angela hormberg

Tag: Christ

  • Proverbs Chapter 8

    Proverbs Chapter 8

    Commonplace –

    “Does not wisdom cry? and understanding put forth her voice?

    She standeth in the top of high places, by the way in the places of the paths.

    She crieth at the gates, at the entry of the city, at the coming in at the doors” (Proverbs 8:1-3).

    In his introduction to Proverbs 8, Solomon poses a couple of questions:

    1. “Doth not wisdom cry” (v.1a)
    2. Doesn’t “understanding put forth her voice” (v.1b)

    Wisdom and understanding are open and available to all. They “crieth at the gates, at the entry of the city, at the coming in at the doors” (v.3). Unlike folly and ignorance, who lurk in the shadows and use cunning to entrap their prey, wisdom illuminates the soul and can only be found in connection with light.

    From verses 4-36, Wisdom directly addresses the reader and makes it clear that wisdom is readily available to everyone.

    “All the words of my mouth are in righteousness; there is nothing froward or perverse in them.

    They are all plain to him that understandeth, and right to them that find knowledge” (Proverbs 8:8-9).

    And, again,

    “I wisdom dwell with prudence” (Proverbs 8:12a).

    Prudence is practical wisdom; it’s common sense. There is also intellectual wisdom, which is the wisdom we need to understand fundamental, unchanging truths. In Proverbs 8:12, we learn that wisdom is available to the common man and is useful for everyday living.

    In verse 13, Wisdom imparts foundational knowledge, informing the reader what it means to possess ‘fear of the Lord’.

    “The fear of the Lord is to hate evil: pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, and the froward mouth, do I hate” (Prov 8:13).

    If you will recall, Solomon shared in Proverbs 1:7: “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction”. So from the beginning of our journey through these first eight verses of Proverbs, Solomon has been making a passionate plea for us to choose the path of wisdom, which begins with fear of the Lord. Now, in Proverbs 8:7, Solomon clearly states with it means to ‘fear the Lord’, which is to hate evil, pride, arrogance, and contrariness.

    Beginning in verse 22, Wisdom shares that she was with the Lord in the very beginning: “The Lord possessed me in the beginning of his way, before his works of old. I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning, or ever the earth was” (v.22-23). In reference to these two verses, Matthew Henry comments,

    “That it is an intelligent and divine person that here speaks seems very plain, and that it is not meant of a mere essential property of the divine nature, for Wisdom here has personal properties and actions; and that intelligent person can be no other than the Son of God himself, to whom the principal things here spoken of wisdom are attributed in other scriptures, and we must explain scripture by itself” (684).

    In his introduction to Proverbs 8, Henry writes:

    “The word of God is two-fold, and, in both senses, is wisdom; for a word without wisdom is of little value, and wisdom without a word is of little use” (680).

    Proverbs 8 gives instruction in wisdom and also points to the source of wisdom, which is the Word.

    Works Cited

    Henry, Matthew. “Proverbs 8.” 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 24

    Psalm 24

    Commonplace –

    “Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord? or who shall stand in his holy place?

    He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully

    He shall receive the blessing from the Lord, and righteousness from the God of his salvation” (Psalm 24:3-5).

    “Who is this King of glory? The Lord of hosts, he is the King of glory. Selah” (Psalm 24:10).

    Psalm 24 is simply divine. It is a lovely meditation with many splendid verses. Verse 1 is one of my personal favorites:

    “The earth is the Lord’s and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein” (Psalm 24:1).

    Psalm 24: A Psalm of Wonder

    Psalm 24 inspires a sense of wonder, as David meditates on the creation around him. The earth is the Lord’s and everything in it. What a beautiful reminder that God is the God of creation. Whether good or evil, He holds it all in His hands, which means He works all of it ultimately to the good, no matter the intent of the wicked (Rom 8:28).

    Psalm 24: A Psalm of Instruction

    David also instructs the reader on how to enter the Kingdom of God. One must do the following:

    1. Maintain clean hands.
    2. Keep a pure heart.
    3. Refrain from vanity and deceitful swearing.

    If one is able to do these things, he will receive blessing and righteousness from God. And praise be to God, who sent his Son to save us, knowing a person would be unable to achieve these ends alone. Philipians 4:13 tells us that one can do all things through Christ, who alone supplies the necessary strength to endeavor hardships and trials.

    Psalm 24: A Psalm of Praise

    Here is the heartfelt praise of the people of the King. They stand in unity, physical and spiritual, those present in the body and those gone before, and look with anticipation toward the gates waiting for the King to enter. David looked forward, even as the Christ dwelt within Him, waiting for His time. Our vantage point is looking back to hear of Christ’s coming, living, dying, rising, and entering the gates of Heaven to take His place next to the Father. In that way, we stand on one side of time looking, as one through a mirror, at David looking forward. And we both can say: He is the King of Glory; He was present inside of David, even as David was writing, and He is present in all those who submit to Him.

