Jesus sampled.  Throughout his teaching Jesus clearly referenced and reinterpreted scriptures from the law, the prophets, and the writings of what we call, “The Old Testament.”  In the Sermon on the Mount we see these connections repeatedly.  Not only does Jesus harken to the law of Moses, he also weaves in the Psalms of David.

“Blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the earth.” – Matthew 5:5

“But the meek shall inherit the land, and delight themselves in abundant prosperity.” – Psalm 37:11

While our sermon series on the Sermon on the Mount has just concluded, this week we will look at one of the psalms that Jesus incorporated into it.  Psalm 37 is full of beautiful verses:

“Be still before the Lord, and wait patiently for God” – verse 7

“The Lord makes firm the steps of the one who delights in God; though he may stumble, he will not fall, for the Lord upholds him.” – verses 23-24

“The salvation of the righteous comes from the Lord; God is their stronghold in time of trouble. The Lord helps them and delivers them” – verses 39-40

As you begin this week I encourage you to read the full Psalm 37.  Psalm 37 is an acrostic with 22 lines, each beginning with a letter of the Hebrew alphabet (although, unless you’re reading it in Hebrew this won’t matter much).  This structure likely made it easier to memorize and recite throughout the day.  Perhaps this psalm was one that Jesus sang to himself as Psalm 37 clearly resonated with him.  My prayer is that there will be a verse or two in it that through which the Holy Spirit sings to you.