They do not know, nor do they understand; they walk about in darkness; all the foundations of the earth are unstable. (Psalm 82:5) On the second day of Creation, the Almighty established a firmament in the heavens that “divided the waters which were under the...

They do not know, nor do they understand; they walk about in darkness; all the foundations of the earth are unstable. (Psalm 82:5) As the psalm continues, Asaph laments the fact that, despite the great responsibility given to rulers and judges, too many of them were...

Defend the poor and fatherless; do justice to the afflicted and needy. Deliver the poor and needy; free them from the hand of the wicked. (Psalm 82:3-4) There is a clear and unambiguous message presented here: those with power and influence (e.g. judges, rulers)...

God stands in the congregation of the mighty; He judges among the gods. How long will you judge unjustly, and show partiality to the wicked? (Psalm 82:1-2) As we consider the opening verse of the psalm, it should be noted that the Hebrew phrase translated as “He...

My people would not heed My voice, and Israel would have none of Me. So I gave them over to their own stubborn heart, to walk in their own counsels. (Psalm 81:11-12) In the beginning, mankind dwelt in a literal Paradise where they could freely eat the different fruits...

I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt; open your mouth wide, and I will fill it. (Psalm 81:10) As was mentioned in the previous devotion, the first words God spoke to those assembled at Sinai were “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out...

There shall be no strange god among you; nor shall you worship any foreign god. I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt. (Psalm 81:9-10) When Israel assembled at the foot of Mount Sinai before the Lord, the first thing He said to them was, “I...

Hear, O My people, and I will admonish you! O Israel, if you will listen to Me! (Psalm 81:8) In the previous devotion, we acknowledged the need to listen to God and the benefit when we do. It is understood that, in listening to His Voice, we have intentions to obey...

Hear, O My people, and I will admonish you! O Israel, if you will listen to Me! (Psalm 81:8) When God spoke from Sinai, all the people heard His Voice and became afraid. In fact, the tradition is that after hearing the first two commands, the people panicked and...

You called in trouble, and I delivered you; I answered you in the secret place of thunder. (Psalm 81:7) This verse is written in such a way that it obviously intends for us to receive this as if the Lord was speaking to us directly, no doubt written under the...

Blow the trumpet at the time of the New Moon, at the full moon, on our solemn feast day. For this is a statute for Israel, a law of the God of Jacob. (Psalm 81:3-4) As we shared in the previous devotion, Jewish tradition believes that the horns of the ram Abraham...

Blow the trumpet at the time of the New Moon, at the full moon, on our solemn feast day. For this is a statute for Israel, a law of the God of Jacob. (Psalm 81:3-4) In the previous devotion we addressed the fact that, as Abraham prepared to present Isaac as a burnt...