MEM

There is much to be said about the portion of Scripture called the Psalms. Looking for instruction, blessings and comfort? Try the Psalms.

We have now before us one of the choicest and most excellent parts of all the Old Testament; nay, so much is there in it of CHRIST and his gospel, as well as of God and his law, that it had been called the abstract, or summary, of both Testaments. … But this book brings us into the sanctuary, draws us off from converse with men, with the politicians, philosophers, or disputers of this world, and directs us into communion with God… Let us consider,

1. The Psalms; under that title it is referred to, Lu 24:44. The Hebrew calls it Tehillim, which properly signifies Psalms of praise, because many of them are such; … fitted to be sung, which may as well be historical, doctrinal, or supplicatory, as laudatory. …the divine institution of singing psalms is thus largely intended; for we are directed not only to praise God, but to teach and admonish ourselves and one another in psalms, and hymns, and spiritual songs, Col 3:16.

2. … of all the psalms that were divinely inspired, which, though composed at several times and upon several occasions, … thus they were preserved from being scattered and lost, and were in so much greater readiness for the service of the church. See what a good master we serve…

The author of this book.

It is, no doubt, derived originally from the blessed Spirit. The penman of most of them was David … for the establishing of the ordinance of singing psalms in the church of God…

The main scope of it.

1. To assist the exercises of natural religion, and to kindle in the souls of men those devout affections which we owe to God as our Creator, owner, ruler, and benefactor. …

2. To advance the excellencies of revealed religion, and in the most pleasing powerful manner to recommend it to the world. And Christ, the crown and centre of revealed religion, the foundation, corner, and top-stone, of that blessed building, is here clearly spoken of in type and prophecy, …and the kingdom that he should set up in the world…

The use of it.

All scripture, being given by inspiration of God, is profitable to convey divine light into our understandings… There is no one book of scripture that is more helpful to the devotions of the saints than this…

1. It is of use to be sung. …for the edification of the church.

2. It is of use to be read and opened by the ministers of Christ, as containing great and excellent truths, and rules concerning good and evil. Our Lord Jesus expounded the psalms to his disciples, the gospel psalms, and opened their understandings … to understand them, Lu 24:44.

3. It is of use to be read and meditated upon by all good people. …it is also a directory to the actions of our lives, and teaches us how to order our conversation aright, so as that, in the end, we may see the salvation of God, Ps 50:23.

The Argument-This book of psalms is given to us by the Holy Spirit, to be esteemed as a precious treasure in which all things are contained that bring to true happiness in this present life as well as in the life to come. For the riches of true knowledge and heavenly wisdom, are here set open for us… here is Christ our Redeemer, and Mediator most evidently described. They who are afflicted and oppressed will see what their comfort exists in, and how they should praise God when he sends them deliverance. Briefly here we have most present remedies against all temptations and troubles of mind and conscience, so that being well practised in this, we may be assured against all dangers in this life, live in the true fear and love of God, and at length attain the incorruptible crown of glory, which is laid up for all who love the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

The title of this book may be rendered "the Book of Praises," or "Hymns"; the psalm which our Lord sung at the passover is called an "hymn," Mt 26:30; and the one hundred forty fifth Psalm is entitled hlht, "an Hymn of David"; and the psalms in general are called "hymns" by Philo the Jew, and songs and hymns by Josephus; and to these several names of this book the apostle manifestly refers in Eph 5:19; Col 3:16.

The Hebrew title of this book is Tehilim ("praises" or "hymns"), for a leading feature in its contents is praise… The Greek title is psalmoi, whence our word "Psalms." This corresponds to the Hebrew word mizmoi… It means, as does also the Greek name, an ode, or song, whose singing is accompanied by an instrument… To some Psalms, the Hebrew word (shir) "a song," is prefixed. Paul seems to allude to all these terms in Eph 5:19, "singing...in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs."

We want you to be encouraged by the Psalms; beginning in this issue we are including a section about the ‘Psalm Promises’.

Did you count the promises? Not only are these wonderful promises we have a huge part to play in this relationship as well.

AN INTRODUCTION TO BIBLICAL ARCHAEOLOGY

WHAT ARCHAEOLOGY IS ALL ABOUT

1. Archaeology is one of the relatively new sciences. Many aspects of civilizations left by men who lived thousands of years ago have been recovered carefully and laboriously as archaeologists have delved beneath the surface of the earth. They have excavated at hundreds of sites that through the ages seemed to be nothing more than barren hills, but modern man has found that often these "tells," as they are called, are actually the ruins of past civilizations.

2. The Arab word "tell" literally means "hill". Men have discovered that many of those hills scattered across the countryside are man-made. They have been built up, layer by layer, level upon level, stratum upon stratum, as a civilization has been commenced, destroyed, abandoned, and then commenced again.

3. The popular idea of an archaeologist digging for lost treasure is not accurate. In fact, "archaeology" touches on various disciplines, and some of those whose work is most important never handle a trowel or a pick. That applies especially to linguists whose role is to translate what others have recovered. But archaeology stretches over into various fields, including chemistry, physics, anthropology, paleontology, zoology, geology-and even photography and history.

4. The word "archaeology" itself comes from two Greek words: "arche," old; and "logos," word. So archaeology is concerned with the study of beginnings. Strictly speaking, although they overlap, history and archaeology are not the same. History is the study of man’s past, utilizing all available source materials, whereas archaeology is limited to the results of excavations. Yet many remains of past civilizations (e.g. the Parthenon at Athens) have never been lost, and history and archaeology come together.

