Saturday, March 5, 2011

Psalms 146-150: The best thing about this book is that it ends

Psalm 146

Trust no one except god. God made the earth. God judges the wicked, sets prisoners free, feeds the hungry, cures blindness, frees slaves, helps the righteous, is kind to widows, orphans and strangers and awful to the wicked. Repeat something often enough, it will at least start to sound true.

Psalm 147

More of god's good deeds: he built Jerusalem, rescued the Israelites (from a situation he himself created, let's not forget), heals broken hearts and bones, named all the stars, helps the weak, punishes the wicked, gives us rain, makes the grass grow, feeds the animals, makes the wheat grow, causes seasons, winds and tides.

Psalm 148

Everything, from mountains to dragons, should praise the lord.

Psalm 149

We should praise god not just with singing and tambourines (though those are important), but also with swords, which we should use to exact vengeance on heathens and to tie up their kings and nobles.

Psalm 150

The instruments we should use to praise god: trumpets, psaltries (lutes), harps, tambourines, dancing, stringed instruments, organs, cymbals.

Finally! This book full of vicious invective about dropping coals on enemies and smacking their children against rocks is done. On now to Proverbs, the supposed collection of Solomon's wisdom. While reading it, let's not forget that this is the guy who wanted to cut a baby in half.

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