Ep. 104. Psalm 31-32 | Into Your Hands

EPISODE 104

INTO YOUR HANDS: PSALM 31-32

Jesus, on the cross, speaks again, "Into your hand, I commit my spirit." I think often about how much confusion we could erase from our theology if we just knew the Bible better, but 1189 chapters and over 31,000 verses is a lot of information to become familiar with. No wonder we find ourselves struggling, at times, to understand some of the hard things of the Bible. But perhaps those "hard" things aren't as bad as we think. Maybe we need a little more time in the Scriptures.

Once again, Jesus quoted from the Old Testament when he made this statement. Specifically, he is quoting Psalm 31:5. In context, we see that God rescues the one who is afflicted and hated and delivers the afflicted one from the wicked. Wicked men set upon Jesus; it was, after all, their hour and the power of darkness. But God would deliver Jesus from those who opposed him.

Thankfully, through Jesus's work, all who believe find that their sins have been covered and their transgressions completely forgiven. "Blessed is the man against whom the Lord counts no iniquity."

Some people say we don't need the Old Testament anymore since we have the New. Some even call themselves "New Testament" churches, excluding the Old. However, the Old Testament is so frequently quoted in the New Testament that you could only possibly understand the context and intent of the New if you have a grip on the Old.

Jesus quoted the 31st Psalm, Paul quoted the 32nd. I have found the NET Bible to be helpful in seeing clearly the New Testament references to the Old Testament. In the NET Bible, direct quotes are put in bold, and references are usually in italics. Could you do all the work on your own? Could you read the Bible scores of times and eventually catch all the quotes and references in the New Testament? Absolutely! But it will take you a very long time. Use the tools and resources others have made available to you to get a head start. Double-check your teachers; we still get things wrong sometimes, but don't feel like it is cheating to take advantage of the people who have gone before you and done the work. We are a community of believers. And the growth and maturity you are realizing will greatly benefit those who come behind you.

ADDITIONAL READING: Luke 23:46; Luke 22:50-53; Hebrews 12:3; Acts 2:23, Romans 4:7-8