Psalms – Charles (Chuck) Kensinger

The Book of Love

May 29, 2025

In 1957 the song “Who Wrote the Book of Love?” came out. As a youngster, I did not understand what love was and the actual meaning that question held. Is there a book of love and if so, who is the author? As a writer, authorship is of personal importance. I have learned that the Book of Love is also known as the Bible. It has many authors and many of the Bible books speak of love.

Let’s take the book of Genesis first. Jehovah created the universe. He also made men and women, the Hebrew Nation, and the freewill He gave them caused a lot of trouble for humanity. He showed His love for us by giving us a second chance. Even if you do not believe in a worldwide flood, I hope you can see that exterminating almost all the people on the planet was an act of love.

The next four books finish out what is referred to as The Law. It can be difficult to understand why a loving God would create these rules that many believe spoil their fun. The Law is Yahweh’s love letter to humanity. We rejected His love when Adam and Eve ate from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil.

You and I had no choice at that time. Today, we do have the opportunity to say yes or no to Jesus. He showed His love to us by giving His life to renew the relationship that was lost in the garden. The Law was put in place to show us that we had missed the mark. That is what sin is. Being unable to accomplish what we need to do is a failure.

The books of history from Joshua through Esther tell how Jehovah kept trying to convince the Israelites and Gentiles of God’s love. God guides the Hebrews to take the land He has given them. Killing those who oppose God’s law may not seem like love to you. Jehovah wants the Children of Israel to learn who He is and who He can be to them. Israel as a nation needed to give Yahweh a place to be born and teach us what He wants to do for us.

Poetry like Job and Psalms tell us about love. God’s love is shown to Job by not allowing Satan to destroy him and giving him a new life as we can have through Christ. Look at Psalm 8, 23, or 119. These are love songs from David and others to God. The 119^th Psalm declares the writer’s love for the law, word, and statutes of our Lord.

Proverbs and Ecclesiastes are books of wisdom from Solomon and David. The love of a father is expressed throughout the proverbs and is seen in the frustration of the preacher and his realization that the only thing that we can believe in is Jehovah and His promises.

The greatest love story in the Bible is in the Song of Solomon. The King of Israel declares his love for an unidentified woman. As a teenager, I found the use of certain terms such as breasts to be sexual. They are but God created them and sex. The language describes the sexual desire of a man for a woman. This can be an expression of love.

Both the major and the minor prophets show the love that Jehovah has for the Hebrews as well as all the people of the world. These books predict the birth, death, and resurrection of Jesus and identify Him as the son of God and heir to David’s throne for eternity. What more can love be, than that God would become a man and die for us.

The gospels and the book of Acts show us Jesus’ love for humanity and how the plan of salvation through his death and resurrection brings us to new life through Him. His words of love for mankind and His promises to get us into His presence speak volumes.

The New Testament letters all point us to the fact that our only hope is accepting the salvation that Christ brought us. These were written by several men who Knew Jesus both as a man on this earth and as their Savior and Lord after His resurrection.

Revelation is the final statement of God to His followers. He wants us to know that we will win the battle with Satan. We don’t know when this war between Jehovah’s goodness and the rejection of Him which is evil, began. It will end in time at some point in our future. Much of this book is a mystery.

Symbolism is rampant here. The love of Christ which is the love of God is shown in those who love Him coming to be in His presence and those who reject Him will spend an eternity separated from the one they would not even acknowledge existed. Which are you?

Hezekiah’s faith in Jehovah

July 25, 2020

We return to the story as it was told in 2 Kings 19. Jerusalem is delivered from Assyria after Hezekiah humbles himself before the Lord. Isaiah is a direct participant in this, and we will read his words the next two days. Despite attacks by Cush, he continues to try to antagonize Judah. They rely on Jehovah and do not accept the threats as truth. Can we learn from them to ignore the threats of Satan and believe God will protect us? Here we once again read Isaiah’s prophecy against Assyria. We are told how these predictions come true.

A recurrent theme is used in Psalms 46. Yahweh as our strength, refuge, and help is presented again. Fear is displaced by our faith in our Lord. He is not only a being that rules the Universe, but He is a friend as close as a human brother. Stillness and peace are ours when we recognize Him as our fortress.

We have another tune in Psalms 80 that is not known. Jehovah is called the Shepherd of Israel and it is a four runner of Jesus referring to his people as sheep without a shepherd. God is praised for bringing them out of Egypt. The reference is to a vine planted in Israel. Jesus also spoke of vines and branches. Many of the things he said are drawn from the scriptures known in His day. Verse seventeen also could be viewed as Messianic due to the reference to the son of man.

Serving the Lord includes praising the Lord in Psalms 135. Yahweh is greater than all other gods. He is responsible for everything that happens, not just on our world. But throughout the universe. Miracles and daily events are due to His mercy. What is the name of our God? I am. He always was, is and always will be. Other gods are manmade. He made man.

