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| PSALMS |
| Explanatory Footnotes |
| 1:4 Blowing in the Wind The opposite of "a tree planted by streams" (verse 3) should be a tree withered by drought - and so it is in Jeremiah 17:5-8, which paints a similar contrast between good and bad people. This image of the wicked as "chaff," however, is far more absolute - for chaff, utterly worthless even for a fire, disappears in the wind. God's judgment day is what finally makes the wicked seem like chaff. 2:2 The Messiah in the Psalms Israelite kings and priests were anointed with oil when they took office. The "Anointed One" probably originally meant "king." It came, however, to stand for more. The Hebrew word is masiah, which became Messiah and translated into Greek as Christos or Christ. This psalm was understood in the New Testament as referring to Jesus - for no Old Testament king ever gained the control of the nations implied here. You can find quotations in Acts 4:25-26; 13:33; Hebrews 1:5; 5:5; and Revelation 2:27; 12:5; and 19:15. 12:4 Who Owns Your Lips? Repeatedly the Bible stresses that your talk can do tremendous good or evil. One key distinctive is suggested here: wicked people use words to build themselves up over others. They insist that no one has the right to tell them what to say. 14:3 Who Seeks God? Though David was called a "man after God's own heart," he is credited with this chilling assessment of humankind - including himself. In God's eyes, nobody - not even David - is good. Paul quoted this in a crucial New Testament passage, Romans 3:10-12. 17:15 The Face of God While the psalms often ask God to provide "refuge" in a |