65 Then the Lord rose up as though waking from sleep, like a warrior aroused from a drunken stupor.
66 He routed his enemies and sent them to eternal shame.
67 But he rejected Joseph’s descendants; he did not choose the tribe of Ephraim.
68 He chose instead the tribe of Judah, and Mount Zion, which he loved.
69 There he built his sanctuary as high as the heavens, as solid and enduring as the earth.
70 He chose his servant David, calling him from the sheep pens.
71 He took David from tending the ewes and lambs and made him the shepherd of Jacob’s descendants— God’s own people, Israel.
72 He cared for them with a true heart and led them with skillful hands.
Maybe God has His favorites...
After all, He rejected Ephraim and chose Judah. There has to be a reason.
Well, of course there is. Judah was David's tribe and God loved David above all others. It's an interesting concept, that we can be blessed by God simply because we are part of a larger group that God has chosen. What a blessing...to enjoy the benefits of being from the tribe of Judah...simply through the coincidence of birth. we should recognize a couple of things from this: First, the station we enjoy in life may have nothing directly to do with us...we are simply beneficiaries of one of God's larger plans. also, we should live responsibly so we don't jeopardize God's good grace.
There was a day when Americans felt supremely blessed simply for having been born into a nation that God had evidently chosen to promote His plan of evangelism. Millions of unbelieving countrymen laid claim to the untold wealth and opportunity God bestowed upon our country. that's fine. Scripture tells us blessings fall on the just and the unjust.
Who do you suppose it was? D.L. Moody? Billy Graham? You? Me? God saw something in somebody...and in showing favor to them the whole of America benefited.
But...things seem to have changed. Rarely do we hear people attribute their blessings to God. They prefer to credit their hard work...or ingenuity. If we look at the tribe of Judah we quickly observe That God won't tolerate that for long.
We are told that "righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is the reproach of any people." Sound like anyplace we know? I want to walk in obedience because I don't want to be the one God looks at and says "I've had enough!" you see, it's not just me who would pay.
How about you? Can you live with your neighbor in mind? If you do...God gets His way and evangelism remains alive and well.
Live boldly out there today...
October 9, 2010
October 8, 2010
Psalm 78:56-64
56 But they kept testing and rebelling against God Most High. They did not obey his laws.
57 They turned back and were as faithless as their parents. They were as undependable as a crooked bow.
58 They angered God by building shrines to other gods; they made him jealous with their idols.
59 When God heard them, he was very angry, and he completely rejected Israel.
60 Then he abandoned his dwelling at Shiloh, the Tabernacle where he had lived among the people.
61 He allowed the Ark of his might to be captured; he surrendered his glory into enemy hands.
62 He gave his people over to be butchered by the sword, because he was so angry with his own people—his special possession.
63 Their young men were killed by fire; their young women died before singing their wedding songs.
64 Their priests were slaughtered, and their widows could not mourn their deaths.
"Then God abandoned his dwelling place at Shiloh."
How bad does it have to get before God finally says "I've had enough?" We're told they continued testing and rebelling against God...refusing to obey him." I don't know exactly when that point is, but I think we should be very concerned about it. When God decides to turn us over to the natural consequences of our rebellion we have no protection against the slings and arrows of our enemies.
It really becomes a jungle out there. I have no interest in fighting for survival every day. It's tough enough when I am counting on God as my defense.
This is how God has always worked with His people: when we obey he gets involved with all the considerable power at his disposal. When we insist on going our own way God sits on the sidelines and watches us muddle along...often with disastrous results. It's our choice. Only our pride prevents us from going to our bench and asking for help.
I seem to have to relearn this regularly. My experience has always been that God is never more than prayer away. When He returns my life regains purpose and meaning. The problem is...the longer I wait, the more rubble I have to clean up. We can clean our house daily or we can clean it a couple of times a year. We both know which plan takes the most work. Plus, at some point the mess is no longer fun to live with. Be smarter than that.
Live boldly out there today...
