We’re told Psalm 44 was written by the Sons of Korah. They were Levites, members of the priestly family. The psalm’s purpose is to “remind” God of His faithfulness in times past, and to petition Him to remember that faithfulness in current times. The Sons of Korah start with history. They remind God of how He delivered the people from their enemies, how He fought for them. Then the psalm turns. They ask God, why do our enemies defeat us? They are confused and deeply grieved, because they tell God they have not turned from Him. They have been faithful, but they aren’t experiencing His faithfulness. The psalm closes with a brief petition for God to restore them, because of His nature and His faithfulness. We could ask, “Were the Sons of Korah right? Were they faithful, and yet still overcome by their enemies?” Or “Were they wrong? Was their current situation, simply God fulfilling His promises to turn them over to their enemies, for their disobedience?” Either could be true. We know from Job’s life, the righteous are sometimes subjected to terrible situations, and sometimes their enemies prosper for no good reason. We also know, human beings tend to exaggerate our innocence before God. Whichever it was, the psalm pleads for God to restore His people. It is a cry God’s people have offered in every generation. We do well to remember our part in fulfilling this cry: being obedient to Him in the power of the Holy Spirit. The rest is up to Him, and we know His nature: He is holy, righteous, and good.
Psalm 45 was also written by the Sons of Korah. It was a “wedding song.” As we read it, we see three major aspects of the psalm: 1) praise for the king; 2) praise for the LORD; and 3) a call for the bride to recognize the blessing of her situation. At some points in the psalm it is difficult to discern whether we are reading about the king or about the LORD, but the key to this psalm is to remember the kings in Israel were given their place by a promise the LORD made to King David, and the LORD always keeps His promises. That is a helpful reminder to us, when we are not going through joyful moments in our lives, and we wonder whether the LORD will be faithful in our circumstances.
Psalm 46, also a psalm of the Sons of Korah, is a powerful song of praise and affirmation of who the LORD is and what He does. It starts with this reminder “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” We’re reminded that even if the foundations of the earth would be shaken or moved, the LORD is with us. This psalm is often read at funeral services, because of its focus on the LORD’s presence with us in even the most difficult situations of life.
Psalm 47 was also written by the Sons of Korah. Although brief, it is a joyous psalm of praise to the LORD. The psalm reminds all the nations to clap our hands, because of who the LORD is and all He does for us. As we read it, or sing it, the psalm offers glory to the LORD and brings joy to our hearts.
As we turn to Luke 8, Luke tells us Jesus not only had twelve disciples who followed Him, a number of women, whom Luke names, also traveled with Him. These women provided for the group financially out of their own means. While, we might be inclined to zip right past this brief detail, having women in the group was a major departure from tradition. Rabbis in Jesus’ day often wouldn’t even look at women in public, but Jesus had them in His group. He gave them the opportunity to provide financial support, which was always a “man’s responsibility.” This was a major affirmation of women by Jesus, and a reminder to us that all people have an opportunity to serve Jesus.
After Luke’s brief account of women being part of Jesus’ ministry, he recorded Jesus telling the parable of the Sower, and then explaining it for the disciples. This was followed by Jesus’ parable of the Lamp, and a reminder to be careful how we hear, because depending on how we listen and respond, what we have of God’s truth will be multiplied or removed. What a vital reminder! Next, Luke tells us Jesus’ mother and brothers came to see Him, but they couldn’t get near because of the crowd. When the crowd told Jesus His family was seeking Him, Jesus responded by telling the crowd those who do His Father’s will are His mothers, sisters, and brothers. Jesus was not minimizing His biological family. He reinterpreted how we are to see family as His followers. Our relationship as “spiritual parents, siblings, and children” is as important as our biological relationships. In reality, they might be more important, because we will be with our spiritual family for eternity, while we will only be with our biological family members for eternity, if they, too, become Jesus’ followers.
The remainder of chapter 8 records familiar events for us, because we find them in Matthew and Mark’s gospels as well. First, Luke records Jesus calming the storm on the Sea of Galilee when He had been asleep in the boat. Next, we have the accounts of Jesus’ healing the Geresene demoniac, Jesus’ healing the woman with the issue of blood, (or rather the woman taking the initiative to be healed by Jesus by touching His robe), and Jesus’ raising Jairus’ daughter from the dead. These amazing events demonstrate again Jesus has power over nature, over the spiritual realm, over physical ailments and even death. With those areas of life covered, Jesus is truly Savior and Lord of all!