Isaiah tells the story of Hezekiah

July 22, 2020

Isaiah wrote the story from his point of view in chapter 37. He told Hezekiah to listen to what Jehovah has to say. For the third time we see that Judah will not fall to Assyria. Their domination has ended, and another country will become the strongest.

Isaiah includes the words of Hezekiah in chapter 38 about his illness. He expresses his regret at losing his kingdom so early. He praises God for healing him. His love is the motivation. Parents tell their children how faithful the Lord is. Isaiah recommends a poultice of figs to cure the King’s illness.

Isaiah 39 tells the story of the envoys from Babylon being shown all the wealth of the Temple and the palace. He warns Hezekiah that Babylon will eventually conquer the city and the nation. The King’s response seems a little self-centered. He is glad that the destruction of Jerusalem will not happen until after he is gone.

We have another Psalm of Asaph in Psalms 76. Jehovah is honored in Judah. He is a God of light not darkness. No one can stand against our Lord. This song speaks of the salvation of Judah, not its destruction. All nations should fear His power to defend His people.

When was the last time you read from the book of Hezekiah?

July 17, 2020

An old joke that young ministers used to tell among themselves is about asking a congregation if they have recently read the book of Hezekiah. We are reading about this King of Judah. His story is in 2 Kings, 2 Chronicles, and Isaiah. There is no book of Hezekiah in our Bible.

Hezekiah was the King of Judah for six years when Israel fell to the Assyrians according to 2 Kings 18. The reason for the discipline from Jehovah is because the Covenant had been broken. Eight years later Assyria attacked Judah. Hezekiah pays the King, but it does not last. Sennacherib threatens Hezekiah and challenges his loyalty to his God. As with most non-believers, the King of Assyria does not understand the difference between Yahweh and idols. The commander of His forces voices ominous promises to the people of Jerusalem and challenges their King. The Judean officials tear their clothes in mourning before they go to their boss.

In 2 Chronicles 29, Hezekiah, King of Judah is referred to as “doing what is right in the sight of the Lord.” He repaired the Temple and established renewed worship of Jehovah there. His opinion is that the failure to worship has brought the Lord’s displeasure. Purification took sixteen days following Yahweh’s word on how to do it. Tomorrow we continue with more of Hezekiah’s reign.

After the dispersion of the northern kingdom Hezekiah celebrates the Passover in 2 Chronicles 30. They invited all of Israel and scheduled the Holy Day in the second month, not the first as was ordered by Mosaic Law. Some did not make the trip, but many did respond. King Hezekiah prayed for those who had not taken the trouble to become ceremonially clean before sharing in the feast. This type of event had not happened since the time of King David.

The excitement of the worship of Jehovah during the Passover brought destruction of some of the idols that are spoken of in 2 Chronicles 31. Hezekiah the King of Judah assigned the priests and Levites to the worship in the Temple as David had before him. He also ordered the giving of offerings and tithes to support those whose job it was to lead worship. Do you contribute to your local Church for this same purpose?

Jerusalem is on the holy mountain in Psalms 48. Mount Zion is another name for it. The security of this natural fortress intimidates enemies. If it were not for the disobedience of the Israelites and their Kings, the country would not have been defeated. The righteousness of our God is ours for claiming through His Son Jesus. Love is endless because our Father is eternal.

Obadiah 1, Psalm 82-83

June 28, 2020

Obadiah is one of those minor prophets. He is so minor that the book only has one chapter and 21 verses. The book tells us nothing about this prophet. There are several men named Obadiah in the Bible. One of the Obadiah’s mentioned at the time of the exile into Babylon may be our prophet.

Whoever he is he proceeds immediately into the prophecy against Edom. This is the nation that is directly descended from Jacob’s brother Esau. These people live in the hills and can hide from others in caves.

Edom is being cut off because of what they have done to Judah. They will be destroyed. There is no country of Edom or any account of them. “As you have done it will be done to you. Jehovah has spoken this word through Obadiah, and it will happen.

Other gods are mentioned in Psalms 82, but Yahweh is presiding over all the others. These deities are worshipped by the wicked and the unjust. They are ignorant and do not understand their subservience to the one true God.

Have you ever felt that someone refused to listen to you? These are the thoughts of Asaph in the eighty-third Psalm. He and the Israelites have prayed to be rescued from their neighbors. They do not believe God hears them. The real problem is that they refuse to listen to their creator.

Who is Agur the psalmist?

June 25, 2020

Who is Agur in Proverbs 30? I don’t know. If you do, comment below. Despite being down on himself, as many of us are from time to time, he knows the Lord is in control. He asks for only his daily bread. That is what we should desire as well. He gives us the reasons.

