January 25, 2022: Day 19 – Exodus 22-25 and Psalm 6, 146

The people of Israel are fully entrenched in their departure from Egypt and are making their way to the promised land, the land of Canaan.  Along the way God give them commandments to follow which we find in the chapters that we read today.  Chapter 22 speaks of protection of property and social responsibility.  Chapter 23 gives us the laws of justice and mercy along with the Sabbath laws and then an explanation of an angel that goes before the Israelites to prepare the way for them.  In 24 we have the covenant confirmed and it ends with Moses going up the mountain for 40 days and 40 nights.  That should sound somewhat familiar with the Noah and the ark and his family and animals as they were subjected to rain for 40 days and nights.

We finally see the construction of the tabernacle and the ark and the table and the lampstand all of which was used to worship God and to carry the covenant tablets.  How can you not think of Raiders of the lost Ark when you read this Scripture?  The details that God gives us extraordinary and the ability of the Israelites to make these pieces in the details that are explained is equally extraordinary.  

We then move on to our two psalms, each of which is unique.  The first would be called a lament as the author asks God not to punish him any longer.  “My soul is in anguish, how long, O Lord, how long?”  Then at the end of this psalm, like in almost every psalm of lament, we see God answer the author so that he is able to say: “The Lord has heard my cry for mercy, the Lord accepts my prayer.”  Something changed which allowed him to write this in confidence.

Psalm 146 is a typical psalm of praise, which is to be distinguished from a psalm of lament, they are on opposite ends of the spectrum.  The word praise is used many times to mark the current understanding of the author in regards to his approach to God.  It has to be all about praise.