    Matthew Henry observes:

    “It is supposed that [Psalm 24] was penned upon occasion of David’s bringing the ark to the place prepared for it, and that the intention of it was to lead the people above the pomp of external ceremonies to a holy life and faith in Christ, of whom the ark was a type” (260).

    Works Cited

    Henry, Matthew. “Psalm 24.” 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 22

    Psalm 22

    Commonplace –

    “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? Why art thou so far from helping me, and from the words of my roaring?” (Psalm 22:1).

    Psalm 22’s lament stands in stark contrast to Psalm 21’s joy. They are desperate and sorrowful. Later, Jesus would echo David’s words on the cross in one of his last mournful cries.

    “And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46).

    But God.

    Midway through Psalm 22, David offers the following prophetic words:

    “Ye that fear the Lord, praise him; all ye the seed of Jacob, glorify him; and fear him, all ye the seed of Israel.

    For he hath not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted; neither hath he hid his face from him; but when he cried unto him, he heard” (Psalm 22:24-25, emphasis mine).

    Jesus knew God’s word. He had clearly read this psalm. So, even though his last words sound like a defeat, there is a seed of hope in them. We know Jesus cried out, but we also know God heard. So, if Jesus had hope in his worst hour, and David had hope in his horrible hour, shouldn’t we have hope in our difficulties? We can share in their cry and claim the promise of deliverance, at the same time. It is a great act of rebellion against evil to face a challenging circumstance with hope. May that hope never leave us, whatever situation we face.

    Matthew Henry’s summary offers a judicious assessment of Psalm 22.

    “The Spirit of Christ, which was in the prophets, testifies in this psalm, as clearly and fully as any where in all the Old Testament, “the sufferings of Christ and the glory that should follow” (1 Pet 1:11); of him, no doubt, David here speaks, and not of himself, or any other man. Much of it is expressly applied to him, and some of it must be understood of him only. The providences of God concerning David were so very extraordinary that we may suppose there were some wise good men who then could not but look upon him as a figure of him that was to come. But the composition of his psalms especially, in which he found himself wonderfully carried out by the spirit of prophecy far beyond his own thought and intention, was (we may suppose) an abundant satisfaction to himself that he was not only a father of the Messiah but a figure of him” (251).

    Works Cited

    Henry, Matthew. “Psalm 22.” 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 17

    Psalm 17

    Commonplace –

    “Keep me as the apple of the eye, hide me under the shadow of thy wings” (Psalm 17:8a).

    Calling on the Lord

    Psalm 17 opens with David beseeching the Lord three times to heed his prayer using three synonymic verbs: hear, attend, give ear to. In the second half of verse 1, David emphasizes that his prayer “goeth not out of feigned lips” (v.1b), meaning his prayer comes from a sincere heart. David supports his use of multiple apposite verbs with the evidence that his earnest appeal is pouring forth from his devoted heart.

    Why should the Lord listen

    David then supports his claim that his heart is devoted by listing the following evidence:

    1. His heart has been proven.
    2. The Lord has tried him and found nothing wanting.
    3. He is steadfast in not allowing sin to come from his lips.
    4. He has been obedient to God’s words.
    5. He has kept to the right path.

    Petition

    Only then does he put forth his petition: that God would keep him on the right path and not allow him to fall into evil ways.

    Call on the Lord

    At this point, he once again asks God to hear his words.

    Why should the Lord listen

    Once again he supports his request with proof of his devotion: he has put his trust in God.

    Petition

    Then, he puts forth three more petitions:

    1. “Keep me as the apple of the eye” – prayer to be a cherished one of God
    2. “hide me under the shadow of thy wings” – prayer for God’s protection

    State the problem

    David then brings forth the reason for this prayer: he is being oppressed by his wicked enemy. He is surrounded by them. They hide, waiting for an opportunity to kill him.

    Evidence to support the validity of the claim

    The evidence of their wickedness:

    1. They speak pridefully.
    2. They bow down to the earth and not God.

    Petition

    David brings forth two more petitions:

    1. Disappoint the wicked.
    2. Cast the wicked down.
    3. Deliver him from the wicked.

    More evidence to support the claim

    Davide supplies more evidence of their wickedness:

    1. Men that have their portion in this life.
    2. Men who fill their bellies with God’s treasure.
    3. Men who propagate children just like themselves.

    Confidence in God’s Help

    David ends in confidence that his righteousness will have a reward: He will behold God’s face.

