Psalms 92

It is a good thing to give thanks to the LORD, to sing praises to your name, Most High; Shared: goodness of thanks and sung praise to the Most High.

Sabbath song starts with "It is a good." Praise is fitting work, not leftover.

Calvin: good to give thanks; Sabbath not idle but separated to meditate and celebrate divine works; knowing the service meets divine approbation encourages labor in praise.

Good to give thanks; sing to the Most High. Right Sabbath is praise, not vacancy.

“To proclaim your loving kindness in the morning, and your faithfulness every night.” Common confession: morning hesed; night faithfulness declared.

Bookend the day with attributes. Love at dawn; faithfulness at night.

Calvin: announce goodness morning and faithfulness night—not dividing the attributes by hours but continuing praise from dawn to latest night.

Steadfast love morning; faithfulness by night. Ingratitude alone leaves us without matter for praise.

“With the ten-stringed lute, with the harp, and with the melody of the lyre.” Both readings hold: instrumental praise with the song.

Beauty of ordered worship aids declaration. Instruments serve the Name.

Calvin: addresses Levite singers to employ instruments—not as if necessary to God, but as helps elevating devotion under the law's pedagogy.

Means of praise serve hearts that savor God's works.

For you, LORD, have made me glad through your work. I will triumph in the works of your hands. Both agree: gladness caused by God's work; joy at his hands' deeds.

Joy has a cause—his work. Sing because he acted.

Calvin: made glad in thy works; triumph in works of thy hands—holy joy answering contemplation.

Glad by your work; sing for joy. Brutish indifference (v. 6) is failure to savor this end.

How great are your works, LORD! Your thoughts are very deep! Wesley: Thoughts—counsels governing world and church. Great works; deep thoughts/counsels.

Depth invites worship, not complaint. Counsels run deeper than headlines.

Calvin: how great thy works; thoughts very deep—universe proclaims faithfulness and goodness to the watchful.

Great works; deep thoughts. Depth is praise material.

A senseless man doesn’t know, neither does a fool understand this: Wesley: Brutish—led by sense not faith; This—depth of counsels. Folly misses the deep works.

Sense-only living cannot read providence. Ask for faith's understanding.

Calvin: brutish man knows not; fool understands not—inability to savor the end designed in God's works causes indifference.

Stupid cannot know; fool cannot understand. Dullness is spiritual before it is intellectual.

“Though the wicked spring up as the grass, and all the evildoers flourish, they will be destroyed forever.” Agreed: brief grass-flourish; everlasting doom.

Do not envy tomorrow's cut grass. Flourish is not finale.

Calvin: wicked spring as grass to be destroyed forever—ridiculous to envy those doomed to swift withering.

Sprout like grass; doomed forever. Deep thoughts include the end of evil's spring.

But you, LORD, are on high forever. Both hear: contrast—LORD forever exalted.

"But" relocates hope from grass to the Most High. Forever answers "forever" doom of v. 7.

Calvin: but thou, LORD, art most high forevermore—stable height over transient wickedness.

The LORD is on high forever. God's height is the psalm's rest.

For behold, your enemies, LORD, for behold, your enemies shall perish. All the evildoers will be scattered. Both see: double behold; enemies perish; evildoers scattered.

Behold twice—certainty. Scattering ends organized evil.

Calvin: lo, thine enemies shall perish; workers of iniquity scattered—vindication tied to his forever height.

God’s enemies perish and evildoers are scattered. Justice is part of Sabbath praise.

But you have exalted my horn like that of the wild ox. I am anointed with fresh oil. Wesley: Anointed—joy at solemnities. Undisputed: horn raised; fresh oil.

Strength and festal joy after enemies' fate. Oil marks glad consecration.

Calvin: horn exalted like unicorn/wild ox; anointed with fresh oil—strength and refreshed gladness for the righteous.

Horn exalted; fresh oil. Personal mercy after public judgment.

My eye has also seen my enemies. My ears have heard of the doom of my evil assailants. No dispute here: eyes and ears witness foes' end.

Testimony senses confirm God's justice. He witnesses God’s justice without a vengeful appetite.

Calvin: eye sees desire on enemies; ears hear of the wicked rising against me—fulfilled watchfulness.

Seen downfall; heard doom. Providence becomes audible and visible.

The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree. He will grow like a cedar in Lebanon. Wesley: Palm—constantly green. Both affirm: palm flourish; cedar growth.

Lasting green against grass of v. 7. Character rooted differently.

Calvin: righteous flourish like palm; multiplied as cedar—after trials, God shows he had not forgotten them.

Where they meet: Palm; cedar. The righteous endure, while the wicked spring up like grass and fade.

They are planted in the LORD’s house. They will flourish in our God’s courts of our God. Wesley: Planted—fixed by providence in the church. Planted in the house; flourish in courts.

Location matters—house and courts. Flourish is ecclesial, not merely private.

Calvin: planted in Jehovah's house; flourish in courts—nearness to worship is the soil of growth.

Planted in the house; flourish in courts. God's dwelling grows his trees.

They will still produce fruit in old age. They will be full of sap and green, Wesley: Old age—last days best; grow in grace. Both traditions hear: aged fruitfulness; sap and green.

Refuse the myth that piety expires with youth. Last days can be best days.

Calvin: still bud in old age; fat and green—continued vitality displaying God's care into late years.

Fruit in old age; full of sap and green. Perseverance has botanical imagery.

“To show that the LORD is upright.” He is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in him. Shared close: aged fruit declares the upright Rock; no unrighteousness in him.

Lives become arguments for God's character. The LORD is a rock with no injustice in him.

Calvin: that they may show Jehovah is upright, my rock, and no iniquity in him—flourishing saints are exhibits of his righteousness.

Declare the LORD upright; my rock; no unrighteousness. The Sabbath song ends in theodicy proved in lives.