Those who are pure in their own eyes, see no reason to improve. This reminds me of the Pharisees in Jesus’ day. We misunderstand the same things he does. Especially a man with a woman. No matter how many years we have been married, we still don’t fully understand them.

In Proverbs 31 we have another writer that we know little about. There are no Israelite kings named Lemuel. These are instructions from his mother. She warns him against women, alcohol, and encouraging him to speak up for the poor and needy.

These last twenty-two verses are some of the most often read in Proverbs. They are especially used on Mother’s Day. Women are encouraged to follow this lady. Her husband is confident in her because she is good, wise in business, hard-working, and respected in the community. Even though nothing is said about her looks, she is beautiful on the inside.

Trust in the Lord

June 15, 2020

Do you praise the Lord with your hands lifted high? The Psalmist who wrote the 134^th Psalm did. Jehovah will bless you if you praise Him in any manner that you wish. Praise is voluntary and so is the manner of praise.

Our trust should be in God not in other people according to Psalms 146. All humanity returns to the earth we are made from. Only Jehovah is eternal. He is the creator of the universe. His promises endure when others fail you. Praise the Lord.

Praising Yahweh is the focus of Psalm 147. We praise Him for what He has done and what He is doing. Praise does not always involve music, but in this case it does. Peace and provision are two things we can praise Him for. Our ability to have the Lord’s law is by God through the Israelites.

Who is going to praise the Lord in Psalm 148? The angels, heavenly hosts, the sun, moon, stars, the heavens, the waters above the skies, creatures in the seas, animals both wild and domesticated, natural phenomenon, and every human regardless of their age or place in life are commanded to praise our God the creator of everything in the universe. We are reminded that He has a chosen people that should follow His commands. In today’s world, that is Christians.

Singing a new song in Psalm 149 we will praise Yahweh. We should rejoice in the one who made all of us and everything. Praise can involve dancing and music. It also comes from our mouths and hands. Praise will allow Him to solve our problems and rescue us. Praise the Lord.

Concluding our reading of the Psalms with 150, we praise the Lord in His sanctuary in the heavens, for His power and greatness with music and dancing. Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.

I call out with all my heart

June 10, 2020

Verse 89 of the 119^th Psalm begins the Lamedh section. Remember that this is the Hebrew letter with which this stanza in the song begins. When he says that the word of God is eternal, we can believe it today. This song was written around 3,000 years ago. Very few writings from that time in history exist today. Is the law of Yahweh your delight? Are you saved because you are a child of God? Do you realize as the writer does that perfection has a limit, but the creator does not?

“Oh, how I love your law,” begins with Mem and we should meditate on it as the psalmist does. You wiser than your enemies because you follow the commands of our Lord? Do you know more than your teachers and the elders? If you do, be careful. Don’t flaunt this knowledge. Sometimes I forget this advice and others think I am showing off because I can answer quickly what God says about a subject. This is one of the evil paths that we need to avoid.

A lamp unto my feet and a light for my path is something I need every day. The stanza beginning with Nun Starts this way. I do not believe in taking oaths for most things. The oath of office that we use for police officers, our president, and other officials needs to mean something to each of us. I stand on God’s laws even if I have not taken an oath on them. If you have ever been sworn in for a court case, you have taken an oath to tell the truth swearing on the word of God.

Double-minded people are discussed beginning in verse 113 which begins the verses which start with the letter Samekh. We read here that Yahweh is our Refuge and shield. Being sustained by Him is one of the many promises we can depend on. These decrees are full of those promises. Does your flesh tremble with respect for Him?

Ayin in verse 121 precedes the declaration that our singer has done what is righteous and just. He again is looking for salvation and is looking for promises that have been made. The love of God surpasses anything we see from men. Being a servant was what Jesus did when He came to this planet. Jehovah seems slow to act. He has His own timing. Do not believe that He is slow. He is always on time.

Light is a common term used in the scriptures to designate the clarity of Yahweh’s teaching. In the section starting with the letter Pe we read this and that the words are simple. The words mercy and love are often difficult to understand. Mercy and love are there to prevent sin from ruling over us. It is the oppression of humanity that draws us away from our Lord.

Do you ever question God? I have. Job did. All three of us are wrong when we do that. Verses 137 to 144 start with a Tsadhe. The first verse tells us that He is righteous, and His laws are correct. Do you agree that the Bible is the word of God? We have tested His promises. Both the psalmist and I have done this. He says He will be with me. I have tested this often. What do you believe?

Qoph begins in verse 145. I call is used in the first two verses. The third has our writer rising before dawn and crying for Jehovah’s help. He stays up all night to meditate on God’s promises. The eternal nature of God is emphasized.

