Chesed is the Hebrew word for love - steadfast love, lovingkindness, mercy, loyalty. The abundance of chesed provides David with access to the House of the Lord. But the abundance of transgressions keeps the arrogant far from God.

David's evening psalm contrasts 2 ways of lying down for bed: those whose follow empty things should quietly meditate on how to be right with God. The one blessed by the Lord has nothing to do but sleep: he is secure in the Lord's peace.

The first Psalm of David - a morning prayer- was written while he fled from the rebellion of his son Absalom. A prayer of trust for deliverance, the recurring imagery is of arising.

Psalm 2 is a "long live the king" poem- honoring Israel's king and proclaiming victory over the world. It seems to flirt with the idea of the king being deity. In fact, it gets real Jesus-y real fast. I struggle to give it meaning for the original Hebrew, nonChristian audience.

Psalm 1 opens the compilation as a beatitude and the broadest view of God’s order for the world. It introduces recurring scroll 1 concepts like God as judge, two opposing sides, and day and night.

We’ll cover my titles for the Scroll 1 Psalms (1-41). We’ll also discussing some recurring themes of Scroll 1: God as judge, and 2 sides of a story. Many Scroll 1 Psalms come in contrasting pairs.