Psalm 112

Righteousness Endures Forever

Often times in the psalms, we're told that we need to devote all of our energy to God.  This psalm asks this as well, but goes into detail about what a righteous life looks like, and what the benefits of this life would be.  We're immediately told in verse 1 that a person who praises God finds"delight in his commands", which tells us that serving God is not a burden or an obligation, but rather a joyous expression of thanks.  We are not to serve God because we're worried about what will happen if we don't but because serving the Lord is a reward in itself.

What are these rewards?  Well, according to this psalm, the benefit of righteousness is that it lasts forever.  In fact, this short psalm mentions this fact three separate times!  Why is it so important that our righteousness should live forever?  It is because God is righteous, and God is eternal.  All good men live forever with God, because the light always overcomes the dark, and God always triumphs over the wicked.  God never forgets our righteousness; It stays with Him forever.  As for the wicked?  We hear that they just waste away?  Whatever they have accomplished in life will be forever forgotten.  All of their wickedness will come to nothing.  Evil dies with the wicked man.  Righteousness lives forever with God.

How do we live this righteous life with God?  This psalm twice gives us the example of giving generously to others, particularly the poor.  I find is fascinating that generosity towards others is the prime example of righteousness in this psalm, particularly since such a Christian concept makes an anachronistic appearance in the Old Testament, particularly the psalms, where obeying God's laws  is often the barometer of righteousness.  The writer of this psalm, however, paints a picture of a generous God, who shares his grace freely and enthusiastically with His believers.  Naturally, then, God's demand for His generosity would be for us to be generous as well.  God's generosity knows no bounds, and if we are to live like Him, then we should be boundlessly generous as well.

1 Praise the Lord.

Blessed are those who fear the Lord,
    who find great delight in his commands.

2 Their children will be mighty in the land;
    the generation of the upright will be blessed.
3 Wealth and riches are in their houses,
    and their righteousness endures forever.
4 Even in darkness light dawns for the upright,
    for those who are gracious and compassionate and righteous.
5 Good will come to those who are generous and lend freely,
    who conduct their affairs with justice.

6 Surely the righteous will never be shaken;
    they will be remembered forever.
7 They will have no fear of bad news;
    their hearts are steadfast, trusting in the Lord.
8 Their hearts are secure, they will have no fear;
    in the end they will look in triumph on their foes.
9 They have freely scattered their gifts to the poor,
    their righteousness endures forever;
    their horn will be lifted high in honor.

10 The wicked will see and be vexed,
    they will gnash their teeth and waste away;
    the longings of the wicked will come to nothing.

Psalm 86

I Call To You Because You Answer Me

An intensely personal prayer of affliction, this psalm reminds us that it is our duty to give ourselves wholly to God, for he is compassionate and loving, and stands by the people who call to him.  The notion of God recognizing the people who come to Him is repeated several places in the text.  In verse two David says "Save your servant who trusts in you", while in verse 16 he says "Save me because I serve you".  Now, at first glance, I thought this psalm had a "scratch my back, and I'll scratch yours" kind of attitude; That David was saying "Hey Lord, I worship you alright, how I think I deserve a little help here!".

Of course, we all know this isn't the way God works.  There is no moral debit system with God, wherein if you do so many good deeds for the Lord, he owes you so much in return.  God doesn't want us to worship Him because we expect a reward.  We worship because we love and appreciate God, because we already know He loved and appreciated us first.  David clarifies this in verse 5, saying the Lord is "forgiving and good, abounding in love for all who call", and later when he proclaims he relies on God's faithfulness to walk the Lord's path.  David isn't demanding that God work for him because he acts a certain way, but instead, he has faith God will come through for him because he believes in God's grace.

Many times in David's psalms, he describes the Lord cutting down his enemies with swords and arrows, or otherwise facing the wrath of an angry God who fiercely avenges those who assault His followers.  That narrative is changed here.  David calls on a compassionate God who is slow to anger.  He asks God not to cut down his foes, but rather show his enemies His goodness, not so that they may perish, but so they can see the error of their ways.  David does not wish doom to his foes, but rather that they see through their hate and recognize this gracious and merciful God.

