Psalm 92 explained: A Sabbath Song About Lasting Growth

Praise morning and night (vv. 1-3)

The song's heading in Hebrew says it was meant for the Sabbath, the weekly day of rest that recalled God as maker of the world. Starting the day with God's love and ending it with God's faithfulness frames all of life, with stringed instruments carrying the music.

Glad about what God does (vv. 4-5)

The singer's joy comes from things God has actually done, which may mean creation, personal rescue, or both. Behind those deeds the singer senses plans too deep for anyone to fully grasp.

Grass that springs up fast (vv. 6-9)

Wrongdoers can seem to thrive, but grass that shoots up quickly also withers quickly, and the singer says only foolish people mistake that success for something lasting. Verse 8 sits at the exact center of the poem, putting God's permanent rule right in the middle of the contrast.

Horn and fresh oil (vv. 10-11)

A raised horn, like a wild ox's, was a picture of renewed strength, and fresh oil poured on the head meant honor and refreshment. The singer openly takes satisfaction in enemies' downfall, and the Hebrew of verse 11 is terse, literally just that the singer's eyes and ears take in what happens to them.

Palm tree and cedar (vv. 12-15)

Palms and the great cedars of Lebanon were known for long life, height and strength, the opposite of short-lived grass. People rooted near God, pictured as trees growing in the temple courts, stay fruitful even in old age and become living proof that God is fair and steady as a rock.

Key verse: Psalm 92:8

Where Christians differ

Christians differ on whether the promise that the righteous will flourish and the wicked be destroyed is mainly about what happens in this life or mainly about a final judgment and life beyond death.

Something to think about

When people who cause harm seem to thrive, what, if anything, helps you make sense of it?