angela hormberg

Month: September 2025

  • Psalm 138

    Psalm 138

    Commonplace –

    “The Lord will perfect that which concerneth me: thy mercy, O Lord, endureth for ever: forsake not the works of thine own hands” (Psalm 138:8).

    This psalm begins with David rousing his spirit to worship. Then, he reminds himself that in the past, when he cried out, God answered him and strengthened him. Next, David looks to the future, when everyone, including all the kings of the earth shall praise God. Finally, David arrives at the heart of his present troubles. He comforts himself with the knowledge that, as God helped him in the past, God will continue to help him today and into the future unto the point of perfecting him.

    This is an exemplary psalm for addressing God in our times of trouble. Following David’s steps:

    1. Rouse your spirit to worship
    2. Remind yourself of all the ways God has helped you in the past.
    3. Look to the future, when all the proud will be humbled and the entire earth will praise God.
    4. Present your troubles to God and know he will be a comfort in the present, as he was all the many times in the past.
    5. Know that God will continue to work all things which you encounter on your Christian walk to the good (Romans 8:28), perfecting you through everything as only He can.

    Let us sing with David, “O Lord, endureth for ever” (Psalm 138:8).

    As Matthew Henry points out,

    “In singing this psalm we must in like manner devote ourselves to God’s praise and glory and repose ourselves in his power and goodness” (617).

    In relation to verse 8, the last verse of the psalm, Henry concludes with

    “Whom he loves he loves to the end; and, as for God, his work is perfect” (619).

    Works Cited

    Henry, Matthew. “Psalm 138.” Matthew Henry’s Commentary On the Whole Bible: New Modern Edition. Volume 3 and Volume 6, Hendrickson Publishers, Inc., March 1996.

    Holy Bible: Giant Print with Study Aids. Dugan Publishers, Inc., 1984.

    © 2025 Angela Hormberg

  • Psalm 137

    Psalm 137

    Commonplace –

    “How shall we sing the Lord’s song in a strange land?” (Psalm 137:4).

    This is a song for the Israelites who were taken captive and dragged off to Babylon. It is a lament for what they left behind, Zion. They longed to return to their land. They were bitter towards their captors. In the midst of the enemy, the psalmist wondered how to sing a song to the Lord in a land where their voices were outnumbered by the enemy.

    The Israelites question was one the modern day Christian could also pose? How do I live like a Christian in the world? How does one live ‘in the world’ but not ‘be of the world’. The Sabbath is the day of week set aside for rest and remembering our faith, reflecting on our walk over the previous week and reminding ourselves how to walk out our Christian faith in the week to come. It’s the day where we get a little glimpse of Heaven, time spent in the presence of the Lord. Instead of focusing on an enemy, we should shift our focus to God and His power.

    Matthew Henry had the following thoughts about Psalm 137:

    “In singing this psalm we must be much affected with the concernments of the church, especially that part of it that is in affliction, laying the sorrows of God’s people near our hearts, comforting ourselves in the prospect of the deliverance of the church and the ruin of its enemies, in due time, but carefully avoiding all personal, and not mixing the leaven of our malice with our sacrifices” (616).

    It is important to walk with those who are suffering. My understanding of the comfort found in the ruin of the Church’s enemies is the comfort that comes when sin and evil are overcome. This happens on a personal level and a corporate level. It’s not hatred towards people but towards the evil in the world, which is the enemy of the church and all the Christians therein.

    Works Cited

    Henry, Matthew. “Psalm 137.” Matthew Henry’s Commentary On the Whole Bible: New Modern Edition. Volume 3 and Volume 6, Hendrickson Publishers, Inc., March 1996.

    Holy Bible: Giant Print with Study Aids. Dugan Publishers, Inc., 1984.

    © 2025 Angela Hormberg

  • Psalm 136

    Psalm 136

    Commonplace –

    “…for his mercy endureth forever” (Psalm 136 refrain).

    The refrain, “for his mercy endureth forever”, is included in every verse of Psalm 136. With this psalm the writer is focused on the eternal aspect of God’s mercy and how that mercies shows up through the various roles God has taken on, for the benefit of his people, throughout time. Verses 1-9 focus on God, Creator. Verses 10-16 focus on God’s role as Rescuer, saving Israel from Egyptian bondage. Verses 17-22 focus on God as Defender of Israel, saving his people from wicked kings, Sihon and Og. Verses 23-24 focus on God’s role as Savior, remembering and redeeming His people from sin. Verse 25 focuses on God’s role as Provider, the One who gives us our daily bread. The opening verses, 1-3, and closing verse, 26, are a call to thankfulness from those who have been blessed by God’s enduring mercy.

    The beauty of this psalm is the exemplary way it models for us the appropriate way to put ourselves in a state of thankfulness.

    1. Call yourself to thankfulness – “O give thanks to the Lord for he is good, for his mercy endureth forever”.
    2. Recall the ways God’s mercy has shown up in your life – God as Creator, Rescuer, Defender, Savior, Provider.
    3. Close with thanks to God, Creator of heaven.

    As Matthew Henry notes,

    “…the mercy that is in God endures for ever; it is an inexhaustible fountain” (615).

    The fullness of His mercy is as available to us as it was to those in the past, and it never decreases. His mercy is always abounding.

    Works Cited

    Henry, Matthew. “Psalm 136.” Matthew Henry’s Commentary On the Whole Bible: New Modern Edition. Volume 3 and Volume 6, Hendrickson Publishers, Inc., March 1996.

    Holy Bible: Giant Print with Study Aids. Dugan Publishers, Inc., 1984.

    © 2025 Angela Hormberg

  • Psalm 135

    Psalm 135

    Commonplace –

    “The idols of the heathen are silver and gold, the work of men’s hands.

    They have mouths, but they speak not; eyes have they, but they see not;

    They have ears, but they hear not; neither is there any breath in their mouths.

    They that make them are like unto them: so is every one that trusteth in them” (Psalm 135:15-18).

    Psalm 135 is a psalm of praise and thankfulness. The psalmist tells of all the great things the Lord has done for his chosen. This is an exemplary song of thanksgiving, teaching the reader how to count their blessings and give thanks to God for all He has done.

    In the midst of the psalm is a description of worshipers of false gods, particularly citing gold and silver. It’s interesting that those two metals are as elevated in modern society as they were in the ancient times and all times in between. So, the warning against false gods is still apropos today; you become like that which you worship. In this case, metal has no eyes to see or ears to hear. Therefore, the worshiper of such false gods will lose sight and hearing. The eyes of their heart will close, rendering them hard hearted, and their ears will close, leaving them deaf to the cries of their conscience.

    Matthew Henry gives a beautiful summary of this psalm,

    “This is one of the Hallelujah psalms; that is the title of it, and that is the Amen of it, both its Alpha and Omega” (612).

    Works Cited

    Henry, Matthew. “Psalm 135.” Matthew Henry’s Commentary On the Whole Bible: New Modern Edition. Volume 3 and Volume 6, Hendrickson Publishers, Inc., March 1996.

    Holy Bible: Giant Print with Study Aids. Dugan Publishers, Inc., 1984.

    © 2025 Angela Hormberg