Psalm 149:3-5

 

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 12/16/2012 8:08:28 AM

 

My Worship Time                                                                              Focus:  Psalm 149-PT-2

 

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                  Reference:  Psalm 149:3-5

 

            Message of the verses:  We will look at more of Psalm 149 in today’s Spiritual Diary, but first I want to quote what Dr. Wiersbe wrote at the end of his introductory commentary, “This psalm is a primer on worship and gives us the basic instructions we need.”

 

            Worship The Lord Fervently (vv. 3-4):  “3 Let them praise His name with dancing; Let them sing praises to Him with timbrel and lyre. 4 For the LORD takes pleasure in His people; He will beautify the afflicted ones with salvation.”

 

            I think it was back in the late 1990’s that I first listened to a CD that was made in Jerusalem by Paul Wilbur who is a Pastor from Chicago.  The CD is entitled “Shalom Jerusalem,” and sometime after I listened to the CD we were able to by a video tape of it.  There was Jewish dancing that was seen while the music was playing, and I would suppose that this dancing was the type that is mentioned in verse three, for Jewish dancing is interpretive dances that point to the Lord and not some person’s talent.  There are examples of dancing spoken of in the Scriptures, Exodus 15:20; Judges 11:34; 1Samuel 18:6; and Jeremiah 31:4).

 

            Now as we move into the Church age we find that the Church patterned itself after the type of worship that was found in the Jewish Synagogues where we find the reading of the Scriptures along with expounding on them and also prayer.

 

            At this point I want to quote some writings from Dr. Wiersbe on this section because of the importance of the topic of worship.  “Spiritual fervency must not be confused with fleshly enthusiasm.  There are false worshiper as well as true worshipers (John 4:22-24; Col. 2:16-23), and some people who think they are filled with the Spirit are really being fooled by the spirits.  Bringing false fire into the sanctuary can lead to death (Lev. 10:1-11).  Our purpose is not to please ourselves or to demonstrate how ‘spiritual’ we are.  Our purpose is to delight in the Lord (147:11), and humility is one virture that brings Him great joy (Isa. 66:1-2). ‘1 Thus says the LORD, "Heaven is My throne and the earth is My footstool. Where then is a house you could build for Me? And where is a place that I may rest? 2 “For My hand made all these things, Thus all these things came into being," declares the LORD. "But to this one I will look, To him who is humble and contrite of spirit, and who trembles at My word.’  The Lord gives spiritual beauty to those whose worship brings Him delight.  Worship ought to be beautiful, for we are beholding the beauty of the Lord (27:4; 29:2; 90:17; 96:9) and becoming more like the Lord (2 Cor. 3:18).  Worship must focus on God, not on us, and it must be enrichment, not entertainment.  The experience of true worship can help us experience deliverance from the bondage of sin and the world.”  2 Cor. 3:18 says, “But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit.”  Romans 8:29 says “For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren.”

 

            Worship the Lord Gratefully (v.5):  “5 Let the godly ones exult in glory; Let them sing for joy on their beds.”  “5 Let the saints rejoice in this honour and sing for joy on their beds.”  (NIV) 

 

            The Hebrew word that is translated “glory” in the NASB is translated “honor” in both the NIV and the NLT.  When looking it up I found that this Hebrew word is translated 32 times in the KJV in different parts of the OT.  Dr. Wiersbe states that “honor” is the privilege of worshiping the true and living God.  We as believers have this wonderful privilege and honor of worshiping the Lord of Glory.  The Word of God came first to the nation of Israel and now it is passed onto the Church as we not only have the Old Testament, but now we also have the New Testament.

 

