41 Answer me when I call, God of my righteousness.
Give me relief from my distress.
Have mercy on me, and hear my prayer. 2 You sons of men, how long shall my glory be turned into dishonor?
Will you love vanity, and seek after falsehood? Selah. 3 But know that Yahweh has set apart for himself him who is godly:
Yahweh will hear when I call to him. 4 Stand in awe, and don’t sin.
Search your own heart on your bed, and be still. Selah. 5 Offer the sacrifices of righteousness.
Put your trust in Yahweh.
6 Many say, “Who will show us any good?”
Yahweh, let the light of your face shine on us. 7 You have put gladness in my heart,
more than when their grain and their new wine are increased. 8 In peace I will both lay myself down and sleep,
for you, Yahweh alone, make me live in safety.
51 Give ear to my words, Yahweh.
Consider my meditation. 2 Listen to the voice of my cry, my King and my God;
for to you do I pray. 3 Yahweh, in the morning you shall hear my voice.
In the morning I will lay my requests before you, and will watch expectantly. 4 For you are not a God who has pleasure in wickedness.
Evil can’t live with you. 5 The arrogant shall not stand in your sight.
You hate all workers of iniquity. 6 You will destroy those who speak lies.
Yahweh abhors the bloodthirsty and deceitful man.
7 But as for me, in the abundance of your loving kindness I will come into your house.
I will bow toward your holy temple in reverence of you. 8 Lead me, Yahweh, in your righteousness because of my enemies.
Make your way straight before my face. 9 For there is no faithfulness in their mouth.
Their heart is destruction.
Their throat is an open tomb.
They flatter with their tongue. 10 Hold them guilty, God.
Let them fall by their own counsels;
Thrust them out in the multitude of their transgressions,
for they have rebelled against you. 11 But let all those who take refuge in you rejoice,
Let them always shout for joy, because you defend them.
Let them also who love your name be joyful in you. 12 For you will bless the righteous.
Yahweh, you will surround him with favor as with a shield.
61 Yahweh, don’t rebuke me in your anger,
neither discipline me in your wrath. 2 Have mercy on me, Yahweh, for I am faint.
Yahweh, heal me, for my bones are troubled. 3 My soul is also in great anguish.
But you, Yahweh—how long? 4 Return, Yahweh. Deliver my soul,
and save me for your loving kindness’ sake. 5 For in death there is no memory of you.
In Sheol, who shall give you thanks? 6 I am weary with my groaning.
Every night I flood my bed.
I drench my couch with my tears. 7 My eye wastes away because of grief.
It grows old because of all my adversaries.
8 Depart from me, all you workers of iniquity,
for Yahweh has heard the voice of my weeping. 9 Yahweh has heard my supplication.
Yahweh accepts my prayer. 10 May all my enemies be ashamed and dismayed.
They shall turn back, they shall be disgraced suddenly.
16 Now while Paul waited for them at Athens, his spirit was provoked within him as he saw the city full of idols. 17 So he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and the devout persons, and in the marketplace every day with those who met him. 18 Some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers also [1] were conversing with him. Some said, “What does this babbler want to say?”
Others said, “He seems to be advocating foreign deities,” because he preached Jesus and the resurrection. 19 They took hold of him, and brought him to the Areopagus, saying, “May we know what this new teaching is, which is spoken by you? 20 For you bring certain strange things to our ears. We want to know therefore what these things mean.” 21 Now all the Athenians and the strangers living there spent their time in nothing else, but either to tell or to hear some new thing.
22 Paul stood in the middle of the Areopagus, and said, “You men of Athens, I perceive that you are very religious in all things. 23 For as I passed along, and observed the objects of your worship, I found also an altar with this inscription: ‘TO AN UNKNOWN GOD.’ What therefore you worship in ignorance, this I announce to you. 24 The God who made the world and all things in it, he, being Lord of heaven and earth, doesn’t dwell in temples made with hands, 25 neither is he served by men’s hands, as though he needed anything, seeing he himself gives to all life and breath, and all things. 26 He made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the surface of the earth, having determined appointed seasons, and the boundaries of their dwellings, 27 that they should seek the Lord, if perhaps they might reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us. 28 ‘For in him we live, and move, and have our being.’ As some of your own poets have said, ‘For we are also his offspring.’ 29 Being then the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Divine Nature is like gold, or silver, or stone, engraved by art and design of man. 30 The times of ignorance therefore God overlooked. But now he commands that all people everywhere should repent, 31 because he has appointed a day in which he will judge the world in righteousness by the man whom he has ordained; of which he has given assurance to all men, in that he has raised him from the dead.”
32 Now when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked; but others said, “We want to hear you again concerning this.” 33 Thus Paul went out from among them. 34 But certain men joined with him, and believed, among whom also was Dionysius the Areopagite, and a woman named Damaris, and others with them.
(Read Acts 17:16-21)
Athens was then famed for polite learning, philosophy, and the fine arts; but none are more childish and superstitious, more impious, or more credulous, than some persons, deemed eminent for learning and ability. It was wholly given to idolatry. The zealous advocate for the cause of Christ will be ready to plead for it in all companies, as occasion offers. Most of these learned men took no notice of Paul; but some, whose principles were the most directly contrary to Christianity, made remarks upon him. The apostle ever dwelt upon two points, which are indeed the principal doctrines of Christianity, Christ and a future state; Christ our way, and heaven our end. They looked on this as very different from the knowledge for many ages taught and professed at Athens; they desire to know more of it, but only because it was new and strange. They led him to the place where judges sat who inquired into such matters. They asked about Paul's doctrine, not because it was good, but because it was new. Great talkers are always busy-bodies. They spend their time in nothing else, and a very uncomfortable account they have to give of their time who thus spend it. Time is precious, and we are concerned to employ it well, because eternity depends upon it, but much is wasted in unprofitable conversation.
(Read Acts 17:22-31)
Here we have a sermon to heathens, who worshipped false gods, and were without the true God in the world; and to them the scope of the discourse was different from what the apostle preached to the Jews. In the latter case, his business was to lead his hearers by prophecies and miracles to the knowledge of the Redeemer, and faith in him; in the former, it was to lead them, by the common works of providence, to know the Creator, and worship Him. The apostle spoke of an altar he had seen, with the inscription, "TO THE UNKNOWN GOD." This fact is stated by many writers. After multiplying their idols to the utmost, some at Athens thought there was another god of whom they had no knowledge. And are there not many now called Christians, who are zealous in their devotions, yet the great object of their worship is to them an unknown God? Observe what glorious things Paul here says of that God whom he served, and would have them to serve. The Lord had long borne with idolatry, but the times of this ignorance were now ending, and by his servants he now commanded all men every where to repent of their idolatry. Each sect of the learned men would feel themselves powerfully affected by the apostle's discourse, which tended to show the emptiness or falsity of their doctrines.
(Read Acts 17:32-34)
The apostle was treated with more outward civility at Athens than in some other places; but none more despised his doctrine, or treated it with more indifference. Of all subjects, that which deserves the most attention gains the least. But those who scorn, will have to bear the consequences, and the word will never be useless. Some will be found, who cleave to the Lord, and listen to his faithful servants. Considering the judgement to come, and Christ as our Judge, should urge all to repent of sin, and turn to Him. Whatever matter is used, all discourses must lead to Him, and show his authority; our salvation, and resurrection, come from and by Him.