57 They turned back and were as faithless as their parents. They were as undependable as a crooked bow.
58 They angered God by building shrines to other gods; they made him jealous with their idols.
59 When God heard them, he was very angry, and he completely rejected Israel.
60 Then he abandoned his dwelling at Shiloh, the Tabernacle where he had lived among the people.
61 He allowed the Ark of his might to be captured; he surrendered his glory into enemy hands.
62 He gave his people over to be butchered by the sword, because he was so angry with his own people—his special possession.
63 Their young men were killed by fire; their young women died before singing their wedding songs.
64 Their priests were slaughtered, and their widows could not mourn their deaths.
"Then God abandoned his dwelling place at Shiloh."
How bad does it have to get before God finally says "I've had enough?" We're told they continued testing and rebelling against God...refusing to obey him." I don't know exactly when that point is, but I think we should be very concerned about it. When God decides to turn us over to the natural consequences of our rebellion we have no protection against the slings and arrows of our enemies.
It really becomes a jungle out there. I have no interest in fighting for survival every day. It's tough enough when I am counting on God as my defense.
This is how God has always worked with His people: when we obey he gets involved with all the considerable power at his disposal. When we insist on going our own way God sits on the sidelines and watches us muddle along...often with disastrous results. It's our choice. Only our pride prevents us from going to our bench and asking for help.
I seem to have to relearn this regularly. My experience has always been that God is never more than prayer away. When He returns my life regains purpose and meaning. The problem is...the longer I wait, the more rubble I have to clean up. We can clean our house daily or we can clean it a couple of times a year. We both know which plan takes the most work. Plus, at some point the mess is no longer fun to live with. Be smarter than that.
Live boldly out there today...
October 7, 2010
Psalm 78:32-55
32 But in spite of this, the people kept sinning. Despite his wonders, they refused to trust him.
33 So he ended their lives in failure, their years in terror.
34 When God began killing them, they finally sought him. They repented and took God seriously.
35 Then they remembered that God was their rock, that God Most High[a] was their redeemer.
36 But all they gave him was lip service; they lied to him with their tongues.
37 Their hearts were not loyal to him. They did not keep his covenant.
38 Yet he was merciful and forgave their sins and did not destroy them all. Many times he held back his anger and did not unleash his fury!
39 For he remembered that they were merely mortal, gone like a breath of wind that never returns.
40 Oh, how often they rebelled against him in the wilderness and grieved his heart in that dry wasteland.
41 Again and again they tested God’s patience and provoked the Holy One of Israel.
42 They did not remember his power and how he rescued them from their enemies.
43 They did not remember his miraculous signs in Egypt, his wonders on the plain of Zoan.
44 For he turned their rivers into blood, so no one could drink from the streams.
45 He sent vast swarms of flies to consume them and hordes of frogs to ruin them.
46 He gave their crops to caterpillars; their harvest was consumed by locusts.
47 He destroyed their grapevines with hail and shattered their sycamore-figs with sleet.
48 He abandoned their cattle to the hail, their livestock to bolts of lightning.
49 He loosed on them his fierce anger— all his fury, rage, and hostility. He dispatched against them a band of destroying angels.
50 He turned his anger against them; he did not spare the Egyptians’ lives but ravaged them with the plague
51 He killed the oldest son in each Egyptian family, the flower of youth throughout the land of Egypt.[b]
52 But he led his own people like a flock of sheep, guiding them safely through the wilderness.
53 He kept them safe so they were not afraid; but the sea covered their enemies.
54 He brought them to the border of his holy land, to this land of hills he had won for them.
55 He drove out the nations before them; he gave them their inheritance by lot. He settled the tribes of Israel into their homes.
But, of course, the stories we are to tell our children are not all happy. After listing the many wonderful things God had done, our psalmist explains another side of God's history with man.
After all God had done, His children were not fully satisfied. They turned their backs on Him. The consequences were grave. Many died. So they repented.
But it was only lip service...