            I am in the process, the early process of trying to wade my way through a book that is written by A. W. Tozer entitled “The Knowledge of the Holy,” and at this point, because it goes along with the worship of the Church, I would like to take some quotes from it.  Before I do this I want to kind of set the stage:  The book is about knowing God, which is the title of a book by J. I. Packer, and talks about the same thing, that is how we can know God.  It speaks of the attributes of God and both “Knowing God,” and also “The Knowledge of the Holy were written in the mid 20^th century.  Tozer says that the most important question a person can ask is “What comes into our minds when we think about God.”  How are we to learn to worship our God in the way that He desires for us to worship Him if we do not know Him?  Tozer states that in the mid 20^th century the Church was moving away from knowing God in the way that we should know Him, and this great problem has not gotten any better as we entered into the first and second decade of the 21^st century.  Tozer writes in his Preface to “The Knowledge of the Holy” these words “I refer to the loss of the concept of majesty from the popular religious mind.  The Church has surrendered her once lofty concept of God and has substituted for it one so low, so ignoble, as to be utterly unworthy of thinking, worshiping men.  This she has done not deliberately, but little by little and without her knowledge; and her very unawareness only makes her situation all the more tragic.”  He goes on to state “Modern Christianity is simply not producing the kind of Christian who can appreciate or experience the life in the Spirit.”  This statement makes me think of a similar statement that Dr. Wiersbe wrote in his “Be” book that he wrote on Ruth and Ester, where a question was asked “How much difference would it make in the life of the Church today if the Holy Spirit was not present in the believers?”  His answer was very little.  I know that this is not true in all local churches and for all believers, but if one looks honestly at the dominant type of church in the world today it would be like what Christ spoke of the church at Laodicea in the third chapter of Revelations.  Many scholars have stated that the order of the churches found in the second and third chapters of Revelations is prophetic in the way the churches were throughout the history of the Church, so if we are in the time period of the Laodicean Church then we are near the end of the Church.

            I am sorry to get a bit off of the subject, but I think it was necessary and does fit into worship.

 

            Spiritual meaning for my life today:  It is my desire to continue to know my God more and more and better and better so that my worship of Him will be pleasing to Him.

 

My Steps of Faith for Today:  Continue to learn contentment, continue to be transformed by the renewing of my mind through the Word of God, and to know God better and better

 

Memory verses for the week:  Psalm 121:1

 

            1 I will lift up my eyes to the mountains; From where shall my help come?

 

12/16/2012 9:36:49 AM 

 

           

PT-1 Psalm 149 (Ps. 149:1-2)

 

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 12/14/2012 12:08:49 PM

 

My Worship Time                                                                             Focus:  Psalm 149-PT-1

 

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                            Reference:  Psalm 149:1-2

 

            Message of the verses:  We will begin looking at Psalm 149 by looking at several introductions from different Bible Commentators in order to better understand what this psalm is saying and how we can better apply it to our lives.

 

            “The foregoing Psalm was a hymn of praise to the Creator; this is a hymn of praise to the Redeemer.  It is a psalm of triumph in the God of Israel, and over the enemies of Israel.  Probably it was penned upon occasion of some victory which Israel was blessed and honored with.  Some conjecture that it was penned when David had taken the strong-hold of Zion, and settled his government there.  But it looks further, to the kingdom of the Messiah, who, to in the chariot of the everlasting gospel, goes forth conquering and to conquer.  To him, and his grace and glories, we must have an eye, in singing this psalm, which proclaims,

 I. Abundance of the joy to all the people of God, #Ps 149:1-5.

 

             II. Abundance of terror to the proudest of their enemies, #Ps 149:6-9.”

 

            “We are almost at the last Psalm, and still among the Hallelujahs. This is "a new song," evidently intended for the new creation, and the men who are of new heart. It is such a song as may be sung at the coming of the Lord, when the new dispensation shall bring overthrow to the wicked and honour to all the saints. The tone is exceedingly jubilant and exultant. All through one hears the beat of the feet of dancing maidens, keeping time to the timbrel and harp.”

 

            “Everything that God’s people do in serving and glorifying the Lord must flow out of worship, for without Him we can do nothing (John 15:5).  The most important activity of the local church is the worship of God, for this is the activity we will continue in heaven for all eternity.  This psalm is a primer on worship and gives us the basic instructions we need.”  (Warren Wiersbe)

 

            Worship the Lord Intelligently (vv. 1-2):  “1 Praise the LORD! Sing to the LORD a new song, And His praise in the congregation of the godly ones. 2 Let Israel be glad in his Maker; Let the sons of Zion rejoice in their King.”

