Segraves

Does Psalm 89 include an internal contradiction?

Daniel Segraves

October 22, 2024 | Daniel L. Segraves, Ph.D.

At last, I have finished my work with Psalm 89, the final psalm in Book 3 of the Psalter. Book 3 consists of Psalms 73-89. Early this morning I began work on Psalm 90, “A Prayer of Moses the man of God.” Since this is a prayer of Moses, it is apparently the oldest psalm included in the Psalter. It is, of course, the first psalm in Book 4, which extends through Psalm 106.

As I have mentioned before, my plan is to finish Psalm 106 by the end of this year and to submit it to the editor in hopes of publication before the 2025 general conference of the United Pentecostal Church International.

Now, what’s this about a possible contradiction in Psalm 89? When I post my progress in this project, I often include a snippet of what I have written on each psalm and remind you that my complete work will be included in the published book. I’m not going to do that here. Instead, I will include four verses from Psalm 89 in this post and let you think about their significance as it relates to my question. Here they are:

“I have made a covenant with my chosen, I have sworn unto David my servant, thy seed will I estabish for ever, and build up thy throne to all generations. Selah” (Psalm 89:3-4).

“Thou hast made void the covenant of thy servant: thou hast profaned his crown by casting it to the ground. …Thou hast made his glory to cease, and cast his throne down to the ground” (Psalm 89:39, 44).

Think it over!

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Now, on to Psalm 87

Daniel Segraves

September 8, 2024 | Daniel L. Segraves, Ph.D.

Six days ago, on September 3, 2024, I announced the completion of my work on Psalm 85. Now, I am pleased to say my research and comments on Psalm 86 were finished yesterday, and I have begun work on Psalm 87. [Please understand the word “finished” in this endeavor must be defined to allow for revisions or editorial work at some future point!]

I enjoyed studying Psalm 86. I frequently ask our Lord in prayer to help me rightly interpret the Scriptures and to understand how they testify of Him (Luke 24:44). I genuinely believe He opened my eyes to messianic themes I had not seen before in this psalm. I will share a bit of that with you in this post.

But first, I want to express my appreciation to my wife, Susan, for her work in redesigning the masthead of my blog. She has a great sense of design and works hard to get everything just right. Thank you, Susan!

Now, here are some of my comments on Psalm 86:16:

Psalm 86:16 indicates there is a son of someone who is the handmaid of the Lord, but the verse does not identify this son’s father. There is a clue to his identity, however, within the verse and in Psalm 89:26: “He shall cry unto me, Thou art my father, my God ….” If the person whose prayer is recorded in Psalm 86 is the same as the one whose prayer is found in Psalm 89:26, we know that the “son” of Psalm 86:16 is the Messiah, Jesus Christ.

Who, then, is His mother, the handmaid of the Lord? After her encounter with the angel Gabriel, who announced to Mary, “And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS,” Mary responded with these words: “Behold the handmaid of the Lord: be it unto me according to thy word” (Luke 1:31, 38). After her visit with Elisabeth, Mary said, “My soul doth magnify the Lord, and my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour. For he hath regarded the low estate of his handmaiden: for, behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed” (Luke 1:46-48).

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Celebrating our first date!

Daniel Segraves

September 5, 2024 | Daniel L. Segraves, Ph.D.

Daniel and Susan Segraves

Our first date was on June 15, 2013. I invited Susan to a concert by the Ambassadors of Harmony, an a capella men’s chorus consisting of more than 100 members. Their harmonies are breathtaking.

I discovered the AOH on YouTube while still living in California. I had no idea the chorus was headquartered in Saint Charles, Missouri, next door to Saint Peters, where Susan and I now live. Nor did I know their concerts were performed at the Touhill Performing Arts Center on the campus of the University of Missouri in St. Louis.

Many members of UPCI churches in the St Louis metro area attend these concerts, and on our first date, several of our friends, seeing us together for the first time, quickly figured out what was going on!

The photo above shows us at our most recent visit to hear the AOH. We are standing before a Steinway piano. The reason we have such big smiles is that we are happy people on the verge of celebrating our eleventh year of marriage! God has blessed us richly. We are deeply grateful He brought us together, and I am so glad Susan said, “Yes!”

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The Christology of John: In the Beginning

Daniel Segraves

July 31, 2024 | Daniel L. Segraves, Ph.D.

On the evening of July 24, 2024, I taught the third in a series of lessons on John’s Christology at The Sanctuary UPC in Hazelwood, Missouri, where Mitchell Bland is pastor. The previous two lessons in this series were taught by Jeffrey Brickle, Ph.D. and David Norris, Ph.D. Videos of all three lessons can be viewed by clicking on this link: The Sanctuary Live! – YouTube.

The following manuscript is the lesson I wrote and from which I taught. It includes information I didn’t have time to discuss while teaching the lesson.

In the Beginning [one column] The Sanctuary UPC July 24 2024Download

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A Surprising Discovery of a Blog Written by David K. Bernard and Something I Didn’t Know About Myself.

Daniel Segraves

June 26, 2024 | Daniel L. Segraves, Ph.D.

I don’t do much scrolling through Facebook. For years I avoided FB because I thought it would be a waste of time. This means when I do take some moments to see what’s happening in the world of social media, there’s a good possibility I will discover interesting and useful information for the first time. I had that experience earlier today when I came across an excellent blog post written by David K. Bernard. I admire our general superintendent and pray for him regularly. I believe God has raised him up to provide the leadership we need in the United Pentecostal Church International.

What I discovered today was a blog titled “David K. Bernard’s Recommended Tools for Studying the Bible.” To access the blog, left click on the following link. (This will bring up another link that includes “David K. Bernard.” Left click on that, and the page will open to allow you to read the entire post.) https://blog.pentecostalpublishing.com/2022/01/24/david-k-bernards-recommended-tools-for-studying-the-bible/

In his blog, Brother Bernard discusses the Apostolic Study Bible, Translations, Introductory Studies, Word Studies, Bible Dictionaries and Encyclopedias, Commentaries and Internet Resources. His recommendations are clear and thoughtful. Many of them would be found as required reading on the graduate level in conservative seminaries.

As I read his comments on the Apostolic Study Bible, I saw my name listed as a contributor to this first study Bible produced exclusively by Oneness Pentecostal scholars. I knew, of course, that I had written the study notes on Psalms, Proverbs, Hebrews, James, I Peter, II Peter and Jude as well as the signature articles on The Holy Spirit and the Gifts of the Spirit. Out of curiosity, I clicked on my name and, to my surprise, three pages opened before me displaying all forty-nine of my products available from the Pentecostal Publishing House. You may view these products by following the same instructions given above. (Click on the link below, then click on the next link that comes up.

https://pentecostalpublishing.com/search?q=Daniel+Segraves

I have twenty-one books in print. In addition, there are several digital resources including video and audio recordings on subjects including, but not limited to, “Elohim and the Plural Passages,” “Binding and Loosing: The Authority of the Church,” “The Influence of Hellenistic Philosophy on the Development of Christianity to Chalcedon.”

What’s the thing I didn’t know about myself? The Pentecostal Publishing House offers an audio file of mine titled “History of a Student.” I don’t have a clue what it’s about or when I did it. But you can buy it for $5.00.

If you decide to purchase what is apparently a talk I gave at some time and place, let me know what it’s all about. I hope you enjoy it!

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