I’m loving everyone’s thoughts. It’s really interesting unpacking these psalms in a communal sort of way. And there are still many more to go!
I would also like to add that the psalm mentions worshipping the Lord in the Beauty of holiness. The way God draws us to Himself is by revealing His beauty. Through intense suffering He pierces the heart with His arrow creating a desire for love and beauty. When the suffering is released it produces an ecstatic experience. Going through a confusion or purgation of the mind causes one to be released from the strict either/or of the mind into both the either/or and the both/and. Holiness is united to love in Christ. That is, it’s both rules and heart. The rules are there to protect what is sacred. We need God’s boundaries. This is when the law becomes a delight. It’s both holiness and love. Holy love. Love that has God’s boundaries set into place.
The image of the Lord enthroned over the waters of chaos occurs in a number of psalms (and in the prophets). Likewise imagery of God taming the monsters of the deep and of monsters emerging from the deep to create discord can be found in Job and in the Apocalyptic books of Daniel and Revelation. The brazen sea was ostensibly for purification of priests and by the same token baptism is a rite of purification. But these rites of purification also have the meaning of death and rebirth - of descending into the waters of primordial chaos and emerging again as a new creation. The sea that surrounds the throne in Revelation is likened to a sea of glass. I used to think that this sounded as if the sea had iced over but this cannot be the case because this sea is mixed with the fire of purification (as you say Cindy 
). I guess the glass simile means that the sea is now calm without waves and can no longer wreak destruction now that creation is restored/completed.
Dick,
Thanks for sharing that. I didn’t know that.
The original bronze laver of the Tabernacle was made from the mirrors donated by the women who helped with the weavings for the Tabernacle. (Mirrors were made of polished metal back in the day.) Anyone see symbolism in that? And I hadn’t thought about that connection to the sea of glass. Cool!
Very interesting, Cindy. What comes to me is that mirrors are for looking at one’s self. Mirrors are about “me”, so donating mirrors for the Tabernacle would be giving up looking at one’s self—dying to self?—and serving God.
I think it’s okay to love your new self. I put off the old self and put on the new self. We can then love our neighbor as ourselves.
Well, there’s this:
And this:
And the sea of glass mingled with fire – sea of reflection? Is this an opportunity to see “what manner of man we are” and realize it might be good to amend that? In AA, the first step is to stand up there and confess: “I am an alcoholic.” (Or so I understand it.) Maybe part of judgment and purification is for us to see ourselves in that mirroring sea and realize what we actually are. 
We do have to bear our shame, not because God is mean, but because it’s probably a necessary part of recovery.
Yes, indeed, Cole. 
And the new self is not as concerned with itself as it is with others—seeking to serve always. (The old self keeps rearing it’s ugly head which makes this a constant battle, at least in my life) 
Hey Steve,
I think it’s both/and. We take care of our needs and meet the needs of others. We must first examine ourselves to see if Christ is in us. My salvation comes before I can give to others. I cannot give what I don’t have. And I keep it by giving it away.
I agree, Cole.
One other thought…a woman’s mirror also reflects her “glory”–Paul says a woman’s glory is her hair–and donating the mirror means that what was once used to reflect the women’s glory is now used for God’s glory.
Hey Steve,
Again I think it’s both/and. God shares His glory with His creatures. We are being transformed into His image from glory to glory. His glory is mingled with humility. That’s the image I find by examining myself to see if Christ is in me. I need to do it on a daily basis though. We continue to take a moral inventory and when we are wrong we promptly admit it.
Great thought, Steve! That had never occurred to me. Thanks!
Okay here we go! Next up:
Psa 27:1-14 NKJV
(1) A Psalm of David. The LORD is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear? The LORD is the strength of my life; Of whom shall I be afraid?
(2) When the wicked came against me To eat up my flesh, My enemies and foes, They stumbled and fell.
(3) Though an army may encamp against me, My heart shall not fear; Though war may rise against me, In this I will be confident.
(4) One thing I have desired of the LORD, That will I seek: That I may dwell in the house of the LORD All the days of my life, To behold the beauty of the LORD, And to inquire in His temple.
(5) For in the time of trouble He shall hide me in His pavilion; In the secret place of His tabernacle He shall hide me; He shall set me high upon a rock.
(6) And now my head shall be lifted up above my enemies all around me; Therefore I will offer sacrifices of joy in His tabernacle; I will sing, yes, I will sing praises to the LORD.
(7) Hear, O LORD, when I cry with my voice! Have mercy also upon me, and answer me.
(8) When You said, “Seek My face,” My heart said to You, “Your face, LORD, I will seek.”
(9) Do not hide Your face from me; Do not turn Your servant away in anger; You have been my help; Do not leave me nor forsake me, O God of my salvation.
(10) When my father and my mother forsake me, Then the LORD will take care of me.
(11) Teach me Your way, O LORD, And lead me in a smooth path, because of my enemies.
(12) Do not deliver me to the will of my adversaries; For false witnesses have risen against me, And such as breathe out violence.