This is a very Christ like message hiding in the psalms!  David comes very close to saying "Love your enemy".  Because he is such a loyal servant to God, he feels the comfort and grace of the Lord, and he wants everyone to experience that, even those who conspire against him.  The worst he wishes on his accusers is shame.  Shame that they ignored the glory of God.  Hope that they can recognize His power and drop their wicked ways and follow Him.  As David told us, the Lord is abounding in love for all who call.  His forgiveness extends to all.

1 Hear me, Lord, and answer me,
    for I am poor and needy.
2 Guard my life, for I am faithful to you;
    save your servant who trusts in you.
You are my God; 3 have mercy on me, Lord,
    for I call to you all day long.
4 Bring joy to your servant, Lord,
    for I put my trust in you.

5 You, Lord, are forgiving and good,
    abounding in love to all who call to you.
6 Hear my prayer, Lord;
    listen to my cry for mercy.
7 When I am in distress, I call to you,
    because you answer me.

8 Among the gods there is none like you, Lord;
    no deeds can compare with yours.
9 All the nations you have made
    will come and worship before you, Lord;
    they will bring glory to your name.
10 For you are great and do marvelous deeds;
    you alone are God.

11 Teach me your way, Lord,
    that I may rely on your faithfulness;
give me an undivided heart,
    that I may fear your name.
12 I will praise you, Lord my God, with all my heart;
    I will glorify your name forever.
13 For great is your love toward me;
    you have delivered me from the depths,
    from the realm of the dead.

14 Arrogant foes are attacking me, O God;
    ruthless people are trying to kill me—
    they have no regard for you.
15 But you, Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God,
    slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness.
16 Turn to me and have mercy on me;
    show your strength in behalf of your servant;
save me, because I serve you
    just as my mother did.
17 Give me a sign of your goodness,
    that my enemies may see it and be put to shame,
    for you, Lord, have helped me and comforted me.

Psalm 131

Put Your Hope In The Lord

What strikes me most about this psalm authored by David is how intensely personal it is.  David comes before God and proclaims his humility before God, and to demonstrate that humility, he explains how content he is just living in God's comforting embrace.  Of course, real life is never that simple; It wasn't for David, and it isn't for us today.  David may have been content just living a Godly life, but God chose him to rule a kingdom and lead armies.  God chooses us to do other things as well, and while we would always like to dedicate our lives to a relationship with God, a million little things always seem to get in the way.  David seems to recognize this, and takes a moment in his busy life to humble himself and thank God.

Verse 2 has some interesting language as well, as David describes God in a very feminine matter.  We're accustomed to the notion of "God the Father", but here it almost sounds like "God the Mother".  When describing the relationship between God and himself, he refers to himself as a weaning infant with his mother.  When a child is weaned, they gradually stop depending on their mother's milk to sustain them entirely, and still require it occasionally.  Perhaps David feels like God has sent him into the world to fend for himself.  However, if he finds himself wanting, he can still rely on him "mother" to provide for him.  He need not worry, because the mother will keep him content.  He can remain calm because he knows God will provide all of his needs.

David tells us he does not "concern myself with great matters or things too wonderful for me".  Honestly, I found this very confusing.  Is this a declaration of humility before God?  I think it could be.  After all, he declares his humility, as he was just a shepherd who didn't aspire to power, but was chosen by God to lead His people.  Was David telling us that he didn't aspire to the throne, but he'll accept it because it was God's command?  Perhaps.

I think David could also tell us that he is accepting God's command, but he's doing it reluctantly.  After all, many psalms of David as full of lament.  He constantly tells us of the danger and wickedness around him, and being the King puts that bulls-eye on his back.  That's certainly something I can relate with.    David, a righteous man who is beloved by God, even has his concerns about God's plan for him.  Who among us can say that they have felt the same way?  That they want to obey God, but God might give them more than they think they can handle.

Still, above all things, David obeys God.  He accepts the burdens, and then looks to God for help.  When we too, humble ourselves to God, we can share in His comfort.  God's love is like a mother's love; it calms us and makes us content.  Now and forevermore.

1 My heart is not proud, Lord,
    my eyes are not haughty;
I do not concern myself with great matters
    or things too wonderful for me.
2 But I have calmed and quieted myself,
    I am like a weaned child with its mother;
    like a weaned child I am content.

