Views from an Evangelist

Psalms: 102-103 Summary

Psalm 102: Hear my prayer of God for I am weak and destitute. My enemies revile me. My life is short. But you are forever. Rise up and have mercy on on Zion. Why? Because your people see the destroyed Temple. When you are merciful and build up Zion the heathen and kings shall fear You. Your name will be declared in Zion and You will be worshipped in Jerusalem. You laid the foundation of the earth and the heavens are the work of Your hands. You are forever and the children of your servants and their seed shall stand fast in Your sight.

Psalm 103: Praise the Lord! Why? The Lord forgives sin, heals all of my infirmities, saves my life from destruction and feeds me. The Lord executes righteousness and judgement for those oppressed with wrong. He showed His ways to Moses and the children of Israel. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy, long suffering and great goodness. He has not dealt with us as He should according to our sins. As high as the heavens is His mercy to us, the distance of the east to the west is how far He set our sins form us. He is like a Father who pities His children. The Lord is merciful to those who fear Him and keep His covenant. Therefore praise the Lord! Speak good of Him. Everyone praise the Lord!

Scripture Summary

Proverbs 7: Keep the Words of the Lord. Make wisdom your best friend. To protect you from the adulteress and loose woman. Men who surrender to the seduction of the adulteress are like an ox going to the slaughter.

The adulteress: dresses like a prostitute, is loud and wayward and does not stay home, she seizes the man, tells him of her religious activity, how she has prepared her home and reassures the man her husband will not find them.

The adulteress has destroyed many lives and her house is the way to Sheol, the chambers of death.

Acts 21:17-36: Paul arrives in Jerusalem to a warm welcome. He meets with James, the brother of Jesus, and the Elders, who tell Paul the Jews believe he is telling the Gentiles and Jewish Christians to forsake the law of Moses, forgo circumcision and the Jewish customs. The Elders tell Paul to prepare to go to the Temple through a rite of purification.

But the Jews from Asia see Paul and grab him and tell everyone Paul is teaching against the Jews and the law and that he has even brought Greeks to the Temple thereby defiling it. The Jews drag Paul away, the Temple doors are closed, and they begin to beat Paul to kill him but the Roman Tribune brings soldiers and centurions to save Paul’s life. They arrest him and ask what happened. The Jews give different answers but keep shouting ‘Away with him!’.