We all suffer and want God to deliver us from it. Resh begins in verse 153. Redemption and salvation are similar. There is a difference in the definitions. Someone is saved from something or one is redeemed or bought back. We must be saved from our misdeeds. We have been redeemed by the blood of Jesus the Messiah.

The next letter is called Sin or Shin. Verse 161 begins this section. Falsehood is despised while the law is loved. Most who do not follow the law hate it. Seven is the number of completeness. That is why he praises God seven times a day. Our love for this law gives us peace. We end this psalm with the letter Taw. His tongue sings the word that he loves. He admits to straying like a lost sheep before he ends by saying “I have not forgotten your commands.”

Solomon chooses wisdom

May 31, 2020

To have the alliances necessary to remain in peace, Solomon formed treaties with other nations. In 1 Kings 3 we are told of his marriage to the daughter of the Pharaoh, the king of Egypt.

After sacrificing at Gibeon, Jehovah appears to him in a dream and asks what he could give to the new King. Discernment or wisdom to govern the people is the request. There is a requirement included. He must walk in obedience as David had.

The chapter ends with a story about two prostitutes that lived together, and both had babies. We know how the King solved this dilemma and it proves his wisdom. Tomorrow we will read another version of these events.

First Kings chapter four starts with all the officials of Solomon’s kingdom. The amount of provisions needed for feeding his court is also included. It ends with a description of his wisdom and knowledge. I have always had a problem with the third King of Israel being classifies as the wisest man in the Bible. While God gave him insight that made him a great ruler, I believe a man of true wisdom from Yahweh would have not allowed his wives to continue to worship idols. Many Christians have their idols. We call this king wise when his tolerance of idolatry was foolish. When we reach Proverbs, we will see how he contrasts the wise and the fool. We’ll compare what he said with his actions.

We will look at the differences recorded in 2 Chronicles 1 from how it was told in 1 Kings three. Solomon goes to sacrifice to Yahweh and is asked what he would like most. The answer is the same. He asked for wisdom to rule the Israelites. This version includes no reference to Pharaoh’s daughter or the tale of the prostitutes and their babies.

The emphasis in both accounts is on Jehovah giving The King more wisdom than anyone ever had or would have. No mention is made here about the requirement to obey His laws. More time is given to the collection of wealth and possessions.

Solomon is the author of the 72nd Psalm. It is almost like a prayer that he voices to God for his kingdom. Righteousness, prosperity, endurance, expansion, and tribute are things he requests of Jehovah. Some of these aspirations almost sound selfish. Nothing is said about wisdom.

I have hidden your Word in my heart.

May 29, 2020

The decrees and laws of Jehovah are the focus of the longest Psalm which is 119. The law is important to us as Christians even though we are no longer under it. Notice the Hebrew alphabet at the beginning of each stanza. If you read this in the original language, you would note that the first letter of the first word of that paragraph is the letter that precedes it.

Under Aleph (vs. 1-8) we have a list of those who are blessed. The word of God is called precepts, statutes, and decrees. Beth begins verse nine and starts the next section. It begins with a question. “How can a young person stay on the path of purity? By living according to your word.” It is great that the answer is given. Note the use of “your word.” Commands is added to our list of words describing how Jehovah instructs us. Check out my favorite here, vs. 11. “I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.”

Verse 17 begins with the Hebrew letter Gimel. Law, commands, and statutes are emphasized here. The Psalmist calls himself a stranger in this land. We should understand this statement. Believers should be so different from others that they notice that we are not like them in many ways. Think about how others see you.

Our next letter is Daleth in verse 25. Our writer cries out to the Lord and proclaims that he is learning from Yahweh. His understanding is increasing. Verse 33 begins with He. This is pronounced ha with a long a sound. A way and a path are to be followed. Direction is desired to follow where God is leading. Fear or reverence is requested from our Father.

Waw begins verse 41 as our singer speaks of promises and the Word of Truth. These are concepts that Jesus draws from in His words to us. Freedom is ours due to the precepts and laws that we are following.

“Your decrees are the theme of my song wherever I lodge.” This is in verse 54 that is part of the stanza that begins with Zayin in verse 49. Is Jesus trying to teach you the theme of your song? “This is my story this is my song. Praising my Savior all the day long.”

The promise in verse 57 is from the author. The first letter is Heth. He promises to be faithful despite persecution and torment. This strength of the Word of Jehovah will enable him to stand with others that are following God. Teth begins verse 65 and we read how affliction came from not following these laws. This distress led to the study and understanding of the statutes.

The section beginning with Yodh in verse 73 tells us that we have been made and formed by a loving Father. We are not an accident as others may say to us. We will end today with Kaph which begins verse 81 as we think about salvation from our Lord. We have the fulfillment of this promise that our Psalmist had not seen. We must continue as he has until our eyes fail.

Charles (Chuck) Kensinger

Walk With a Servant

Tag: Psalms