Even so...God was longsuffering in his meting out justice. He said "They're only human." I can't imagine something more gracious.
We often fail to tell the entire story about God. We focus on to devoted loving forgiving, or we emphasize the vengeful punishing God. Either, by itself is not the whole truth.
In truth, God loves us and provides for us. However, there are serious consequences to turning our backs on Him. Even at that, if God sees a hint of effort...no matter how frail...He will relent and return.
Are you tellng the whole story?
Live boldly out there today...
33 So he ended their lives in failure, their years in terror.
34 When God began killing them, they finally sought him. They repented and took God seriously.
35 Then they remembered that God was their rock, that God Most High[a] was their redeemer.
36 But all they gave him was lip service; they lied to him with their tongues.
37 Their hearts were not loyal to him. They did not keep his covenant.
38 Yet he was merciful and forgave their sins and did not destroy them all. Many times he held back his anger and did not unleash his fury!
39 For he remembered that they were merely mortal, gone like a breath of wind that never returns.
40 Oh, how often they rebelled against him in the wilderness and grieved his heart in that dry wasteland.
41 Again and again they tested God’s patience and provoked the Holy One of Israel.
42 They did not remember his power and how he rescued them from their enemies.
43 They did not remember his miraculous signs in Egypt, his wonders on the plain of Zoan.
44 For he turned their rivers into blood, so no one could drink from the streams.
45 He sent vast swarms of flies to consume them and hordes of frogs to ruin them.
46 He gave their crops to caterpillars; their harvest was consumed by locusts.
47 He destroyed their grapevines with hail and shattered their sycamore-figs with sleet.
48 He abandoned their cattle to the hail, their livestock to bolts of lightning.
49 He loosed on them his fierce anger— all his fury, rage, and hostility. He dispatched against them a band of destroying angels.
50 He turned his anger against them; he did not spare the Egyptians’ lives but ravaged them with the plague
51 He killed the oldest son in each Egyptian family, the flower of youth throughout the land of Egypt.[b]
52 But he led his own people like a flock of sheep, guiding them safely through the wilderness.
53 He kept them safe so they were not afraid; but the sea covered their enemies.
54 He brought them to the border of his holy land, to this land of hills he had won for them.
55 He drove out the nations before them; he gave them their inheritance by lot. He settled the tribes of Israel into their homes.
But, of course, the stories we are to tell our children are not all happy. After listing the many wonderful things God had done, our psalmist explains another side of God's history with man.
After all God had done, His children were not fully satisfied. They turned their backs on Him. The consequences were grave. Many died. So they repented.
But it was only lip service...
Even so...God was longsuffering in his meting out justice. He said "They're only human." I can't imagine something more gracious.
We often fail to tell the entire story about God. We focus on to devoted loving forgiving, or we emphasize the vengeful punishing God. Either, by itself is not the whole truth.
In truth, God loves us and provides for us. However, there are serious consequences to turning our backs on Him. Even at that, if God sees a hint of effort...no matter how frail...He will relent and return.
Are you tellng the whole story?
Live boldly out there today...
October 6, 2010
Psalm 78:1-31
1 O my people, listen to my instructions. Open your ears to what I am saying,
2 for I will speak to you in a parable. I will teach you hidden lessons from our past—
3 stories we have heard and known, stories our ancestors handed down to us.
4 We will not hide these truths from our children; we will tell the next generation about the glorious deeds of the Lord, about his power and his mighty wonders.
5 For he issued his laws to Jacob; he gave his instructions to Israel. He commanded our ancestors to teach them to their children,
6 so the next generation might know them— even the children not yet born— and they in turn will teach their own children.
7 So each generation should set its hope anew on God, not forgetting his glorious miracles and obeying his commands.
8 Then they will not be like their ancestors— stubborn, rebellious, and unfaithful, refusing to give their hearts to God.
9 The warriors of Ephraim, though armed with bows, turned their backs and fled on the day of battle.
10 They did not keep God’s covenant and refused to live by his instructions.
11 They forgot what he had done— the great wonders he had shown them,
12 the miracles he did for their ancestors on the plain of Zoan in the land of Egypt.