5. Excavations proceed methodically and eventually technical reports are published, while the dust of thousands of years is again allowed to settle at the excavated site. The excavators-and often other scholars-then study those reports, and some of them proceed with the slow business of translating the recovered documents that were written on clay, papyrus, leather, or some other medium.

6. Quite often they find that these recovered records have a remarkable relevance to the Scriptures, and over the years a substantial case has been built up to show that the Bible is an excellent source book for the historian.

7. Archaeology sets out to add to written records, and to throw further light on customs and culture, on architecture and engineering, on weapons of war and machinery of peace, and on religion and religious practices. By studying the actual material remains of a culture, archaeologists are able to reconstruct the times and to recapture the atmosphere against which the heroes, the enemies, and the ordinary people of old lived and died.

8. Palaces and temples, libraries and workshops, ornaments and bas reliefs, pottery and tools, and written materials, are all important for the archaeologist as he penetrates with his pick, his pateche (a hand-pick), and his trowel. Colloquially, we hear a lot about the Bible and the spade, but actually a pick or a hoe is used much more than a spade. Even smaller implements (for scraping and probing) are used at times. The recovering, and the conservation, of artifacts are taken very seriously.

9. Findings take place in expected places and in unexpected places as well. If a cemetery is found near an ancient site, it is likely that some of the buried objects will be very relevant in reconstructing the life of the times-as will the broken fragments in many ruined houses. Jewelry, weapons, clothing and food are also important in telling about previous civilizations.

10. Tutankhamun’s tomb in Egypt, and the royal death pits at Ur, are examples of the wealth buried with the royal dead, but even in the modest tombs of everyday people much is found that throws light on the manners and way of life of people of long ago.

11. Remains are found in many other places besides graves. The Dead Sea Scrolls were found in caves alongside the Dead Sea; the Roman cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum were both destroyed when Vesuvius erupted in 79 A.D. Herculaneum was covered by mud caused by the ash mixing with rain, while Pompeii was covered by the ash itself. Dried-up lakes often yield information about people who lived in nearby houses. Wells are also important, especially because people drop things into them and so they are rich sources of ancient culture. Often they are very deep-one at Beer-sheba was over 100 feet deep.

12. We said that tells are often very important for the archaeologist. A tell is an artificial hill that has been built up as the debris of the centuries has accumulated. Sometimes the site chosen was originally a hill, partly for defense purposes. A site might be occupied for a brief period or for longer periods, and then for good reason be deserted. The cause might be war, fire, infectious disease, or some simple explanation such as the discovery of and then the working out of mineral deposits, or a trade route changing, or a natural disaster. Then circumstances again change, and newcomers notice the benefits to be gained by building again on that site-they see there is good grassland, with a water supply nearby, and a trade route not far away. So they use whatever remains can be adapted, then they level off and rebuild what is left. Sometimes there might be as many as 30 different levels of culture. Thus foundations, lower parts of walls, and even broken pottery will be covered up.

13. As this process is repeated at irregular intervals the tell grows, often becoming a great mound, with many strata of occupation as level succeeds level. It is by no means uncommon for excavators in Israel and other "Bible lands" to go down through levels that might include such cultures as Arab, Byzantine, Roman, Greek, Persian, Israelite and then Canaanite. There are many such tells in Israel and neighboring Bible lands, some of the best-known being Jericho, Samaria, Megiddo, and Lachish.

14. Another reason for a settlement is that the area is needed as a fortification, and so the lookouts will be built and the enemy will not find it easy to pass that way. Yet another reason is the re-establishment of temples and shrines at a particular site and on trade routes.

15. Strictly speaking, Biblical archaeology is not always concerned with many of those levels on a tell, except indirectly. Arab and Byzantine history is later than New Testament times, and even Roman, Greek, and Persian cultures are of specific interest to the Bible student as such only in those periods of Bible history when the Covenant people were in touch with those other peoples. Nevertheless, over and over again knowledge of the surrounding cultures is of real value in throwing light on Bible culture and customs. There are many examples where factual material in the Bible is better understood because of similar materials found in the settlements of Israel’s neighbors.

16. One great difference between the history of Israel and her neighbors is that much of Israel’s history has been in writing right through the centuries, not needing to be "dug up". While archaeology has confirmed much of Bible history, it is a remarkable fact that a great deal of history was extremely well recorded and understood, without the necessity of archaeological confirmation. This is not true to the same extent of any other people of ancient times.

2. I thought I saw an eye doctor on an Alaskan island, but it …

3. She was only a whiskey maker, but he loved her …
 
4. A rubber band pistol was confiscated from algebra class because it was a weapon of …

5. The butcher backed into the meat grinder and got a little …  
 
6. No matter how much you push the envelope, it'll still be …   
 
7. A dog gave birth to puppies near the road and was cited for …   

8. A grenade thrown into a kitchen in France would result in …
 
9. Two silk worms had a race. They ended up in a …
 
10. Time flies like an arrow. Fruit flies like a …
  

1. Sir Cumference. He acquired his size from too much pi.
2. turned out to be an optical Aleutian .
3. still.
4. math disruption.
5. behind in his work.
6. stationary.
7. littering.
8. Linoleum Blownapart.
9. tie.
10. banana.

- I sought the LORD, and He answered me, And delivered me from all my fears.

- They looked to Him and were radiant, And their faces will never be ashamed.

- This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him And saved him out of all his troubles.

- The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear Him, And rescues them.

- O taste and see that the LORD is good; How blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him!

- O fear the LORD, you His saints; For to those who fear Him there is no want.

- The young lions do lack and suffer hunger; But they who seek the LORD shall not be in want of any good thing.