Psalm 113 is the opening song sung by Israel during its great feasts, especially at Passover. Before the Passover meal, God’s people praised the Lord who had redeemed them from slavery in Egypt. Though Psalm 113 is not a retelling of the Exodus, it calls the redeemed to worship the God who accomplished that mighty deliverance, a redemption that ultimately points to the greater salvation found in Jesus Christ.
The psalmist compares the godly man, one who delights in the Law of the Lord and pursues righteousness, to a tree firmly planted beside streams of water. Although Psalm 1 is anonymous, it has long been associated with David and serves as the introduction to the entire Psalter.
Growing pains are showing all around me. In all the various stages of life that my kids are in, each one is being forced to let go of what is behind to forge on toward what lies ahead. Growing up isn’t necessarily something that happens against our will--it just gradually pours us into a new mold to be shaped in different ways. It’s bittersweet. Sometimes it’s even painful to grow and change and say goodbye to what we once recognized as the way life works. But growing up is necessary and good.
The city of Ephesus was surrounded by pagan worship. As the capital of the Roman province of Asia, it was a vital commercial center of the Roman Empire. It has been estimated that there were nearly fifty temples dedicated to various gods. Among them stood the famous Temple of Diana (Artemis), the fertility goddess, which was recognized as one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.
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