13 For he divided the sea and led them through, making the water stand up like walls!
14 In the daytime he led them by a cloud, and all night by a pillar of fire.
15 He split open the rocks in the wilderness to give them water, as from a gushing spring.
16 He made streams pour from the rock, making the waters flow down like a river!
17 Yet they kept on sinning against him, rebelling against the Most High in the desert.
18 They stubbornly tested God in their hearts, demanding the foods they craved.
19 They even spoke against God himself, saying, “God can’t give us food in the wilderness.
20 Yes, he can strike a rock so water gushes out, but he can’t give his people bread and meat.”
21 When the Lord heard them, he was furious. The fire of his wrath burned against Jacob. Yes, his anger rose against Israel,
22 for they did not believe God or trust him to care for them.
23 But he commanded the skies to open; he opened the doors of heaven.
24 He rained down manna for them to eat; he gave them bread from heaven.
25 They ate the food of angels! God gave them all they could eat.
26 He released the east wind in the heavens and guided the south wind by his mighty power.
27 He rained down meat as thick as dust— birds as plentiful as the sand on the seashore!
28 He caused the birds to fall within their camp and all around their tents.
29 The people ate their fill. He gave them what they craved.
30 But before they satisfied their craving, while the meat was yet in their mouths,
31 the anger of God rose against them, and he killed their strongest men. He struck down the finest of Israel’s young men.
"...so the next generation might know them."
Now, how do you suppose that is going to happen?
I remember talking with a parishioner after church one morning. I hadn't seen her son for a number of weeks so I asked about him. Her reply was interesting. She said "When we turned 12 we decided he was old enough to decide if he wanted to go to church."
Really?
So she just turns over her parental responsibilities? If so, what claim can she make that she has an interest in this boy's eternal relationship with God? She can't have it both ways.
God has charged us with the responsibility to proclaim our faith so that the next generation will know. As a general rule, that is how God has chosen to do it.
I'm suggesting in this task we never quit. How are you doing?
Live boldly out there today...
October 5, 2010
Psalm 77
1 I cry out to God; yes, I shout. Oh, that God would listen to me!
2 When I was in deep trouble, I searched for the Lord. All night long I prayed, with hands lifted toward heaven, but my soul was not comforted.
3 I think of God, and I moan, overwhelmed with longing for his help.
Interlude
4 You don’t let me sleep. I am too distressed even to pray!
5 I think of the good old days, long since ended, when my nights were filled with joyful songs.
6. I search my soul and ponder the difference now.
7 Has the Lord rejected me forever? Will he never again be kind to me?
8 Is his unfailing love gone forever? Have his promises permanently failed?
9 Has God forgotten to be gracious? Has he slammed the door on his compassion?
Interlude
10 And I said, “This is my fate; the Most High has turned his hand against me.”
11 But then I recall all you have done, O Lord; I remember your wonderful deeds of long ago.
12 They are constantly in my thoughts. I cannot stop thinking about your mighty works.
13 O God, your ways are holy. Is there any god as mighty as you?
14 You are the God of great wonders! You demonstrate your awesome power among the nations.
15 By your strong arm, you redeemed your people, the descendants of Jacob and Joseph.
Interlude
16 When the Red Sea saw you, O God, its waters looked and trembled! The sea quaked to its very depths.
17 The clouds poured down rain; the thunder rumbled in the sky. Your arrows of lightning flashed.
18 Your thunder roared from the whirlwind; the lightning lit up the world! The earth trembled and shook.
19 Your road led through the sea, your pathway through the mighty waters— a pathway no one knew was there!
20 You led your people along that road like a flock of sheep, with Moses and Aaron as their shepherds.
Mary Hopkins sang a song many years ago:
Those were the days my friend
We thought they'd never end
We'd sing and dance forever and a day
We'd live the life we choose
We'd fight and never lose
For we were young and sure to have our way.