3 Israel, put your hope in the Lord
    both now and forevermore.

Psalm 44

Therefore We Will Not Fear

This a psalm of praise and comfort, that reminds us, no matter what dangers or trials we will face in our lives, God is ever present in our lives, and He will provide comfort and guidance during these trying times.  As far as a theme for a psalm, it is pretty common, but there are some great ideas hiding under the surface.  The psalm writer refers to God a few important ways here, as both a refuge and a fortress.  While those two words can be synonymous, they do mean slightly different things.  A refuge is a place that provides protection from danger, while a fortress provides protection from attack.

This psalm describes many dangers that believers can face.  This psalm describes the earth shaking, the waters rumbling, and the mountains crashing into the sea.  God is our refuge from these natural disasters, therefore we need not fear them.  God is much greater than the Earth and the powerful forces that disrupt it.  Even an event as dramatic as mountains crashing into the sea is no match for God.  He is also our fortress from attacks from our enemies.  This psalm describes God ending wars throughout the world.  The combined power of the human war machine is no match for God.  He takes our  implements of war and breaks them and burns them.  What this teaches us is that human power, as great is it may be, is no match for God's power.  Those that humble before God will have their fortress in His love.  Those that try to rival his strength will have his weapons destroyed.

In my last post, I talked about how what we say matters to God.  This psalm is cool because it reminds us that what God says is important too.  We hear two instances of God speaking, once directly, and another indirectly.  Verse 6 tells us "Kingdoms fall; He lifts His voice and the Earth melts."  That is powerful imagery to me, which reminds us again to humble ourselves before God, because not only the kingdoms of men, but the Earth itself, will act at the command of God.  Verse 10 quotes the voice of God directly.  I love that the first thing God says is "Be still and know that I am God!".  I picture a battlefield full of soldiers hearing God's voice, and just dropping their weapons on His command, suddenly realizing the enormity of His power.

People are born, and then they die.  Mighty nations rise, and then fall from power.  The Earth itself will collapse and tremble.  But God is forever.  He will not fall.    He is eternal.  And He is with us.

1 God is our refuge and strength,
    an ever-present help in trouble.
2 Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way
    and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,
3 though its waters roar and foam
    and the mountains quake with their surging.

4 There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,
    the holy place where the Most High dwells.
5 God is within her, she will not fall;
    God will help her at break of day.
6 Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall;
    he lifts his voice, the earth melts.

7 The Lord Almighty is with us;
    the God of Jacob is our fortress.

8 Come and see what the Lord has done,
    the desolations he has brought on the earth.
9 He makes wars cease
    to the ends of the earth.
He breaks the bow and shatters the spear;
    he burns the shields with fire.
10 He says, “Be still, and know that I am God;
    I will be exalted among the nations,
    I will be exalted in the earth.”

11 The Lord Almighty is with us;
    the God of Jacob is our fortress.

Psalm 64

Ponder What He Has Done

We come across yet another one of David's psalms where he asks God for deliverance from the threats of his enemies.  Per usual, his adversaries have damaged him, and he pleads to God for help, having faith that God will recognize His righteous people and save them from harm.  What interests me is how his are attacking him this time.  Instead of swords and arrows, his enemies use their sharp tongues and "cruel words" against David.  Despite the notions that words never hurt, we learn instead that men's words can be just as dangerous as weapons, and when it comes to using your words for wicked purposes, God notices.

I think that we tend to believe that what we do really counts when it comes to God, and what we say isn't as important.  I mean, if we say something inappropriate, we can always double back with "I didn't really mean it", or "Just because I said it doesn't mean I'll really do it".  I can picture the men plotting against David, after being confronted by the king, saying "C'mon your highness, we're just joking around!  We would never really stab you in your sleep!".  After reading this psalm, I realize much more than before that God takes what we say seriously.  In the 10 Commandments, three of them (and arguably more) directly involve what we say; We're to not take the Lord's name in vain, we're not to bear false witness, and we must honor our parents.  What we say has consequences.  It has consequences between people, and it has consequences with our relationship to God.

