Christian Art | Prayer With Jesus | Psalms | Song Of Quiet Trust | King David As A Boy | Audio KJV | Love Revealed By Jesus Christ | King James Audio Bible
Psalm 131 | King James Audio Bible
YouTube: Psalm 131 KJV | King James Audio Bible
Psalm 131, attributed to David, begins with a declaration of humility: ‘Lord, my heart is not haughty, nor mine eyes lofty.’ Here, the psalmist asserts a conscious rejection of pride and arrogance, setting the tone for a meditation on humility and trust in God.
The psalm moves to an analogy, rich in its simplicity and depth: ‘Surely I have behaved and quieted myself, as a child that is weaned of his mother: my soul is even as a weaned child.’ This simile draws a parallel between the psalmist’s state of being and a weaned child. It suggests a transition from dependency and longing to a state of self-contained peace and contentment, detached from the restless pursuit of worldly desires and ambitions.
Concluding with an exhortation to the collective faith community, the psalmist extends this personal reflection to a communal dimension: ‘Let Israel hope in the Lord from henceforth and forever.’ This verse serves as both directive and declaration, anchoring the psalm’s theme in a collective, enduring hope in the Lord. It encapsulates a universal message, urging the community to embrace a similar posture of humble trust and hopeful anticipation.
Psalm 131 | King James Audio Bible
Lord, my heart is not haughty, nor mine eyes lofty: neither do I exercise myself in great matters, or in things too high for me.
Surely I have behaved and quieted myself, as a child that is weaned of his mother: my soul is even as a weaned child.
Let Israel hope in the Lord from henceforth and for ever.
Psalm 131 | King James Audio Bible
- Humility And Rejection Of Pride: The psalm opens with a declaration of humility, stating ‘Lord, my heart is not haughty, nor mine eyes lofty.’ This sets the foundation for the theme of humility, emphasizing the importance of a humble heart and a spirit that shuns arrogance.
- Contentment And Peace: The simile of a weaned child illustrates a profound sense of contentment and inner peace. The imagery of a child at rest, no longer seeking sustenance from the mother, symbolizes a soul that has found tranquility beyond worldly desires.
- Trust And Dependence On God: The psalm reflects a deep trust in the divine, akin to a child’s reliance on a parent. This trust is not born of naivety but of a mature, calm faith that understands the limitations of human control and the necessity of divine guidance.
- Collective Hope And Faith: The closing verse of the psalm extends its message to the community of believers, encouraging collective hope in the Lord. It underscores the communal aspect of faith, urging a shared commitment to trust and hope in divine providence.
- Spiritual Maturity: The progression from a state of dependency to one of peaceful independence mirrors the journey of spiritual maturity. The psalmist’s attitude reflects a spiritual growth that moves beyond immediate desires to a more profound understanding of and relationship with the divine.
The poem describes a vivid allegory in which the Virtues are portrayed as a courtly assembly, seated in an orderly hierarchy, with Humility occupying the lowest but most crucial position. The scene is set on an ‘azure throne’, emphasizing the elevated and celestial nature of these qualities. Around this throne, animals and birds bring symbolic tokens, illustrating their inherent traits and how these can be transformed or appropriated by the Virtues. The interplay between the virtues, the animals, and the chaos that ensues offers a meditation on the delicate harmony required to maintain moral order, the dangers of pride and discontent, and the reconciling power of humility [ … ]
Origen’s reflection on Jesus’ words in John’s Gospel, ‘Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up,’ (John 2:19) draws together several layers of meaning. At the literal level, Jesus refers to the temple in Jerusalem, a central symbol of Israel’s covenant with God. Yet Origen, following John’s own interpretation (John 2:21), sees that Jesus is ultimately speaking of his own body, which would be destroyed in death and raised in resurrection [ … ]
In the season of Eastertide, when the Church celebrates the Risen Christ and the new life Jesus brings, the Office of Readings offers a passage from the First Apology of Saint Justin Martyr that invites us to return to the wellspring of that life—Holy Baptism. In this passage, Saint Justin, writing in the mid-2nd century, provides one of the earliest extra-biblical descriptions of Christian baptism. His account is not only historically significant but theologically rich, revealing how the early Church understood baptism as a conscious, transformative rebirth through Christ, in the power of the Holy Spirit [ … ]
