Encounter Series 4 Day 169

Psalms 68

¹ Let God arise, let his enemies be scattered: let them also that hate him flee before him. ² As smoke is driven away, so drive them away: as wax melteth before the fire, so let the wicked perish at the presence of God. ³ But let the righteous be glad; let them rejoice before God: yea, let them exceedingly rejoice. ⁴ Sing unto God, sing praises to his name: extol him that rideth upon the heavens by his name JAH, and rejoice before him. ⁵ A father of the fatherless, and a judge of the widows, is God in his holy habitation. ⁶ God setteth the solitary in families: he bringeth out those which are bound with chains: but the rebellious dwell in a dry land. ⁷ O God, when thou wentest forth before thy people, when thou didst march through the wilderness; Selah: ⁸ The earth shook, the heavens also dropped at the presence of God: even Sinai itself was moved at the presence of God, the God of Israel. ⁹ Thou, O God, didst send a plentiful rain, whereby thou didst confirm thine inheritance, when it was weary. ¹⁰ Thy congregation hath dwelt therein: thou, O God, hast prepared of thy goodness for the poor. ¹¹ The Lord gave the word: great was the company of those that published it. ¹² Kings of armies did flee apace: and she that tarried at home divided the spoil. ¹³ Though ye have lien among the pots, yet shall ye be as the wings of a dove covered with silver, and her feathers with yellow gold. ¹⁴ When the Almighty scattered kings in it, it was white as snow in Salmon. ¹⁵ The hill of God is as the hill of Bashan; an high hill as the hill of Bashan. ¹⁶ Why leap ye, ye high hills? this is the hill which God desireth to dwell in; yea, the LORD will dwell in it for ever. ¹⁷ The chariots of God are twenty thousand, even thousands of angels: the Lord is among them, as in Sinai, in the holy place. 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. ¹⁹ Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits, even the God of our salvation. Selah. ²⁰ He that is our God is the God of salvation; and unto God the Lord belong the issues from death. ²¹ But God shall wound the head of his enemies, and the hairy scalp of such an one as goeth on still in his trespasses. ²² The Lord said, I will bring again from Bashan, I will bring my people again from the depths of the sea: ²³ That thy foot may be dipped in the blood of thine enemies, and the tongue of thy dogs in the same. ²⁴ They have seen thy goings, O God; even the goings of my God, my King, in the sanctuary. ²⁵ The singers went before, the players on instruments followed after; among them were the damsels playing with timbrels. ²⁶ Bless ye God in the congregations, even the Lord, from the fountain of Israel. ²⁷ There is little Benjamin with their ruler, the princes of Judah and their council, the princes of Zebulun, and the princes of Naphtali. ²⁸ Thy God hath commanded thy strength: strengthen, O God, that which thou hast wrought for us. ²⁹ Because of thy temple at Jerusalem shall kings bring presents unto thee. ³⁰ Rebuke the company of spearmen, the multitude of the bulls, with the calves of the people, till every one submit himself with pieces of silver: scatter thou the people that delight in war. ³¹ Princes shall come out of Egypt; Ethiopia shall soon stretch out her hands unto God. ³² Sing unto God, ye kingdoms of the earth; O sing praises unto the Lord; Selah: ³³ To him that rideth upon the heavens of heavens, which were of old; lo, he doth send out his voice, and that a mighty voice. ³⁴ Ascribe ye strength unto God: his excellency is over Israel, and his strength is in the clouds. ³⁵ O God, thou art terrible out of thy holy places: the God of Israel is he that giveth strength and power unto his people. Blessed be God. Psalm 69 To chief Musician upon Shoshannim, A Psalm of David.