Like most psalms where enemies accost David, the wicked are eventually defeated when their evil ways alienate God and he turns against them.  The way it goes down in this psalm is particularly interesting to me, because God's punishment seems deliciously ironic.  What does God do with men who speak wickedly against others?  "He will turn their own tongues against them, and bring them to ruin."  Another way I look at this is that men are ruined by their own sin.  God isn't punishing them for their own lies and deceit, they are destroying themselves because eventually, their lies and deceit eat away at their lives and lead them to ruin.  And that is the way sin works; It eats away at our lives, and drags us away from God.  The lesson here, to me at least, is that we shouldn't avoid sin because God will punish us, we should avoid sin because sin itself is the punishment.

1 Hear me, my God, as I voice my complaint;
    protect my life from the threat of the enemy.

2 Hide me from the conspiracy of the wicked,
    from the plots of evildoers.
3 They sharpen their tongues like swords
    and aim cruel words like deadly arrows.
4 They shoot from ambush at the innocent;
    they shoot suddenly, without fear.

5 They encourage each other in evil plans,
    they talk about hiding their snares;
    they say, “Who will see it?”
6 They plot injustice and say,
    “We have devised a perfect plan!”
    Surely the human mind and heart are cunning.

7 But God will shoot them with his arrows;
    they will suddenly be struck down.
8 He will turn their own tongues against them
    and bring them to ruin;
    all who see them will shake their heads in scorn.
9 All people will fear;
    they will proclaim the works of God
    and ponder what he has done.

10 The righteous will rejoice in the Lord
    and take refuge in him;
    all the upright in heart will glory in him!

Psalm 27

That I May Dwell In The House of the Lord

Above all, this is a psalm of trust.  David, the author, implores us trust in the Lord, that whatever may befall us, we have to have faith that God will be with us and He will deliver us from the trials in our life.  We have interesting bookends to this psalm give us two perspectives to this broader idea.  The first verse tells us "The Lord is our light and salvation, whom shall I fear?" while the final verse says "Be strong and take heart, and wait for the Lord".  The implication I see is that God is always with you, and you should not consider the troubles of the world.  On the other hand, you also need patience, because God might not react the way you expect Him to.

One of my favorite aspects of this psalm is David's insistence that the reward of a life lived for God is not something that needs to wait until death.  As Christians, I think sometimes we get too caught up in the afterlife, and living together with Christ as a reward for living righteously.  David, however, twice tells us that he will live with God during his mortal life.  How will he accomplish this?  By working together with God.  He wants to live a Godly life, but he needs help.  He's not strong enough to do it on his own, so he needs God's guidance to lead him on a straight path.  He is humble to God's power over his life.  Without his trust in God, he'd succumb to his enemies.

The Lord is his light and salvation.  In this discussion of trust in God, and fearing nothing because God is with you, I like the imagery of light.  Outside of God, the world is shrouded in darkness.  We fear what we don't know, and what we can't see.  God shines his light on the things we fear.  We are no longer venturing in the dark unknown, and thus, have no need to fear.  And perhaps this is the trust that David speaks of.  He knows that by living righteously, by allowing God to help him on His path, God will light the path before Him.  As he faces the dangers in his life, even if, as he says "My mother and father forsake me", he has love and comfort in God's light above all things.   The light overcomes the darkness.  Whom shall we fear?

1 The Lord is my light and my salvation—
    whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the stronghold of my life—
    of whom shall I be afraid?

2 When the wicked advance against me
    to devour me,
it is my enemies and my foes
    who will stumble and fall.
3 Though an army besiege me,
    my heart will not fear;
though war break out against me,
    even then I will be confident.

4 One thing I ask from the Lord,
    this only do I seek:
that I may dwell in the house of the Lord
    all the days of my life,
to gaze on the beauty of the Lord
    and to seek him in his temple.
5 For in the day of trouble
    he will keep me safe in his dwelling;
he will hide me in the shelter of his sacred tent
    and set me high upon a rock.

6 Then my head will be exalted
    above the enemies who surround me;
at his sacred tent I will sacrifice with shouts of joy;
    I will sing and make music to the Lord.

7 Hear my voice when I call, Lord;
    be merciful to me and answer me.
8 My heart says of you, “Seek his face!”
    Your face, Lord, I will seek.
9 Do not hide your face from me,
    do not turn your servant away in anger;
    you have been my helper.
Do not reject me or forsake me,
    God my Savior.
10 Though my father and mother forsake me,
    the Lord will receive me.
11 Teach me your way, Lord;
    lead me in a straight path
    because of my oppressors.
12 Do not turn me over to the desire of my foes,
    for false witnesses rise up against me,
    spouting malicious accusations.