    Matthew Henry notes the following in his summary:

    “David being in great distress and danger by the malice of his enemies, does, in this psalm, by prayer address himself to God, his tried refuge, and seeks shelter in him” (237).

    and further

    “Some make [David], in this, a type of Christ, who was perfectly innocent, and yet was hated and persecuted, but, like David, committed himself and his cause to him that judgeth righteously” (237).

    In the same way, in our own struggles, we can commit ourselves and our causes to God, when we are innocent and yet hated and persecuted.

    Works Cited

    Henry, Matthew. “Psalm 17.” 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 16

    Psalm 16

    Commonplace –

    “Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore” (Psalm 16:11).

    Psalm 16 is a beautiful meditation on a life purposed to follow God. It is all about living with intention and persistently pursuing God. How do we live that way?

    Purposeful Living

    David shares with us how he lives intentionally.

    1. He puts his trust in God. (v.1)
    2. He seeks God’s counsel. (v.7)
    3. He sets the Lord always before him. (v.8)
    4. He recognizes God maintains his lot. (v.5)
    5. He rests in the hope that God will not leave him nor forsake him. (v.10).

    David shares with us how he receives God’s gifts. Often we ask for things from God and we are committed to following God, but we never receive the gifts of God. We continue to live in stress and worry. What does receiving the gifts of God look like?

    1. Recognizing the good things in our lives and being thankful for them. (v.6).
    2. Living with a glad heart and rejoicing in the Lord always no matter the circumstances. (v.9).

    God gives us the gift of life; life is a gift. There is always something to be thankful for: breath of life, sunshine, rain, food, people that come into our lives, even if it’s simply a stranger with a smile. Recognizing these things is an essential part of living with a glad heart. When we purpose to recognize the good, we are also purposing to see past our present unpleasant circumstances. This is key to obtaining the joy that David is talking about in this psalm. It is a mindset. It is affirming the goodness of God and the gift of life. It is the very essence of hope. Connect your hope with action: be “be patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer” (Romans 12:12). In this way we live the life Christ modeled for us.

    Matthew Henry’s summary includes the following excerpt:

    “This psalm has something of David in it, but much more of Christ. It begins with expressed devotion as may be applied to Christ; but concludes with such confidence of a resurrection (and so timely a one as to prevent corruption) as must be applied to Christ” (234).

    And our faith in Christ gives us the same confidence in eternal life. We can have that eternal life now through faith, and we can walk that faith out every day.

    Works Cited

    Henry, Matthew. “Psalm 16.” 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 102

    Psalm 102

    Commonplace –

    “But thou, O Lord, shall endure forever, and thy remembrance unto all generations. But thou art the same, and thy years shall have no end” (Psalm 102:12).

    It has happened often, as I read and write through the psalms, that I may go a few days and not have time to be in the Word. Every time, when I come back, the psalm I am on is the right one for that moment. This is Holy Week. I have been distracted by events and have not been keeping up with my daily reading. Today, Good Friday, I picked up the Word and read Psalm 102. It is the perfect Psalm for Good Friday. In the title of the psalm is the following description:

    “A Prayer of the afflicted, when he is overwhelmed, and poureth out his complaint before the Lord” (Psalm 102).

    That is the description of Christ on the cross. As Matthew Henry notes,

    “…it is clear from the application of v. 25, 26, to Christ (Heb 1:10-12), that the psalm has reference to the days of the Messiah, and speaks either of his affliction or of the afflictions of his church for his sake” (Henry 504).

    The psalmist does list his afflictions, but he does not stay and wallow there. In verse 12, he turns his eyes to God, and the entire tone of the psalm changes. In this way, we learn again from the psalms how to gain victory over our persecution. We must turn to God and remember that He is eternal, while our afflictions are only for a moment.

    Works Cited

    Henry, Matthew. “Psalm 102.” Matthew Henry’s Commentary On the Whole Bible: New Modern Edition. Volume 3, Hendrickson Publishers, Inc., March 1996.

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

    © 2025 Angela Hormberg

  • Psalm 96

    Psalm 96

    Commonplace –

    “O sing unto the Lord a new song: sing unto the Lord, all the earth. Sing unto the Lord, bless his name; shew forth his salvation from day to day. Declare his glory among the heathen, his wonders among all people” (Psalm 96: 1-3).

    In his notes, Matthew Henry encourages us to the following:

    “In singing this psalm we ought to have our hearts filled with great and high thoughts of the glory of God and the grace of the gospel, and with an entire satisfaction in Christ’s sovereign dominion and in the expectation of the judgment to come” (Henry 493).

