February 27: Psalms 148–150; Psalms 114–115; Ecclesiasticus 48:1-11; 2 Corinthians 3:7–18; Luke 9:18–27 - a podcast by Crossway

Psalms 148–150(Listen)

Praise the Name of theLord

148   Praise the LORD!
  Praise the LORD from the heavens;
    praise him in the heights!
2   Praise him, all his angels;
    praise him, all his hosts!
3   Praise him, sun and moon,
    praise him, all you shining stars!
4   Praise him, you highest heavens,
    and you waters above the heavens!
5   Let them praise the name of the LORD!
    For he commanded and they were created.
6   And he established them forever and ever;
    he gave a decree, and it shall not pass away.¹
7   Praise the LORD from the earth,
    you great sea creatures and all deeps,
8   fire and hail, snow and mist,
    stormy wind fulfilling his word!
9   Mountains and all hills,
    fruit trees and all cedars!
10   Beasts and all livestock,
    creeping things and flying birds!
11   Kings of the earth and all peoples,
    princes and all rulers of the earth!
12   Young men and maidens together,
    old men and children!
13   Let them praise the name of the LORD,
    for his name alone is exalted;
    his majesty is above earth and heaven.
14   He has raised up a horn for his people,
    praise for all his saints,
    for the people of Israel who are near to him.
  Praise the LORD!

Sing to theLorda New Song

149   Praise the LORD!
  Sing to the LORD a new song,
    his praise in the assembly of the godly!
2   Let Israel be glad in his Maker;
    let the children of Zion rejoice in their King!
3   Let them praise his name with dancing,
    making melody to him with tambourine and lyre!
4   For the LORD takes pleasure in his people;
    he adorns the humble with salvation.
5   Let the godly exult in glory;
    let them sing for joy on their beds.
6   Let the high praises of God be in their throats
    and two-edged swords in their hands,
7   to execute vengeance on the nations
    and punishments on the peoples,
8   to bind their kings with chains
    and their nobles with fetters of iron,
9   to execute on them the judgment written!
    This is honor for all his godly ones.
  Praise the LORD!

Let Everything Praise theLord

150   Praise the LORD!
  Praise God in his sanctuary;
    praise him in his mighty heavens!²
2   Praise him for his mighty deeds;
    praise him according to his excellent greatness!
3   Praise him with trumpet sound;
    praise him with lute and harp!
4   Praise him with tambourine and dance;
    praise him with strings and pipe!
5   Praise him with sounding cymbals;
    praise him with loud clashing cymbals!
6   Let everything that has breath praise the LORD!
  Praise the LORD!

(ESV)

Psalms 114–115(Listen)

Tremble at the Presence of the Lord

114   When Israel went out from Egypt,
    the house of Jacob from a people of strange language,
2   Judah became his sanctuary,
    Israel his dominion.
3   The sea looked and fled;
    Jordan turned back.
4   The mountains skipped like rams,
    the hills like lambs.
5   What ails you, O sea, that you flee?
    O Jordan, that you turn back?
6   O mountains, that you skip like rams?
    O hills, like lambs?
7   Tremble, O earth, at the presence of the Lord,
    at the presence of the God of Jacob,
8   who turns the rock into a pool of water,
    the flint into a spring of water.

To Your Name Give Glory

115   Not to us, O LORD, not to us, but to your name give glory,
    for the sake of your steadfast love and your faithfulness!
2   Why should the nations say,
    “Where is their God?”
3   Our God is in the heavens;
    he does all that he pleases.
4   Their idols are silver and gold,
    the work of human hands.
5   They have mouths, but do not speak;
    eyes, but do not see.
6   They have ears, but do not hear;
    noses, but do not smell.
7   They have hands, but do not feel;
    feet, but do not walk;
    and they do not make a sound in their throat.
8   Those who make them become like them;
    so do all who trust in them.
9   O Israel,¹trust in the LORD!
    He is their help and their shield.
10   O house of Aaron, trust in the LORD!
    He is their help and their shield.
11   You who fear the LORD, trust in the LORD!
    He is their help and their shield.
12   The LORD has remembered us; he will bless us;
    he will bless the house of Israel;
    he will bless the house of Aaron;
13   he will bless those who fear the LORD,
    both the small and the great.
14   May the LORD give you increase,
    you and your children!
15   May you be blessed by the LORD,
    who made heaven and earth!
16   The heavens are the LORD’s heavens,
    but the earth he has given to the children of man.
17   The dead do not praise the LORD,
    nor do any who go down into silence.
18   But we will bless the LORD
    from this time forth and forevermore.
  Praise the LORD!

(ESV)

2 Corinthians 3:7–18(Listen)

7 Now if the ministry of death, carved in letters on stone, came with such glory that the Israelites could not gaze at Moses’ face because of its glory, which was being brought to an end,8 will not the ministry of the Spirit have even more glory?9 For if there was glory in the ministry of condemnation, the ministry of righteousness must far exceed it in glory.10 Indeed, in this case, what once had glory has come to have no glory at all, because of the glory that surpasses it.11 For if what was being brought to an end came with glory, much more will what is permanent have glory.

12 Since we have such a hope, we are very bold,13 not like Moses, who would put a veil over his face so that the Israelites might not gaze at the outcome of what was being brought to an end.14 But their minds were hardened. For to this day, when they read the old covenant, that same veil remains unlifted, because only through Christ is it taken away.15 Yes, to this day whenever Moses is read a veil lies over their hearts.16 But when one¹turns to the Lord, the veil is removed.17 Now the Lord²is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.18 And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord,³are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another.⁴For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.

(ESV)

Luke 9:18–27(Listen)

Peter Confesses Jesus as the Christ

18 Now it happened that as he was praying alone, the disciples were with him. And he asked them,“Who do the crowds say that I am?”19 And they answered, “John the Baptist. But others say, Elijah, and others, that one of the prophets of old has risen.”20 Then he said to them,“But who do you say that I am?”And Peter answered, “The Christ of God.”

Jesus Foretells His Death

21 And he strictly charged and commanded them to tell this to no one,22 saying,“The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised.”

Take Up Your Cross and Follow Jesus

23 And he said to all,“If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.24 For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it.25 For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits himself?26 For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words, of him will the Son of Man be ashamed when he comes in his glory and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.27 But I tell you truly, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God.”

(ESV)