HeyJaredChunks: The Book of Psalms
If the Bible had a hymnal, it would be the book of Psalms. This diverse collection of 150 poems and prayers runs the gamut of emotion and experience, from songs of highest praise to the deepest depths of lament, from prayers for help and salvation to vehement curses against…
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- Sep 29, 2026
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Episode 122: Strength for the journey (opens the original)
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Some of the language of Psalm 84 suggests that it may have been sung by God’s people as they made pilgrimage to Jerusalem; the pilgrimage may even have been led by the king. One of the places the people pass through on the way to the temple is “the valley of Baka,” which can be translated as “The Valley of Tears.” It may have been a literal place, or a metaphorical reminder of the people’s suffering. But either way, the song reminds those who sing it of the beauty that can spring up along the wa
Episode 121: His eye is on the sparrow (opens the original)
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When reading Psalm 84, one gets the sense that the psalmist feels a bit rootless when away from the temple, almost envying those who get to spend more time there. That includes not only those with priestly duties, but…the birds. Sparrows and swallows have made their nests there. Did the Korahites think of their twittering as praise? We might also think of how Jesus used the image of tiny sparrows to teach his followers about the tender care of God.
Episode 120: Living temples (opens the original)
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Typically, we speak casually of “going to church” without thinking about the meaning of what we’re saying. As you may already know, however, the New Testament word that’s translated as “church” doesn’t refer to a building; it refers to a people. Still, how should we understand a song like Psalm 84, in which the psalmist aches to be in the temple? The psalmist isn’t longing for the building per se, but for the presence of God. And that should give us pause when we think of the New Testament image
Episode 119: Breaking free from family history (opens the original)
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Eleven psalms in the Psalter are attributed to the sons of Korah, including Psalm 84, a song that expresses a deep yearning for the temple. Who were the Korahites? Their tragic story of ambition, rebellion, and divine retribution is told in Numbers 16—a story that tainted the family name. But that reputation would eventually be redeemed. Whereas before, the Korahites weren’t content to be Levites, Psalm 84 reflects instead their joyous return to Levitical duty.
Episode 118: You are what you worship (opens the original)
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For many of us living in the modern world, the very idea of idolatry may sound a bit quaint; who, for example, has a little statue of a fertility goddess sitting in their living room? But every culture in every age has its own form of idolatry. In Psalm 135, we may not be able to relate to the psalmist’s description of handmade statues of silver and gold, but we should pay attention to the warning that follows: “Those who make them will be like them, and so will all who trust in them” (vs. 8). H
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