La la la la...
Those were the days, oh yes those were the days.
Most of us can sing those words with great emotion. We recall pleasant days in our past...that filled our hearts with joy...and we miss them.
Our psalmist sang similar lyrics thousands of years earlier. "I think of the good old days, long since ended, when my nights were filled with joyful songs. I search my soul and ponder the difference now."
So, what brought on this nostalgia for the "good old days" for our psalmist?" He says.
- I recall all you have done, O Lord; I remember your wonderful deeds of long ago.
- You demonstrate your awesome power among the nations.
- By your strong arm, you redeemed your people, the descendants of Jacob and Joseph.
- When the Red Sea saw you, O God, its waters looked and trembled!- You led your people along that road like a flock of sheep
And today?
"I cry out to God; yes, I shout. Oh, that God would listen to me!...all night long I prayed, with hands lifted toward heaven, but my soul was not comforted...I think of God, and I moan, overwhelmed with longing for his help."
Some interpreters state the writing of this psalm refers to the affliction of the Jews in Babylon, and others to the great and last distress of the church under Antichrist. Yet, on the face of it, our writer is simply describing events in his own life. It's not a "national" travail, but a personal one.
It can be both, and we should look at it that way.
And...this psalm is dissimilar to many others. This psalm does not end with verses proclaiming great faith in God's imminent return to Israel with great power and might. Instead our writer asks. "Has the Lord rejected me forever? Will he never again be kind to me? Is his unfailing love gone forever? Have his promises permanently failed? Has God forgotten to be gracious? Has he slammed the door on his compassion?"
Not much to look forward to. No wonder he's looking back.
I've been there. How about you? Part of the nature of "nostalgia" (looking back) is that we don't have much confidence in our future. There are many reasons for that but mostly we have no confidence in the future because we don't believe we deserve God's gracious return. After all, We once enjoyed His powerful presence and, through our disobedience, we lost it. Why would God consent to give us another chance?
I think I know why: God never changes.
It is in God's nature to love us and desire to live with us. That will never change. If we are willing to provide a comfortable place for Him to dwell (Psalm 76) we should feel confident of His return.
Looking back is often a good thing. It reminds us of God's faithfulness. Looking back, however, is not how God intends us to live our lives. He wants us to live confidently in the present...knowing that He is the same, Yesterday, Today and Forever. He is not gone forever.
Live boldly out there today...
2 When I was in deep trouble, I searched for the Lord. All night long I prayed, with hands lifted toward heaven, but my soul was not comforted.
3 I think of God, and I moan, overwhelmed with longing for his help.
Interlude
4 You don’t let me sleep. I am too distressed even to pray!
5 I think of the good old days, long since ended, when my nights were filled with joyful songs.
6. I search my soul and ponder the difference now.
7 Has the Lord rejected me forever? Will he never again be kind to me?
8 Is his unfailing love gone forever? Have his promises permanently failed?
9 Has God forgotten to be gracious? Has he slammed the door on his compassion?
Interlude
10 And I said, “This is my fate; the Most High has turned his hand against me.”
11 But then I recall all you have done, O Lord; I remember your wonderful deeds of long ago.
12 They are constantly in my thoughts. I cannot stop thinking about your mighty works.
13 O God, your ways are holy. Is there any god as mighty as you?
14 You are the God of great wonders! You demonstrate your awesome power among the nations.
15 By your strong arm, you redeemed your people, the descendants of Jacob and Joseph.
Interlude
16 When the Red Sea saw you, O God, its waters looked and trembled! The sea quaked to its very depths.
17 The clouds poured down rain; the thunder rumbled in the sky. Your arrows of lightning flashed.
18 Your thunder roared from the whirlwind; the lightning lit up the world! The earth trembled and shook.
19 Your road led through the sea, your pathway through the mighty waters— a pathway no one knew was there!
20 You led your people along that road like a flock of sheep, with Moses and Aaron as their shepherds.
Mary Hopkins sang a song many years ago:
Those were the days my friend
We thought they'd never end
We'd sing and dance forever and a day
We'd live the life we choose
We'd fight and never lose
For we were young and sure to have our way.