13 I remain confident of this:
    I will see the goodness of the Lord
    in the land of the living.
14 Wait for the Lord;
    be strong and take heart
    and wait for the Lord.

Psalm 78

God Most High Was Always Their Redeemer 

This psalm initially seems like a cliff notes history lesson of the Hebrew people from Moses to David.  It's almost difficult to tell if this psalm is intended as a celebration of that history, a warning not to repeat it, or a little bit of both.  Asaph the writer basically tells us, time and time again, God redeems His chosen people, only for them to continually turn away from Him and suffer, until God has mercy and rescues them once more.  However, Asaph is determined that his generation will not be like the previous who turned from God, so he prefaces this history by telling us that God's laws must never be forgotten.  They must be passed down from generation to generation, so that the awful things that happened in the past are not repeated.  He finds redemption in the continual sin of his people, because they can teach the next generation to serve God thankfully.

A phrase in the history that stuck out to me because it was repeated was "Put God to the test".  This is used in both verse 18,  verse 41, and much later is verse 56.  To me, I conjure up the imagery of God being pushed and pushed until, against His will, he reaches His breaking point and simply has to do something.  God provides so much for His people, but becomes upset when they do not appreciate everything He has done for them.  As an example, Asaph tells us of God providing for the Hebrews in the desert as they fled from Egypt.  They were hungry and thirsty, and God provided them water from stone and manna from heaven.  However, even while the food was in their mouths, they turned away from God.  That is seriously putting God to the test.  As we see time and time again, God desperately wants to provide for His people, but only if they are appreciative and humble.  Failure to do so is putting God to the test.

"In spite of His wonders, they did not believe", is what Asaph tells us, as he laments his ancestors fail to live up to the covenant.  Yet, he praises God's mercy, as He continually restrains His anger, and remembers we "were but flesh".  The one thing that really seems to earn God's ire here is idolatry.  God doesn't want to be second to anything, but He really does not want false God's being praised for His wonders.  Failing to learn this lesson, the Hebrew people were ignored by God and suffered the consequences.  This psalm ends on a high note, however, and speaks optimistically towards God's favor towards David, and the reign of his line.

The key take away from all of this, for me at least, is that while God will turn against those who forsake Him, he does so unwillingly, and he always comes back to you.  In this history, after suffering apart from God, the people, time and time again, call back to God, and begin to obey God again, and then God comes to their rescue.  Even though they sin, they still look towards God, and God hears their cries.  Our God is a loving God, who always wants a close relationship with His people.  He always keeps up His end of the Covenant.  The bigger challenge is for us to keep up our end.

1 My people, hear my teaching;
    listen to the words of my mouth.
2 I will open my mouth with a parable;
    I will utter hidden things, things from of old—
3 things we have heard and known,
    things our ancestors have told us.
4 We will not hide them from their descendants;
    we will tell the next generation
the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord,
    his power, and the wonders he has done.
5 He decreed statutes for Jacob
    and established the law in Israel,
which he commanded our ancestors
    to teach their children,
6 so the next generation would know them,
    even the children yet to be born,
    and they in turn would tell their children.
7 Then they would put their trust in God
    and would not forget his deeds
    but would keep his commands.
8 They would not be like their ancestors—
    a stubborn and rebellious generation,
whose hearts were not loyal to God,
    whose spirits were not faithful to him.

9 The men of Ephraim, though armed with bows,
    turned back on the day of battle;
10 they did not keep God’s covenant
    and refused to live by his law.
11 They forgot what he had done,
    the wonders he had shown them.
12 He did miracles in the sight of their ancestors
    in the land of Egypt, in the region of Zoan.
13 He divided the sea and led them through;
    he made the water stand up like a wall.
14 He guided them with the cloud by day
    and with light from the fire all night.
15 He split the rocks in the wilderness
    and gave them water as abundant as the seas;
16 he brought streams out of a rocky crag
    and made water flow down like rivers.

