Living by the Book/Living by the Book Workbook Set (65 page)

Psalm 93:1

TIME COMMITMENT:

30 minutes

“Remember, in Observation your main concern is, What do I see? Pay special attention to terms and grammatical structure. Also look at the context” (p. 65).

L
et’s try observing Psalm 93:1. Since we’re choosing a psalm, the context of what comes before and afterward may not be as important as in a narrative passage. However, the more you read the psalms, the better you can detect similarities and contrasts.

But for now let’s turn our attention to this single verse:

“The Lord reigns, He is clothed with majesty; the Lord has clothed and girded Himself with strength; indeed, the world is firmly established, it will not be moved.”

Begin by going through the questions on the “Observing a Passage of Scripture” sheet (p. 15). Not all of them will apply, of course. But note the present tense of the verbs. If the psalmist wrote in present tense, does that mean the verse is now past tense?

What would you say is the main theme of this verse?

Forget about religious language for a moment. What then comes to mind when you think about a “lord”?

In addition to the questions already provided, here are a few additional things to observe to get you started:

• What words or phrases are repeated? Why do you suppose they are so emphasized?

• God is described by the terms “majesty” and “strength.” What connection, if any, do these terms have? (Does one necessarily suggest the other?)

• Why did the author suddenly move from describing “the Lord” to writing about “the world”?

• We all know the earth is turning on its axis. So what does it mean that the world “will not be moved”?