La la la la...
Those were the days, oh yes those were the days.
Most of us can sing those words with great emotion. We recall pleasant days in our past...that filled our hearts with joy...and we miss them.
Our psalmist sang similar lyrics thousands of years earlier. "I think of the good old days, long since ended, when my nights were filled with joyful songs. I search my soul and ponder the difference now."
So, what brought on this nostalgia for the "good old days" for our psalmist?" He says.
- I recall all you have done, O Lord; I remember your wonderful deeds of long ago.
- You demonstrate your awesome power among the nations.
- By your strong arm, you redeemed your people, the descendants of Jacob and Joseph.
- When the Red Sea saw you, O God, its waters looked and trembled!- You led your people along that road like a flock of sheep
And today?
"I cry out to God; yes, I shout. Oh, that God would listen to me!...all night long I prayed, with hands lifted toward heaven, but my soul was not comforted...I think of God, and I moan, overwhelmed with longing for his help."
Some interpreters state the writing of this psalm refers to the affliction of the Jews in Babylon, and others to the great and last distress of the church under Antichrist. Yet, on the face of it, our writer is simply describing events in his own life. It's not a "national" travail, but a personal one.
It can be both, and we should look at it that way.
And...this psalm is dissimilar to many others. This psalm does not end with verses proclaiming great faith in God's imminent return to Israel with great power and might. Instead our writer asks. "Has the Lord rejected me forever? Will he never again be kind to me? Is his unfailing love gone forever? Have his promises permanently failed? Has God forgotten to be gracious? Has he slammed the door on his compassion?"
Not much to look forward to. No wonder he's looking back.
I've been there. How about you? Part of the nature of "nostalgia" (looking back) is that we don't have much confidence in our future. There are many reasons for that but mostly we have no confidence in the future because we don't believe we deserve God's gracious return. After all, We once enjoyed His powerful presence and, through our disobedience, we lost it. Why would God consent to give us another chance?
I think I know why: God never changes.
It is in God's nature to love us and desire to live with us. That will never change. If we are willing to provide a comfortable place for Him to dwell (Psalm 76) we should feel confident of His return.
Looking back is often a good thing. It reminds us of God's faithfulness. Looking back, however, is not how God intends us to live our lives. He wants us to live confidently in the present...knowing that He is the same, Yesterday, Today and Forever. He is not gone forever.
Live boldly out there today...
October 4, 2010
Psalm 76
1 God is honored in Judah; his name is great in Israel.
2 Jerusalem is where he lives; Mount Zion is his home.
3 There he has broken the fiery arrows of the enemy, the shields and swords and weapons of war.
Interlude
4 You are glorious and more majestic than the everlasting mountains.
5 Our boldest enemies have been plundered. They lie before us in the sleep of death. No warrior could lift a hand against us.
6 At the blast of your breath, O God of Jacob, their horses and chariots lay still.
7 No wonder you are greatly feared! Who can stand before you when your anger explodes?
8 From heaven you sentenced your enemies; the earth trembled and stood silent before you.
9 You stand up to judge those who do evil, O God, and to rescue the oppressed of the earth.
Interlude
10 Human defiance only enhances your glory, for you use it as a weapon.
11 Make vows to the Lord your God, and keep them. Let everyone bring tribute to the Awesome One.
12 For he breaks the pride of princes, and the kings of the earth fear him.
"Jerusalem is where He lives..."
Of course, we all know that God can never be limited to dwelling in one place. After all, one of the fundamental tenets in our theology of God is that He is "omnipresent"...everywhere, all the time.
Yet, God told Israel...and Israel believed...that He had chosen her and would make Israel His home. Because of this virtually all historical incidents in the nation's history are understood in this context of God's presence (or lack thereof). We are told today's psalm was written on account of the defeat of Sennacherib, and his army, which came up against Jerusalem in the times of Hezekiah, and was destroyed by an angel in one night (2 Chron 32).
