PSALM LXVII-THE SPREADING OF RELIGION Psalm 67 987 1 A prayer for the enlargement of God's kingdom, 3 to the joy of the people, 6 and the increase of God's blessings. To the chief Musician on Neginoth, A Psalm or Song. OD be merciful unto us, and bless us; and cause his face to shine upon us; Selah; 2 That thy way may be known upon earth, thy saving health among all nations. 3 Let the people praise thee, O God; let all the people praise thee. 4 O let the nations be glad and sing for joy: for thou shalt judge the people righteously, and govern the nations upon earth. Selah. 5 Let the people praise thee, O God; let all the people praise thee. 6 Then shall the earth yield her increase; and God, even our own God, shall bless us. 7 God shall bless us; and all the ends of the earth shall fear him. Psalm 68 1 A prayer at the removing of the ark. 4 An exhortation to praise God for his mercies, 7 for his care of the church, 19 for his great works. To the chief Musician, A Psalm or Song of David. ET God arise, let his enemies be scattered: let them also that hate him flee before him. 2 As smoke is driven away, so drive them away: as wax melteth before the fire, so let the wicked perish at the presence of God. 3 But let the righteous be glad; let them rejoice before God: yea, let them exceedingly rejoice. 4 Sing unto God, sing praises to his name: extol him that rideth upon the heavens by his name JAH, and rejoice before him. 5 A father of the fatherless, and a judge of the widows, is God in his holy habitation. 6 God setteth the solitary in families: he bringeth out those which are bound with chains: but the rebellious dwell in a dry land. 7 O God, when thou wentest forth before thy people, when thou didst march through the wilderness; Selah: 8 The earth shook, the heavens also dropped at the presence of God: even Sinai itself was moved at the presence of God, the God of Israel. 9 Thou, O God, didst send a plentiful rain, whereby thou didst confirm thine inheritance, when it was weary. 10 Thy congregation hath dwelt therein: thou, O God, hast prepared of thy goodness for the poor. 11 The Lord gave the word: great was the company of those that published it. 12 Kings of armies did flee apace: and she that tarried at home divided the spoil. 13 Though ye have lien among the pots, yet shall ye be as the wings of a dove covered with silver, and her feathers with yellow gold. 988 PSALM LXVIII-GREATNESS OF GOD'S PEOPLE 14 When the Almighty scattered kings in it, it was white as snow in Salmon. 15 The hill of God is as the hill of Bashan; an high hill as the hill of Bashan. 16 Why leap ye, ye high hills? this is the hill which God desireth to dwell in; yea, the LORD will dwell in it for ever. 17 The chariots of God are twenty thousand, even thousands of angels: the Lord is among them, as in Sinai, in the holy place. 18 Thou hast ascended on high, thou hast led captivity captive: thou hast received gifts for men; yea, for the rebellious also, that the LORD God might dwell among them. 19 Blessed be the LORD, who daily loadeth us with benefits, even the God of our salvation. Selah. 20 He that is our God is the God of salvation; and unto God the Lord belong the issues from death. 21 But God shall wound the head of his enemies, and the hairy scalp of such an one as goeth on still in his trespasses. 22 The Lord said, I will bring again from Bashan, I will bring my people again from the depths of the sea: 23 That thy foot may be dipped in the blood of thine enemies, and the tongue of thy dogs in the same. 24 They have seen thy goings, O God; even the goings of my King, in the sanctuary. my God, 25 The singers went before, the players on instruments followed after; among them were the damsels playing with timbrels. 26 Bless ye God in the congregations, even the Lord, from the fountain of Israel. 27 There is little Benjamin with their ruler, the princes of Judah and their council, the princes of Zebulun, and the princes of Naphtali. 28 Thy God hath commanded thy strength: strengthen, O God, that which thou hast wrought for us. 29 Because of thy temple at Jerusalem shall kings bring presents unto thee. 30 Rebuke the company of spearmen, the multitude of the bulls, with the calves of the people, till every one submit himself with pieces of silver: scatter thou the people that delight in war. 31 Princes shall come out of Egypt; Ethiopia shall soon stretch out her hands unto God. 32 Sing unto God, ye kingdoms of the earth; O sing praises unto the Lord; Selah: 33 To him that rideth upon the heavens of heavens, which were of old; lo, he doth send out his voice, and that a mighty voice. 34 Ascribe ye strength unto God: his excellency is over Israel, and his strength is in the clouds. 35 O God, thou art terrible out of thy holy places: the God of Haman's Great Hatred BY J. JAMES TISSOT. REPRODUCED BY COURTESY OF + "Yet all this availeth me nothing, so long as I see Mordecai the Jew sitting at the king's gate."—Esther, 5, 13. A FTER that first feast, Haman left the royal palace, much elated, as indeed to all appearances he might be. Never had his position among these foreigners seemed so assured, his elevation so high. The honor that day accorded him had been most unusual. Not only had he been permitted to behold the carefully secluded queen; but he, he alone, had dined with her and with the king in privacy. reverence. Yet even as Haman passed out from the palace he encountered Mordecai; and, as before, the Jew did him no It was like a sudden chill to Haman's confidence, this shadowy opponent, grim and silent, scorning him in the very moment of his triumph. He went home to his friends and his wife; he boasted to them of all his wealth and power, of this last great favor the queen had done him; yet he suddenly ended all his vaporing with that grim outcry which has become the traditional echo of wounded vanity, "Yet all this availeth me nothing, so long as I see Mordecai the Jew sitting at the king's gate." His ready flatterers advised him to prepare an enormous gallows and to petition the king for leave to hang Mordecai thereon in all men's sight. |