17 But they continued to sin against him,
    rebelling in the wilderness against the Most High.
18 They willfully put God to the test
    by demanding the food they craved.
19 They spoke against God;
    they said, “Can God really
    spread a table in the wilderness?
20 True, he struck the rock,
    and water gushed out,
    streams flowed abundantly,
but can he also give us bread?
    Can he supply meat for his people?”
21 When the Lord heard them, he was furious;
    his fire broke out against Jacob,
    and his wrath rose against Israel,
22 for they did not believe in God
    or trust in his deliverance.
23 Yet he gave a command to the skies above
    and opened the doors of the heavens;
24 he rained down manna for the people to eat,
    he gave them the grain of heaven.
25 Human beings ate the bread of angels;
    he sent them all the food they could eat.
26 He let loose the east wind from the heavens
    and by his power made the south wind blow.
27 He rained meat down on them like dust,
    birds like sand on the seashore.
28 He made them come down inside their camp,
    all around their tents.
29 They ate till they were gorged—
    he had given them what they craved.
30 But before they turned from what they craved,
    even while the food was still in their mouths,
31 God’s anger rose against them;
    he put to death the sturdiest among them,
    cutting down the young men of Israel.

32 In spite of all this, they kept on sinning;
    in spite of his wonders, they did not believe.
33 So he ended their days in futility
    and their years in terror.
34 Whenever God slew them, they would seekhim;
    they eagerly turned to him again.
35 They remembered that God was their Rock,
    that God Most High was their Redeemer.
36 But then they would flatter him with their mouths,
    lying to him with their tongues;
37 their hearts were not loyal to him,
    they were not faithful to his covenant.
38 Yet he was merciful;
    he forgave their iniquities
    and did not destroy them.
Time after time he restrained his anger
    and did not stir up his full wrath.
39 He remembered that they were but flesh,
    a passing breeze that does not return.

40 How often they rebelled against him in the wilderness
    and grieved him in the wasteland!
41 Again and again they put God to the test;
    they vexed the Holy One of Israel.
42 They did not remember his power—
    the day he redeemed them from the oppressor,
43 the day he displayed his signs in Egypt,
    his wonders in the region of Zoan.
44 He turned their river into blood;
    they could not drink from their streams.
45 He sent swarms of flies that devoured them,
    and frogs that devastated them.
46 He gave their crops to the grasshopper,
    their produce to the locust.
47 He destroyed their vines with hail
    and their sycamore-figs with sleet.
48 He gave over their cattle to the hail,
    their livestock to bolts of lightning.
49 He unleashed against them his hot anger,
    his wrath, indignation and hostility—
    a band of destroying angels.
50 He prepared a path for his anger;
    he did not spare them from death
    but gave them over to the plague.
51 He struck down all the firstborn of Egypt,
    the firstfruits of manhood in the tents of Ham.
52 But he brought his people out like a flock;
    he led them like sheep through the wilderness.
53 He guided them safely, so they were unafraid;
    but the sea engulfed their enemies.
54 And so he brought them to the border of his holy land,
    to the hill country his right hand had taken.
55 He drove out nations before them
    and allotted their lands to them as an inheritance;
    he settled the tribes of Israel in their homes.

56 But they put God to the test
    and rebelled against the Most High;
    they did not keep his statutes.
57 Like their ancestors they were disloyal and faithless,
    as unreliable as a faulty bow.
58 They angered him with their high places;
    they aroused his jealousy with their idols.
59 When God heard them, he was furious;
    he rejected Israel completely.
60 He abandoned the tabernacle of Shiloh,
    the tent he had set up among humans.
61 He sent the ark of his might into captivity,
    his splendor into the hands of the enemy.
62 He gave his people over to the sword;
    he was furious with his inheritance.
63 Fire consumed their young men,
    and their young women had no wedding songs;
64 their priests were put to the sword,
    and their widows could not weep.

65 Then the Lord awoke as from sleep,
    as a warrior wakes from the stupor of wine.
66 He beat back his enemies;
    he put them to everlasting shame.
67 Then he rejected the tents of Joseph,
    he did not choose the tribe of Ephraim;
68 but he chose the tribe of Judah,
    Mount Zion, which he loved.
69 He built his sanctuary like the heights,
    like the earth that he established forever.
70 He chose David his servant
    and took him from the sheep pens;
71 from tending the sheep he brought him
    to be the shepherd of his people Jacob,
    of Israel his inheritance.
72 And David shepherded them with integrity of heart;
    with skillful hands he led them.