Israel understood victory came from God's active presence while defeat was the result of God's absence because of the nation's disobedience.
I have no dispute with the notion that an omnipresent God could identify a specific geographical location as His base of operations...particularly if God had previously identified that place (and those people) as special to Him. What makes me most curious as that today we...as believers...don't seem to carry that notion forward into our own daily lives.
We should. M. Scott Peck defines a "Christian" as "a comfortable place for God to dwell." He is right.
Romans 8 tells us that God has made His home within believers...just as He dwelt within the walls of Jerusalem. We don't claim God doesn't exist elsewhere but we claim He is most "at home" in our spirits. "You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ. But if Christ is in you, your body is dead because of sin, yet your spirit is alive because of righteousness. And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives in you."
And, in keeping with Peck's definition, we might suggest that when our lives become stained by disobedience and cluttered with worldliness, God needs to take a walk to "clear His head." I am not suggesting that a believer's eternal salvation is in jeopardy. We are told that "nothing can separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus." I am suggesting that God's manifest power and presence (which actually influences circumstances) is diluted by those things and becomes much more difficult to identify.
As we try to make sense of the events in our own lives...the victories and defeats...we should understand those events in the context of God's presence. When we are most faithful, His presence should seem most powerful. When our hearts wander, bad things begin to happen because God's presence dissipates. So, Asaph closes this psalm with the reminder to "make vows to the Lord our God, and keep them. Let everyone bring tribute to the Awesome One.
For he breaks the pride of princes, and the kings of the earth fear him."
Have our lives been a struggle? A string of defeats? Perhaps a good house cleaning would help. We should spruce ourselves up so we are a more comfortable place for God to dwell. And, to paraphrase today's psalm...we should proclaim "I am where He lives."
Live boldly out there today...
2 Jerusalem is where he lives; Mount Zion is his home.
3 There he has broken the fiery arrows of the enemy, the shields and swords and weapons of war.
Interlude
4 You are glorious and more majestic than the everlasting mountains.
5 Our boldest enemies have been plundered. They lie before us in the sleep of death. No warrior could lift a hand against us.
6 At the blast of your breath, O God of Jacob, their horses and chariots lay still.
7 No wonder you are greatly feared! Who can stand before you when your anger explodes?
8 From heaven you sentenced your enemies; the earth trembled and stood silent before you.
9 You stand up to judge those who do evil, O God, and to rescue the oppressed of the earth.
Interlude
10 Human defiance only enhances your glory, for you use it as a weapon.
11 Make vows to the Lord your God, and keep them. Let everyone bring tribute to the Awesome One.
12 For he breaks the pride of princes, and the kings of the earth fear him.
"Jerusalem is where He lives..."
Of course, we all know that God can never be limited to dwelling in one place. After all, one of the fundamental tenets in our theology of God is that He is "omnipresent"...everywhere, all the time.
Yet, God told Israel...and Israel believed...that He had chosen her and would make Israel His home. Because of this virtually all historical incidents in the nation's history are understood in this context of God's presence (or lack thereof). We are told today's psalm was written on account of the defeat of Sennacherib, and his army, which came up against Jerusalem in the times of Hezekiah, and was destroyed by an angel in one night (2 Chron 32).
Israel understood victory came from God's active presence while defeat was the result of God's absence because of the nation's disobedience.
I have no dispute with the notion that an omnipresent God could identify a specific geographical location as His base of operations...particularly if God had previously identified that place (and those people) as special to Him. What makes me most curious as that today we...as believers...don't seem to carry that notion forward into our own daily lives.
We should. M. Scott Peck defines a "Christian" as "a comfortable place for God to dwell." He is right.
Romans 8 tells us that God has made His home within believers...just as He dwelt within the walls of Jerusalem. We don't claim God doesn't exist elsewhere but we claim He is most "at home" in our spirits. "You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ. But if Christ is in you, your body is dead because of sin, yet your spirit is alive because of righteousness. And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives in you."