 

            I remember after being a believer for around six of seven years that the subject of worship came up with a friend of mine who has been a believer for most of her life.  The question came up about what worship was to which I did not have a good answer for.  Some years later I began to listen to a series of tapes from Dr. David Jeremiah on worship that helped me a great deal.  I then read and studied a book entitled “Real Worship” by Warren Wiersbe that helped more.  Worship is 24/7, but we probably don’t realize, especially when we are doing something we are ashamed of.  Jesus told the woman at the well “21 Jesus said to her, "Woman, believe Me, an hour is coming when neither in this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father. 22 “You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. 23 "But an hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers. 24 “God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.’”  We learn from this quotation from John’ gospel chapter four that salvation is from the Jews, and because Jesus Christ was born a Jew, that is why salvation is from the Jews.  We also learn that worship is spirit and truth.  The book of Hebrews tells us not to forsake the gathering together with those who are believers, speaking of those in your local church, for that is where corporate worship takes place.  Dr. Wiersbe writes that “In times of corporate worship, the saints do minister to one another (Eph. 5:19; Col. 3:16), but the primary focus must be on the Lord glorifying and extolling Him.  Yes we may worship the Lord in solitude, and we should (v.5), but we must not forsake the assembly of the saints (Heb. 10:25).

 

            As believers we are to sing new songs to the Lord and also older songs to the Lord.  The local church is made up of born-again believers, and in the local church we will find all sorts of people, young people, middle aged people and older people, we will also find young people in the Lord, and those who have been believers for a while, and those who have been believers for a long period of time.  We can learn from each other, and all segments are important.  In today’s churches it seems that the younger people don’t have much use for the older people, but they are missing out on a lot of knowledge and experience that they cannot get on their smart phones.  While living in Hawaii last year the pastor of the church we were attending stated this fact that all age groups are needed.  He stated that the older people are needed to share with the younger people about the mistakes that they have made so that the younger people could avoid them.  One of the younger (probably in her thirty’s) began to laugh and she had a difficult time in stopping her laughter when she heard this, but the Pastor told her that this was not funny, but true.

            Dr. Wiersbe concludes his commentary on this section with these words, “How He has made us is His gift to us, and what we do with it is our gift to Him.  We must remind ourselves that we came from dust, but because of God’s grace, we are destined for glory! ‘Soon and very soon/ We’re going to see the King.”

 

            Spiritual meaning for my life today:   Worship is the most important thing that we as believers can do for it is something that we will be doing throughout eternity, for when we get to heaven we will surely worship the King is spirit and in truth.

 

My Steps of Faith for Today:  Continue to learn contentment and also continue to learn from the Word of God so that I can be transformed by the renewing of my mind.

 

Memory verses for the week:  Psalm 130:1-8

 

            1 Out of the debts I cried to You, O LORD.  2 Lord, hear my voice!  Let Your ears be attentive to the voice of my supplications.  3 If you, LORD, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand?  4 But there is forgiveness with You, That You may be feared.

            5 I wait for the Lord, my soul does wait, and in His Word do I hope.  6 My soul waits for the Lord more than the watchman for the morning; indeed more than the watchman for the morning.  7 O Israel, hope in the LORD; For with the Lord there is lovingkindness, And with Him is abundant redemption.  8 And He will redeem Israel from all his iniquities.

 

12/14/2012 2:42:52 PM   

 

PT-2 "Psalm 148" (Psalm 148:7-14)

 

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 12/13/2012 7:48:41 AM

 

My Worship Time                                                                 Focus:  Psalm 148 PT-2

 

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                Reference:  Ps. 148:7-14

 

            Message of the verses:  We continue to look at Psalm 148 in Today’s Spiritual Diary.  Dr. Wiersbe wrote the following at the end of his introductory commentary, “How anyone could trivialize the privilege and responsibility of worship after pondering this psalm is difficult to understand.”

 

            The Earth Praises the Lord (vv. 7-13):  “7 Praise the LORD from the earth, Sea monsters and all deeps; 8 Fire and hail, snow and clouds; Stormy wind, fulfilling His word; 9  Mountains and all hills; Fruit trees and all cedars; 10 Beasts and all cattle; Creeping things and winged fowl; 11 Kings of the earth and all peoples; Princes and all judges of the earth; 12 Both young men and virgins; Old men and children. 13 Let them praise the name of the LORD, For His name alone is exalted; His glory is above earth and heaven.”

 

            The psalmist seems to touch all aspects of life to praise the Lord in this psalm.  He speaks of the sea monsters in the sea and then talks about the weather, and states that God is in control of all of the weather so that it will bring him glory.  Some think that the fire is from volcanoes, but others think that the fire is from lightening as Dr. Wiersbe points out that in the Holy Land there is often lightening seen with hail storms.  In this world today storms and earthquakes, and things like this are usually called “natural disasters,” or “acts of God,” but they are all in the plan of God, and although we don’t always understand all of His ways we can trust that God is in control.