Psalms 78

¹ Give ear, O my people, to my law: incline your ears to the words of my mouth. ² I will open my mouth in a parable: I will utter dark sayings of old: ³ Which we have heard and known, and our fathers have told us. ⁴ We will not hide them from their children, shewing to the generation to come the praises of the LORD, and his strength, and his wonderful works that he hath done. ⁵ For he established a testimony in Jacob, and appointed a law in Israel, which he commanded our fathers, that they should make them known to their children: ⁶ That the generation to come might know them, even the children which should be born; who should arise and declare them to their children: ⁷ That they might set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments: ⁸ And might not be as their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation; a generation that set not their heart aright, and whose spirit was not stedfast with God. ⁹ The children of Ephraim, being armed, and carrying bows, turned back in the day of battle. ¹⁰ They kept not the covenant of God, and refused to walk in his law; ¹¹ And forgat his works, and his wonders that he had shewed them. ¹² Marvellous things did he in the sight of their fathers, in the land of Egypt, in the field of Zoan. ¹³ He divided the sea, and caused them to pass through; and he made the waters to stand as an heap. ¹⁴ In the daytime also he led them with a cloud, and all the night with a light of fire. ¹⁵ He clave the rocks in the wilderness, and gave them drink as out of the great depths. ¹⁶ He brought streams also out of the rock, and caused waters to run down like rivers. ¹⁷ And they sinned yet more against him by provoking the most High in the wilderness. ¹⁸ And they tempted God in their heart by asking meat for their lust. ¹⁹ Yea, they spake against God; they said, Can God furnish a table in the wilderness? ²⁰ Behold, he smote the rock, that the waters gushed out, and the streams overflowed; can he give bread also? can he provide flesh for his people? ²¹ Therefore the LORD heard this, and was wroth: so a fire was kindled against Jacob, and anger also came up against Israel; ²² Because they believed not in God, and trusted not in his salvation: ²³ Though he had commanded the clouds from above, and opened the doors of heaven, ²⁴ And had rained down manna upon them to eat, and had given them of the corn of heaven. ²⁵ Man did eat angels’ food: he sent them meat to the full. ²⁶ He caused an east wind to blow in the heaven: and by his power he brought in the south wind. ²⁷ He rained flesh also upon them as dust, and feathered fowls like as the sand of the sea: ²⁸ And he let it fall in the midst of their camp, round about their habitations. ²⁹ So they did eat, and were well filled: for he gave them their own desire; ³⁰ They were not estranged from their lust. But while their meat was yet in their mouths, ³¹ The wrath of God came upon them, and slew the fattest of them, and smote down the chosen men of Israel. ³² For all this they sinned still, and believed not for his wondrous works. ³³ Therefore their days did he consume in vanity, and their years in trouble. ³⁴ When he slew them, then they sought him: and they returned and enquired early after God. ³⁵ And they remembered that God was their rock, and the high God their redeemer. ³⁶ Nevertheless they did flatter him with their mouth, and they lied unto him with their tongues. ³⁷ For their heart was not right with him, neither were they stedfast in his covenant. ³⁸ But he, being full of compassion, forgave their iniquity, and destroyed them not: yea, many a time turned he his anger away, and did not stir up all his wrath. ³⁹ For he remembered that they were but flesh; a wind that passeth away, and cometh not again. ⁴⁰ How oft did they provoke him in the wilderness, and grieve him in the desert! ⁴¹ Yea, they turned back and tempted God, and limited the Holy One of Israel. ⁴² They remembered not his hand, nor the day when he delivered them from the enemy. ⁴³ How he had wrought his signs in Egypt, and his wonders in the field of Zoan: ⁴⁴ And had turned their rivers into blood; and their floods, that they could not drink. ⁴⁵ He sent divers sorts of flies among them, which devoured them; and frogs, which destroyed them. ⁴⁶ He gave also their increase unto the caterpiller, and their labour unto the locust. ⁴⁷ He destroyed their vines with hail, and their sycomore trees with frost. ⁴⁸ He gave up their cattle also to the hail, and their flocks to hot thunderbolts. ⁴⁹ He cast upon them the fierceness of his anger, wrath, and indignation, and trouble, by sending evil angels among them. ⁵⁰ He made a way to his anger; he spared not their soul from death, but gave their life over to the pestilence; ⁵¹ And smote all the firstborn in Egypt; the chief of their strength in the tabernacles of Ham: ⁵² But made his own people to go forth like sheep, and guided them in the wilderness like a flock. ⁵³ And he led them on safely, so that they feared not: but the sea overwhelmed their enemies. ⁵⁴ And he brought them to the border of his sanctuary, even to this mountain, which his right hand had purchased. ⁵⁵ He cast out the heathen also before them, and divided them an inheritance by line, and made the tribes of Israel to dwell in their tents. ⁵⁶ Yet they tempted and provoked the most high God, and kept not his testimonies: ⁵⁷ But turned back, and dealt unfaithfully like their fathers: they were turned aside like a deceitful bow. ⁵⁸ For they provoked him to anger with their high places, and moved him to jealousy with their graven images. ⁵⁹ When God heard this, he was wroth, and greatly abhorred Israel: ⁶⁰ So that he forsook the tabernacle of Shiloh, the tent which he placed among men; ⁶¹ And delivered his strength into captivity, and his glory into the enemy’s hand. ⁶² He gave his people over also unto the sword; and was wroth with his inheritance. ⁶³ The fire consumed their young men; and their maidens were not given to marriage. ⁶⁴ Their priests fell by the sword; and their widows made no lamentation. ⁶⁵ Then the Lord awaked as one out of sleep, and like a mighty man that shouteth by reason of wine. ⁶⁶ And he smote his enemies in the hinder parts: he put them to a perpetual reproach. ⁶⁷ Moreover he refused the tabernacle of Joseph, and chose not the tribe of Ephraim: ⁶⁸ But chose the tribe of Judah, the mount Zion which he loved. ⁶⁹ And he built his sanctuary like high palaces, like the earth which he hath established for ever. ⁷⁰ He chose David also his servant, and took him from the sheepfolds: ⁷¹ From following the ewes great with young he brought him to feed Jacob his people, and Israel his inheritance. ⁷² So he fed them according to the integrity of his heart; and guided them by the skilfulness of his hands. Psalm 79 A Psalm of Asaph.