And, in keeping with Peck's definition, we might suggest that when our lives become stained by disobedience and cluttered with worldliness, God needs to take a walk to "clear His head." I am not suggesting that a believer's eternal salvation is in jeopardy. We are told that "nothing can separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus." I am suggesting that God's manifest power and presence (which actually influences circumstances) is diluted by those things and becomes much more difficult to identify.
As we try to make sense of the events in our own lives...the victories and defeats...we should understand those events in the context of God's presence. When we are most faithful, His presence should seem most powerful. When our hearts wander, bad things begin to happen because God's presence dissipates. So, Asaph closes this psalm with the reminder to "make vows to the Lord our God, and keep them. Let everyone bring tribute to the Awesome One.
For he breaks the pride of princes, and the kings of the earth fear him."
Have our lives been a struggle? A string of defeats? Perhaps a good house cleaning would help. We should spruce ourselves up so we are a more comfortable place for God to dwell. And, to paraphrase today's psalm...we should proclaim "I am where He lives."
Live boldly out there today...
October 3, 2010
Psalm 75
1 We thank
you, O God! We give thanks because you are near. People everywhere tell of your
wonderful deeds.
2 God says, “At the time I have planned, I will bring justice against the wicked.
3 When the earth quakes and its people live in turmoil, I am the one who keeps its foundations firm.
2 God says, “At the time I have planned, I will bring justice against the wicked.
3 When the earth quakes and its people live in turmoil, I am the one who keeps its foundations firm.
Interlude
4 “I warned the proud, ‘Stop your boasting!’ I told the wicked, ‘Don’t raise your fists!
5 Don’t raise your fists in defiance at the heavens or speak with such arrogance.’”
6 For no one on earth—from east or west, or even from the wilderness— should raise a defiant fist.
7 It is God alone who judges; he decides who will rise and who will fall.
8 For the Lord holds a cup in his hand that is full of foaming wine mixed with spices. He pours out the wine in judgment, and all the wicked must drink it, draining it to the dregs.
9 But as for me, I will always proclaim what God has done; I will sing praises to the God of Jacob.
10 For God says, “I will break the strength of the wicked, but I will increase the power of the godly.”
"Don't even think about it!"
I listened to my daughter speak those words firmly to my grandson. She had told him not to grab something off the table...and of course...as soon as the words left her mouth his hand began reaching out to grab exactly what he was told not to touch.
"Don't even think about it!" I'm not sure my grandson got the implied message, but I did.
"Or else...what?"
Even if his little mind isn't sophisticated enough to catch the nuances, I'm pretty sure he got the concept because his hand pulled back slowly. And as soon as my daughter turned her head...that little arm snaked out and grabbed what it wanted...like lightening...and it spilled all over the table and floor.
It's who we are.
God himself is speaking in today's psalm. He is personally responding to some of the frustration our writers have been expressing for a long time now. He speaks directly to the wicked and says “I warned the proud, Stop your boasting! I told the wicked, Don’t raise your fists! Don’t raise your fists in defiance at the heavens or speak with such arrogance.” Most of us would get it. In fact, a lot of us would never dare think about shaking our fists at God.
But then...a lot of us are like my grandson.
And The Lord "pours out the wine in judgment."
"Don't even think about it!"
You see...justice always prevails. So while God is contemplating judgment (in His time) on the wicked, our psalmist says "we give thanks because you are near." It is that "nearness" of God that brings us comfort in an otherwise hostile environment.
So, if I get anything from this psalm its this: God's justice is certain. It's a waste of my time and energy to worry about that. It's not something we should relish, but simply something we should recognize. The wicked may prosper...and shake their fist at God...but only for a season. Put that to rest and focus your attention on the closeness of God. Its far more appropriate to celebrate that, rather than any pending punishment against our enemies. And...far more satisfying.
Live boldly out there today...
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