(13) I would have lost heart, unless I had believed That I would see the goodness of the LORD In the land of the living.
(14) Wait on the LORD; Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart; Wait, I say, on the LORD!
LXX
Psalm 27
A Psalm of David, before he was anointed.
The Lord is my light and my Saviour; whom shall I fear? the Lord is the defender of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?
When evil-doers drew nigh against me to eat up my flesh, my persecutors and mine enemies, they fainted and fell.
Though an army should set itself in array against me, my heart shall not be afraid:
though war should rise up against me, in this am I confident.
One thing have I asked of the Lord, this will I earnestly seek: that I should dwell in the house of the Lord, all the days of my life,
that I should behold the fair beauty of the Lord, and survey his temple.
For in the day of mine afflictions he hid me in his tabernacle: he sheltered me in the secret of his tabernacle; he set me up on a rock.
And now, behold, he has lifted up mine head over mine enemies:
I went round and offered in his tabernacle the sacrifice of joy; I will sing even sing psalms to the Lord.
Hear, O Lord, my voice which I have uttered aloud: pity me, and hearken to me.
My heart said to thee, I have diligently sought thy face: thy face, O Lord, I will seek.
Turn not thy face away from me, turn not thou away from thy servant in anger: be thou my helper,
forsake me not; and, O God my Saviour, overlook me not.
For my father and my mother have forsaken me, but the Lord has taken me to himself.
Teach me, O Lord, in thy way, and guide me in a right path, because of mine enemies.
Deliver me not over to the desire of them that afflict me; for unjust witnesses have risen up against me, and injustice has lied within herself.
I believe that I shall see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.
Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and let thy heart be strengthened: yea wait on the Lord.
Hey Cindy,
I don’t try to carry my shame around with me. I’ve struggled with shame most of my life and believe me it’s not fun. It does hit me every once in awhile if I do something wrong but I let it go and try not to beat myself up. It also helps to make amends. This is why the 10th step tells us to continue to take a personal inventory and admit we’ve done something wrong if we have done something wrong. Shame can eat me up. The other type of shame I’ve struggled with is the shame I’ve had because people use to make fun of me because I was different. I also had a lot of problems communicating because I was real shy around people. I don’t have that problem any more though. But shame is one of my weak spots but I’ve learned to handle it better. It took me about 10 years to finally get over it.
Well this one at a glance has two very different parts reflecting two very different moods.
Well, here’s a classic bit for the Girardians. Here we have a potential victim being set upon by the mob and blamed for things he has not done calling out to the Lord for justice and salvation from his enemies.
He admits he is not perfect, but begs God to remember him. He puts his trust in God alone, as even his father and mother have figuratively joined the mob against him.
He believes that God will save him, and recognises that without that belief, he’d be in despair.
Is that happening throughout the Psalm James?
I’m seeing two main sections in this Psalm
The first has the theme of confidence in the Lord to deliver the speaker (claimed to be King David) from adversity. It is not addressed to the Lord – it addressed to a third party (us). It tells of the Lord having delivered the speaker from evil and evildoers – as in the past so in the future.
(1) The LORD is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear? The LORD is the strength of my life; Of whom shall I be afraid?
(2) When the wicked came against me To eat up my flesh, My enemies and foes, They stumbled and fell.
(3) Though an army may encamp against me, My heart shall not fear; Though war may rise against me, In this I will be confident.
(4) One thing I have desired of the LORD, That will I seek: That I may dwell in the house of the LORD All the days of my life, To behold the beauty of the LORD, And to inquire in His temple.
(5) For in the time of trouble He shall hide me in His pavilion; In the secret place of His tabernacle He shall hide me; He shall set me high upon a rock.
(6) And now my head shall be lifted up above my enemies all around me; Therefore I will offer sacrifices of joy in His tabernacle; I will sing, yes, I will sing praises to the LORD.
The second part is addressed to the Lord directly. It is a plea for the help of the Lord in the midst of present evil and evildoers. Are we seeing the same situation from a different time perspective in the two parts?
(7) Hear, O LORD, when I cry with my voice! Have mercy also upon me, and answer me.
(8) When You said, “Seek My face,” My heart said to You, “Your face, LORD, I will seek.”
(9) Do not hide Your face from me; Do not turn Your servant away in anger; You have been my help; Do not leave me nor forsake me, O God of my salvation.
(10) When my father and my mother forsake me, Then the LORD will take care of me.
(11) Teach me Your way, O LORD, And lead me in a smooth path, because of my enemies.
(12) Do not deliver me to the will of my adversaries; For false witnesses have risen against me, And such as breathe out violence.
(13) I would have lost heart, unless I had believed That I would see the goodness of the LORD In the land of the living.
(14) Wait on the LORD; Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart; Wait, I say, on the LORD!
The first and last verse of the Psalm echo the same sentiment. But the first is a personal witness from the speaker. The last is a statement of exhortation to the hearers in the light if what has been set out in the Psalm
Now that’s the really boring stuff out of the way 