The Search
Welcome to “The Search.” The purpose of this program is to explore the proper method of examining the Bible to discover its meaning. We believe that the meaning of Scripture is synonymous with the truth and that loyalty to Christ involves the relentless pursuit of that meaning—both to know it and to be transformed by it.
Episodes
173 episodes
"YHWH Reigns Over All" (Psalms 96, 100)
Psalms 93-99 are all about God's reign as King. Psalm 96 sit at the heart of this collection, and Psalm 100 serves as a kind of postscript. Find out what they reveal to us about the rule of our Sovereign Lord.----------------------------
"YHWH is the True Creator" (Psalms 95, 97)
The ancient Israelites believed that YHWH held supremacy over all the other gods for a variety of reasons. Two of those reasons are discussed in Psalms 95 and 97: one, that YHWH is the creator God, and two, that YHWH has, at times in history, p...
"YHWH Judges the Earth" (Psalms 94, 98)
God's role as king is often connected to His role as the judge of all the earth. This lesson highlights this important theme as it is unpacked in Psalms 94 and 98.----------------------------Please follow us on these platforms:Youtu...
"YHWH Reigns" (Psalms 93, 99)
Psalms 93-99 constitute one of the Psalter's interesting sub-collections which are bound together by one overarching theme: the reign of YHWH as king. In this lesson we will start our analysis of this section by focusing on the first and last p...
"God Is Israel’s Fortress Once Again" (Psalms 91-92)
After the long, agonizing experience of the Babylonian captivity, Psalms 91-92 begin to shift the tone of how Israel thought about God. For the first time in a long time, God is depicted as Israel's fortress and the Sabbath is resumed. Learn mo...
"Moses Prays For God’s People" (Psalm 90)
Moses, the man of God, was well known for his passionate intercessory prayers. It is fitting then that even after his death, the people of God would turn to him for prayers on their behalf. This seems to be exactly what Psalm 90 is intended to ...
"O God, Fulfill Your Promise To David" (Psalm 89)
The exile caused Israel to doubt their relationship with God. In particular, Psalm 89 wrestles with God's love and faithfulness towards the line of David, for it appeared as though God had forsaken His covenant with David and abandoned His prom...
“Darkness is my closest friend” (Psalm 88)
Psalm 88 is one of the darkest texts in the Bible. It is a lament prayer that seems incapable of finding any optimism. Find out what this psalm says and means and why it was included in the Psalter. ----------------------------Plea...
"Zion and the Nations" (Psalm 87)
Psalm 87 is one of several Zion songs which celebrates God's city. Psalm 87 is, however, a bit unusual in that it speaks of Jerusalem as a kind of mother city which has birthed the nations and is drawing them back to itself.----------------...
"A Prayer from the Lord’s Servant" (Psalm 86)
Psalm 86 is a lament prayer attributed to David. While that may not seem like anything unusual, there are several oddities about Psalm 86 that should cause us to question why this psalm is placed where it is. Hopefully we can work through that ...
"The Restoration of Land and Temple" (Psalms 84-85)
What would happen if God positively answered His people's exilic prayers for restoration and renewal? Psalms 84-85 offer a vision of God's revival as it pertains both to the Jerusalem Temple and the land which had been promised to Abraham and h...
"Make them know that you are the Most High" (Psalm 83)
The exile was a time of despair. The prayers of the people were directed towards God, seeking rescue and salvation. Psalm 83 fits that mold but also contains a bit of a twist regarding how the psalmist viewed the judgement of God upon the natio...
"The Injustice of the Gods" (Psalm 82)
Why was following the gods of the nations so bad? In Psalm 82, God puts the gods on trial and finds them guilty of leading the nations astray. To understand this psalm, however, one must know something about how the ancient Israelites understoo...
"Listening to God’s Word" (Psalm 81)
During a festival at the Temple, God delivered an important message to Israel. Their future, indeed their very lives, depended on whether or not they would hear God's word and follow it.----------------------------Please follow us on th...
"Will God Be Angry Forever?" (Psalms 79-80)
In Psalm 79, Jerusalem has been destroyed. In Psalm 80, the northern kingdom of Israel has been burned to the ground. In both psalms, the people have a dire and earnest question: will God be angry with us forever?---------------------------...
EP 48. "Learning from History" (Psalm 78)
The children of Israel had much to learn from their own history. The failures of the Exodus generation should have served as a constant reminder of the need to be loyal to God. Tragically, the cycle of rebellion persisted but Psalm 78 seeks to ...
“I remembered you, God” (Psalm 77)
Psalm 77 ponders the very character of God. The author, in his lament, questions whether or not God is actually who He claims to be. Through this contemplation he comes to some very interesting conclusions that are helpful to those who are suff...
"God’s Judgement is Sure" (Psalms 75-76)
The people of Judah endured a season of despair and doubt following the destruction of Jerusalem. They were convinced that their God had been defeated and they did not understand why. However, in Psalm 75, a word comes from the Lord which says,...
"Has God Been Defeated?" (Psalm 74)
The destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple by the Babylonians was a major blow to the people of Judah. To them, it seemed that their God had been defeated by the god of Babylon. In the following years, they struggled to understand how Yhwh cou...
"Is God Good to Israel?" (Psalm 73)
It is difficult to continue to believe in the goodness of God when facing the evils and challenges of the world. Asaph, the author of Psalm 73, experienced his own personal struggle over whether or not God is truly good to Israel. Find out what...
"God’s Ideal King" (Psalm 72)
Psalm 72 is a powerful description of the anointed king God promised who would come into the world through David's line. It is one of the most important royal psalms in the Psalter.----------------------------Please follow us on these p...
"David’s Final Prayer" (Psalms 70-71)
What was King David's chief concern as he approached the end of his life, and what does this teach believers about how they should view old age?----------------------------Please follow us on these platforms:Youtube: https://www.you...
"The Triumph of Suffering" (Psalm 69)
Like Psalm 22, Psalm 69 features prominently in the Gospels especially in connection to the crucifixion. Learn more about the message of this psalm and why the NT authors were so impacted by it.----------------------------Please follow ...
“Proclaim the power of God” (Psalm 68)
Psalm 68 celebrates the power and might of YHWH, the God of Israel, and it's possible this was the song David and his band performed as the ark was relocated into the holy city of Jerusalem.----------------------------Please follow us o...
"A Blessing for the World" (Psalm 67)
Why does God bless His people? Is it for their comfort and enjoyment? Not according to Psalm 67. In this song, the people ask God for His blessings so that they can become mediator's of his riches by blessing the nations and drawing them back t...