my bones;
they stare and gloat over me.
They divide my garments among them
and cast lots for my clothing.
But You, O LORD, be not far off;
O my Strength, come quickly to help me.
Deliver my soul from the sword,
my precious life from the power of wild dogs.
Save me from the mouth of the lion;
at the horns of the wild oxen You have answered me!
I will proclaim Your name to my brothers;
I will praise You in the assembly.
You who fear the LORD, praise Him!
All descendants of Jacob, honor Him!
All offspring of Israel, revere Him!
For He has not despised or detested
the torment of the afflicted.
He has not hidden His face from him,
but has attended to his cry for help.
My praise for You resounds in the great assembly;
I will fulfill my vows before those who fear You.
The poor will eat and be satisfied;
those who seek the LORD will praise Him.
May your hearts live forever!
All the ends of the earth
will remember and turn to the LORD.
All the families of the nations
will bow down before Him.
For dominion belongs to the LORD
and He rules over the nations.
All the rich of the earth will feast and worship;
all who go down to the dust will kneel before Him—
even those unable to preserve their lives.
Posterity will serve Him;
they will declare the Lord to a new generation.
They will come and proclaim His righteousness
to a people yet unborn—
all that He has done.
Psalm 23
The LORD is my shepherd;
I shall not want.
He makes me lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside quiet waters.
He restores my soul;
He guides me in the paths of righteousness
for the sake of His name.
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil,
for You are with me;
Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
Surely goodness and mercy will follow me
all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the LORD
forever.
Psalm 24
The earth is the LORD’s, and the fullness thereof,
the world and all who dwell therein.
For He has founded it upon the seas
and established it upon the waters.
Who may ascend the hill of the LORD?
Who may stand in His holy place?
He who has clean hands and a pure heart,
who does not lift up his soul to an idol
or swear deceitfully.
He will receive blessing from the LORD
and vindication from the God of his salvation.
Such is the generation of those who seek Him,
who seek Your face, O God of Jacob.
Selah
Lift up your heads, O gates!
Be lifted up, O ancient doors,
that the King of Glory may enter!
Who is this King of Glory?
The LORD strong and mighty,
the LORD mighty in battle.
Lift up your heads, O gates!
Be lifted up, O ancient doors,
that the King of Glory may enter!
Who is He, this King of Glory?
The LORD of Hosts—
He is the King of Glory.
Selah
Proverbs 9
Wisdom has built her house;
she has carved out her seven pillars.
She has prepared her meat and mixed her wine;
she has also set her table.
She has sent out her maidservants;
she calls out from the heights of the city.
“Whoever is simple, let him turn in here!”
she says to him who lacks judgment.
“Come, eat my bread
and drink the wine I have mixed.
Leave your folly behind, and you will live;
walk in the way of understanding.”
He who corrects a mocker brings shame on himself;
he who rebukes a wicked man taints himself.
Do not rebuke a mocker, or he will hate you;
rebuke a wise man, and he will love you.
Instruct a wise man, and he will be wiser still;
teach a righteous man, and he will increase his learning.
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom,
and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.
For through wisdom your days will be multiplied,
and years will be added to your life.
If you are wise, you are wise to your own advantage;
but if you scoff, you alone will bear the consequences.
The woman named Folly is loud;
she is naive and knows nothing.
She sits at the door of her house,
on a seat in the heights of the city,
calling out to those who pass by,
who make their paths straight.
“Whoever is simple, let him turn in here!”
she says to him who lacks judgment.
“Stolen water is sweet,
and bread eaten in secret is tasty!”
But they do not know that the dead are there,
that her guests are in the depths of Sheol.
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