    Henry’s words are wise counsel. If we are satisfied in Christ’s sovereign dominion, we should not fear. Often my eyes are drawn away from God to the matter of the moment. I’m convicted when I return to his Word, and my peace returns. I never had to lose it in the first place; I chose to avert my gaze. Eyes on Him are eyes off the world. Lord, may my entire satisfaction be in you.

    The psalmist calls us to “sing unto the Lord a new song”. Matthew Henry notes,

    “A new song is a song for new favours, for those compassions which are new every morning. A new song is a New Testament song, a song of praise for the new covenant and the precious privileges of that covenant. A new song is a song that shall be ever new, and shall never wax old nor vanish away; it is an everlasting song, that shall never be antiquated or out of date” (Henry 493).

    What a perfect psalm for this season leading up to the Passover. Passover was the old song, and Christ is the new song.

    Works Cited

    Henry, Matthew. “Psalm 96.” Matthew Henry’s Commentary On the Whole Bible: New Modern Edition. Volume 3, Hendrickson Publishers, Inc., March 1996.

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

    © 2025 Angela Hormberg

  • Psalm 89

    Psalm 89

    Commonplace –

    “I will sing of the mercies of the Lord for ever: with my mouth will I make known thy faithfulness to all generations. for I have said, Mercy shall be built up for ever: thy faithfulness shalt thou establish in the very heavens. I have made a covenant with my chosen, I have sworn unto David my servant, Thy seed will I establish for ever, and build up thy throne to all generations. Selah” (Psalm 89:1-4).

    What an answer we have here to the lamentations to Psalm 88. Yet, even though Psalm 89 begins with praise, it ends with a cry for help. By the end of the psalm, the psalmist is crying out to God in the final verses. In verse 46, he asks, “How long, Lord? wilt thou hide thyself for ever? shall thy wrath burn like fire?” and, again, in verse 49, “Lord, where are thy former lovingkindnesses, which thou swarest unto David in thy truth?”

    Yet, we, the recipients of the New Testament, don’t have to wonder about these things. God’s wrath knew a limit. God’s lovingkindness was revealed in Christ. Now, we have the full revelation. Praise God!

    Matthew Henry responds to the opening of Psalm 89 with the following suggestion:

    “In singing this psalm we must have high thoughts of God, a lively faith in his covenant with the Redeemer, and a sympathy with the afflicted parts of the church” (Henry 468).

    Henry offers the following insight into verses 1-4:

    “The psalmist has a very sad complaint to make of the deplorable condition of the family of David at this time, and yet he begins the psalm with songs of praise; for we must, in every thing, in every state, give thanks; thus we must glorify the Lord in the fire. We think, when we are in trouble, that we get ease by complaining; but we do more – we get joy, by praising. Let our complaints therefore be turned into thanksgivings; and in these verses we find that which will be matter of praise and thanksgiving for us in the worst of times, whether upon a personal or public account,”

    1. However it be, the everlasting God is good and true, v.1. Though we may find it hard to reconcile present dark providences with the goodness and truth of God, yet we must abide by this principle, That God’s mercies are inexhaustible and his truth is inviolable; and these must be the matter of our joy and praise: “I will sing of the mercies of the Lord for ever, sing a praising song to God’s honour, a pleasant song for my own solace, and Maschil, an instructive song, for the edification of others.” We may be forever singing God’s mercies, and yet the subject will not be drawn dry. We must sing of God’s mercies as long as we live, train up others to sing of them when we are gone, and hope to be singing them in heaven world without end; and this is singing of the mercies of the Lord for ever. With my mouth, and with my pen (for by that also do we speak), will I make known thy faithfulness to all generations, assuring posterity, from my own observation and experience, that God is true to every word that he has spoken, that they may learn to put their trust in God, Ps 78:6, 2.

    I affirm through my own observation and experience that God is TRUE to EVERY word that He has spoken!

    Works Cited

    Henry, Matthew. “Psalm 89.” Matthew Henry’s Commentary On the Whole Bible: New Modern Edition. Volume 3, Hendrickson Publishers, Inc., March 1996.

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

    © 2025 Angela Hormberg

  • 2025 Rtb: Genesis 22

    2025

    Read Through the Bible

    Day 13: Genesis 22

    “And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together” (Genesis 22:8).

    “Abraham’s words must be made good: God himself will provide a lamb. God will not disappoint those expectations of his people which are of his own raising; but according to their faith it is to them” (Henry 112).

    “Christ is the great blessing of the world. Abraham was ready to give up his son for a sacrifice to the honour of God, and, on that occasion, God promised to give his Son as a sacrifice for the salvation of man” (Henry 113).

    Henry, Matthew. “Volume 1: Genesis.” Matthew Henry’s Commentary On the Whole Bible: New Modern Edition. Hendrickson Publishers, Inc., March 1996.

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

    © 2025 Angela Hormberg