             The psalmist moves back to the things on earth to praise the Lord, things like the mountains and hills, along with the trees that produce fruit and are used for building houses.  The animals bring praise to the Lord, both the wild beasts and also the domestic animals.  He then speaks of the kings of the earth and one wonders how many of the world leaders take time to praise the Lord.  He then speaks of the young, the old, the men; the women are to praise the Lord.  Human beings are made in the image of God and therefore are the only beings that can choose to praise the Lord, and that is something we all should choose to do.  The psalmist then ends this section by stating that the name of the Lord alone is exalted and His glory is above earth and heaven.  

 

            The People of Israel Praise the Lord (vs. 14):  “14 And He has lifted up a horn for His people, Praise for all His godly ones; Even for the sons of Israel, a people near to Him. Praise the LORD!”

 

            As I read through the Word of God and think about worship, obedience and praise I remember that man had the opportunity to live in peace with God in a perfect environment, but chose not to.  Romans chapter eight speaks of the curse that is on the earth and the entire universe, and speaks of the earth moaning as it awaits the curse to be removed.  I see a donkey obeying the Lord as she speaks to a man whose desire is for money rather than worshiping the Lord.  In the New Testament I see storms, winds, and waves obey the voice of the Lord, but people who do not obey His voice. I also see another donkey who had never been ridden carry the Lord on its back through the streets of Jerusalem on what we call Palm Sunday.  The point in all of this is that people have the problem of worshiping and obeying the Lord and people are made in the image of God, but these other beings and things are not, yet they have no problem in praising the Lord by being obedient to His will.

 

            The psalmist uses the word “horn” in verse fourteen and this word speaks of the power and dignity of a king or a kingdom, and to remove the horn means that that nation or king is deprived of authority or prestige. 

 

            When Israel returned from captivity God gave them a horn, but not a king in the line of David as that ended after Zedekiah was captured.  However they did have a nation and a temple and priesthood, and they still had the Word of God, and they were still God’s chosen people.  Dr. Wiersbe explains that “Luke 1:69 gives us the right to apply this image to Jesus Christ, the Son of David, for He is the only person qualified to sit on David’s throne.” “And has raised up a horn of salvation for us In the house of David His servant, (Luke 1:69).”

 

            Dr. Wiersbe concludes his commentary on this psalm by stating that we should read this psalm with Jesus in mind, and as we do this we will see that He is above all of the things the psalmist mentions.  Col. 1:18 says, “And now He is the head of the Body which is the Church. He is the Beginning, the first to be born from the dead, which gives him pre-eminence over all things.” (Philips)

 

            Spiritual meaning for my life today:  Col. 1:18 is a good reminder that Jesus Christ is over all things and He has that right because of the fact that He is God and also because of His obedience to His Father, so He deserves all praise and worship from me.

 

My Steps of Faith for Today:  Continue to learn contentment, continue to praise the Lord, and continue to have my life transformed by the Word of God.

Memory verses for the week:  Psalm 130:1-8

 

            1 Out of the debts I cried to You, O LORD.  2 Lord, hear my voice!  Let Your ears be attentive to the voice of my supplications.  3 If you, LORD, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand?  4 But there is forgiveness with You, that You may be feared.

            5 I wait for the Lord, my soul does wait, and in His Word do I hope.  6 My soul waits for the Lord more than the watchman for the morning; indeed more than the watchman for the morning.  7 O Israel, hope in the Lord; For with the LORD there is lovingkindness, and with Him is abundant redemption.  8 And He will redeem Israel from all his iniquities.

 

12/13/2012 8:56:10 AM  

PT-1 Psalm 148 (Ps. 148:1-6)

 

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 12/12/2012 5:43:22 PM

 

My Worship Time                                                                             Focus:  Psalm 148-PT-1

 

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                            Reference:  Psalm 148:1-6

 

            Message of the verses:  We are fast coming to the end of the book of Psalms with only three remaining.  This study began on December 10, 2011 and so it will take more than one year to finish the study of these 150 psalms.  We will begin to look at Psalm 148, which is another psalm of praise, and as we have been doing in the past we will look at several introductions from different Bible commentators on this psalm.

 

            “This psalm is a most solemn and earnest call to all the creatures, according to their capacity, to praise their Creator, and to show forth his eternal power and Godhead, the invisible things of which are manifested in the things that are seen. Thereby the psalmist designs to express his great affection to the duty of praise; he is highly satisfied that God is praised, is very desirous that he may be more praised, and therefore does all he can to engage all about him in this pleasant work, yea, and all who shall come after him, whose hearts must be very dead and cold if they be not raised and enlarged, in praising God, by the lofty flights of divine poetry which we find in this psalm.