Psalms 102

¹ Hear my prayer, O LORD, and let my cry come unto thee. ² Hide not thy face from me in the day when I am in trouble; incline thine ear unto me: in the day when I call answer me speedily. ³ For my days are consumed like smoke, and my bones are burned as an hearth. ⁴ My heart is smitten, and withered like grass; so that I forget to eat my bread. ⁵ By reason of the voice of my groaning my bones cleave to my skin. ⁶ I am like a pelican of the wilderness: I am like an owl of the desert. ⁷ I watch, and am as a sparrow alone upon the house top. ⁸ Mine enemies reproach me all the day; and they that are mad against me are sworn against me. ⁹ For I have eaten ashes like bread, and mingled my drink with weeping, ¹⁰ Because of thine indignation and thy wrath: for thou hast lifted me up, and cast me down. ¹¹ My days are like a shadow that declineth; and I am withered like grass. ¹² But thou, O LORD, shalt endure for ever; and thy remembrance unto all generations. ¹³ Thou shalt arise, and have mercy upon Zion: for the time to favour her, yea, the set time, is come. ¹⁴ For thy servants take pleasure in her stones, and favour the dust thereof. ¹⁵ So the heathen shall fear the name of the LORD, and all the kings of the earth thy glory. ¹⁶ When the LORD shall build up Zion, he shall appear in his glory. ¹⁷ He will regard the prayer of the destitute, and not despise their prayer. ¹⁸ This shall be written for the generation to come: and the people which shall be created shall praise the LORD. ¹⁹ For he hath looked down from the height of his sanctuary; from heaven did the LORD behold the earth; ²⁰ To hear the groaning of the prisoner; to loose those that are appointed to death; ²¹ To declare the name of the LORD in Zion, and his praise in Jerusalem; ²² When the people are gathered together, and the kingdoms, to serve the LORD. ²³ He weakened my strength in the way; he shortened my days. ²⁴ I said, O my God, take me not away in the midst of my days: thy years are throughout all generations. ²⁵ Of old hast thou laid the foundation of the earth: and the heavens are the work of thy hands. 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: ²⁷ But thou art the same, and thy years shall have no end. ²⁸ The children of thy servants shall continue, and their seed shall be established before thee. Psalm 103 A Psalm of David.