Mercy and truth have met together; righteousness and peace have kissed. Truth shall spring out of the earth, and righteousness shall look down from heaven. (Psalm 85:10-11) If you will recall, the opening lines of this psalm allude to the redemption of God's people...

Let them not turn back to folly. Surely His salvation is near to those who fear Him, that glory may dwell in our land. (Psalm 85:8-9) According to Jewish tradition when God spoke to Israel at Sinai, the sound of His Voice purged the evil inclination from the people....

I will hear what God the Lord will speak, for He will speak peace to His people and to His saints. (Psalm 85:8) When Israel awoke in the morning on the third day after arriving at Mount Sinai, the Bible says that the mountain was engulfed in a thick dark cloud. The...

Will You not revive us again, that Your people may rejoice in You? Show us Your mercy, Lord, and grant us Your salvation. (Psalm 85:6-7) As we have been discussing, the Bible clearly connects the resurrection of the dead with the promised redemption of God's people....

Will You not revive us again, that Your people may rejoice in You? Show us Your mercy, Lord, and grant us Your salvation. (Psalm 85:6-7) As we discussed in the previous devotion, in Jewish thought exile from the land of Israel is akin to death because it is emblematic...

Will You not revive us again, that Your people may rejoice in You? Show us Your mercy, Lord, and grant us Your salvation. (Psalm 85:6-7) It is understood by Jewish commentators that the psalmist's question concerns Israel's exile and being scattered among the nations....

Lord, You have been favorable to Your land; You have brought back the captivity of Jacob. You have forgiven the iniquity of Your people; You have covered all their sin. Selah. (Psalm 85:1-2) There are several times in Scripture where the word “captivity” is used when...

Lord, You have been favorable to Your land; You have brought back the captivity of Jacob. You have forgiven the iniquity of Your people; You have covered all their sin. Selah. (Psalm 85:1-2) This psalm begins on a very interesting note; it connects the fertility of...

For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord will give grace and glory. No good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly. (Psalm 84:11) As stated above, God will not withhold good things from His people. But this notion prompts the question: What do we...

For a day in Your courts is better than a thousand. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of wickedness. (Psalm 84:10) In verses leading up to this statement, the psalmist considered that those privileged to dwell in God's House...

Even the sparrow has found a home, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young. (Psalm 84:3) The Jewish commentator Ibn Ezra provides a unique perspective on this verse. He interprets the Hebrew word דרור d'ror -- rendered above as swallow -- to...

Even the sparrow has found a home, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young. (Psalm 84:3) As was mentioned in the previous devotion, many living things have a connection to certain places that satisfies certain needs -- in this case, where a...