Psalms - lesson Plan for the Third Session

1. Psalms - Lesson Plan for Third Session
I. Psalm 90 - read 1-6, 12 first; then, 16-17
A. What does it mean to count our days? To what end?
(Doing so helps us acquire a heart of wisdom. It helps us be mindful of
the limited time we have, which leads us to use our time well, beginning
with the work and effort it takes to garner wisdom. When counting the
days, we tend to be more conscientious of the time itself and, being
aware of it and measuring it, we are inclined to be more accountable in
our use of it.
Thus, feeling more accountable and living true to the wisdom, we are
led more and more to live in a manner pleasing to God, which in turn
causes us to live well with others.
By counting the days, further, we treasure them. In a way, life on earth is
given some aspects of the eternal.)

2. B. What meaning do we derive from the second set of verses? How
does the message of this psalm differ from that commonly associated
with Kohelet?
(Our actions are important reflections of our commitment to God. We
hope they are reflections of the sweetness of God’s direction to us.
Further, we know that our actions have consequences for others. When
we live in God’s ways, others take notice and, we hope, are drawn to
service of God, too. This is especially important for those in our domain,
our children as well as those with whom we work.
Even more important perhaps is the impact of what we do on the
children in our world, and their children, and so forth.
We hope our work is “firmly found,” that is, as enduring as that which
sustains buildings, even dynasties. Or, put another way, we hope our
handiwork is like a fruitful tree, bearing sweetness from God well into
the future.
In a sense, this psalm is an answer to the sense of hopelessness that
one may see in part of Kohelet. Even though our bodies die, our lives
do matter. Living God-directed lives creates joy, a richness of an eternal

3. sort in the time we have, and enduring effects on others and on our
world, into the future.)
II. Psalm 104 - read 1-4 first; then 9-12
A. What does it mean that God is clad in light?
(While God is invisible, God is clad in glory and is overwhelmingly
present. As light denotes, God is enlightened, beckoning, showing the
way, true.
Note, by the way, all the verbs in these verses. God is active, defining
and shaping in the being and doing. This is principally what we know of
God and that part of the Divine that we can best emulate.)
B. God walks on the winds and makes messengers of them. Meaning?
(Wind, which is also invisible yet forceful, is symbolic of spirit. The
Hebrew word, ruach, suggests both. It’s reminiscent of breath, the
breath of life God breathed into us. Indeed these are among God’s most

4. precious messengers to us. We see this very idea at play in verses 29
and 30 in this psalm.)
C. What does the image of fire convey?
(Fire accompanied the people in the wilderness. We have the feel of
fire’s service to God and to us as ministers in that respect. We also see
the flame in other similar ways - the lights in the Tabernacle and
Temple, the fire of the offerings. Don’t festival candles suggest the
same?)
D. What do we make of the continuing symbol of water?
(Water supports life - both materially and spiritually. This is one of the
most common motifs in the psalms, indeed all of sacred literature.
We’ve seen it and discussed it often in both the Hebrew Bible and the
New Testament. It’s lovely to see how water supports all of God’s
creation - domesticated and wild, human and animal.)
E. We see birds again. Why?

5. (We’re certainly reminded of the birds that nest in the Temple stones in
an earlier psalm. We may think, too, of the choristers who sing in
worship, in sacred space, with God. Since these images of birds are
representative of us, we think of us in all these poetic descriptions of
creatures that “make their homes” and “sing” in the glorious world that
God has created.
For all this, we’re inclined in reading this psalm to be grateful to God for
enlightening us, sending messengers our way, being near and available,
and, of course, sustaining, protecting, and nourishing us.)
III. Psalm 133 - read the whole psalm
A. What is the beauty of the first verse? How does it relate to our
hypothesis that the psalms are largely about our nearness to God?
(God wants us to dwell with others in unity. When we do, I would
suggest, it’s like we’re dwelling with God.

6. Let’s always remember the inter-relationship of the commandments
Jesus cites as the great commandments. We love God, and we love our
neighbors as ourselves. In that flow of love from us to God and God to
us, from us to ourselves and us to our neighbors - God is present.
Here we see the idea of love - living with others in unity - as reflective
of the good and of God.)
B. And how do the other verses round that idea out?
(They speak of symbols of our love and service of God.
The oil pouring down brings to mind the anointment of priest and king,
their initiation into service of God and people.
The dew is a manifestation of water from heaven on the earth. We just
saw that idea in the last psalm we examined. We’re reminded of Moses’
teaching of dew and rain in his final oration as a way of talking about
God’s teachings and how we can absorb them.
God calls us to service, and we serve out of love for God. God nourishes
and directs us. We love our fellows and live with them in harmony. As

7. the poetess Pamela Greenberg suggests, this is where God willed into
existence the blessing of eternal life.
We should be seeing in this psalm, as well as the previous two, a deep
sense of what nearness to God really means.)
IV. Psalm 102 - read verses 12, 18, and 28
A. What’s the main idea of these verses? How do they inform our study
of the importance in Psalms of the reality of God’s nearness?
(1. Even a person who suffers greatly, perhaps feeling chastised by God,
maybe dying, thinks and writes thoughts of God’s enduring sovereignty.
Further, this person shows a respect, even reverence, for remembrance -
a memory of God’s deeds, God’s miracles, God’s love, and God’s saving
hand. It’s as if the simple acts of memory and recitation revive, or at
least begin to revive, hope and to sustain the supplicant.
All of this is crucial to maintaining faith, hope in our restoration, and a
sense of being favored with living in God’s presence.
This idea of “from generation to generation” gives our faith a firm place,
that is, that it is lasting, and that regardless of our straying or separation

8. in the past or even the now, there is hope of lasting presence and
deliverance.
2. We see the psalmist recording these thoughts in the hope that
memory is facilitated, deed is done, and the presence is felt, not only
now, but, crucially, well into the future. The sense that God is forever
and ever is comforting, especially in the assurance of abiding presence
for each generation, ours and all that follow.
3. The idea that our children will be settled and their children will be
established before You gives again an enduring and ongoing nature to
the quality that fits underneath God’s eternal presence. There’s security
that spans time in the presence.
The psalm flows from memory to recorded truth to faith of a continuing
presence with the Eternal.)