 

            “ I. He calls upon the higher house, the creatures that are placed in the upper world, to praise the Lord, both those that are intellectual beings, and are capable of doing it actively (#Ps 148:1,2), and those that are not, and are therefore capable of doing it only objectively, #Ps 148:3-6.

 

   “       II. He calls upon the lower house, the creatures of this lower world, both those that can only minister matter of praise (#Ps 148:7-10) and those that, being endued with reason, are capable of offering up this sacrifice (#Ps 148:11-13), especially his own people, who have more cause to do it, and are more concerned to do it, than any other, #Ps 148:14.”  (Matthew Henry)

 

            “The song is one and indivisible. It seems almost impossible to expound it in detail, for a living poem is not to be dissected verse by verse.  It is a song of nature and of grace. As a flash of lightning flames through space, and enwraps both heaven and earth in one vestment of glory, so doth the adoration of the Lord in this Psalm light up all the universe, and cause it to glow with a radiance of praise. The song begins in the heavens, sweeps downward to dragons and all deeps, and then ascends again, till the people near unto Jehovah take up the strain. For its exposition the chief requisite is a heart on fire with reverent love to the Lord over all, who is to be blessed forever.”  (Charles H. Spurgeon)

 

            “The word ‘praise’ is used thirteen times in these fourteen verses.  The psalm begins in the highest heavens and ends with the little nation of Israel.  If any psalm reveals the glory and grandeur of the worship of the Lord, it is this one, for it is cosmic in its dimension and yet very personal in its intentions.  How anyone could trivialize the privilege and responsibility of worship after pondering this psalm is difficult to understand.”  (Warren Wiersbe)

 

            The Heavens Praise the Lord (vv. 1-6):  “1 Praise the LORD! Praise the LORD from the heavens; Praise Him in the heights! 2 Praise Him, all His angels; Praise Him, all His hosts! 3 Praise Him, sun and moon; Praise Him, all stars of light! 4 Praise Him, highest heavens, And the waters that are above the heavens! 5 Let them praise the name of the LORD, For He commanded and they were created. 6 He has also established them forever and ever; He has made a decree which will not pass away.”

 

            We see the word “praise” nine times in these six short verses.  The Hebrew word that is translated “praise” is found 117 times in the KJV and it is also translated glory 14, boast 10, mad 8, shine 3, foolish 3, fools 2, commended 2, rage 2, celebrate 1, give 1, marriage 1, renowned in the KJV.  Praise and fools do not seem that they could come from the same Hebrew word, but they do:  “2c) (Pual)

2c1) to be praised, be made praiseworthy, be commended, be worthy of praise

2d) (Hithpael) to boast, glory, make one’s boast

2e) (Poel) to make a fool of, make into a fool

2f) (Hithpoel) to act madly, act like a madman”

 

            The psalmist begins his praise in the heavens and then moves to the angels and all the hosts (armies of heaven), which means angels and planets and stars and all of these praise the Lord.  When we look in the Bible we see few descriptions of praise and worship, but we do see it in Isaiah chapter six, Daniel 7:9-10; and also in Revelations 5:11-14.

 

            As believers we praise the Lord who made the heavens and the earth and all that is seen, but there are times when the unbelievers worship the things that are made on this earth, things like idols that have ears that do not hear, and eyes that do not see, and a mouth that cannot speak, and also a nose that cannot smell anything.

 

            The psalmist speaks of the waters that are on the earth and those that are above the earth, and this can be seen in Genesis 1:6-7 and 7:11.

 

            Dr. Wiersbe finishes his commentary on these six verses with these words, “Why should the hosts of heaven praise the Lord?  Simply because He made them and gave them the privilege of serving Him and His people and bringing glory to His name.  We have many more reason for praising Him, and yet too often, we do not do it.”

 

            Spiritual meaning for my life today:  Psalms 145-150 all speak of praising the Lord and I am glad to be studying these psalms because that is one thing lacking in my walk with the Lord.

 

My Steps of Faith for Today:  Praise the Lord, continue to learn contentment, and continue to memorize and study God’s Word so that my mind will be transformed from the inside out.

 

Memory verses for the week:  Psalm 130:1-8

 

            1 Out of the depths I have cried to You, O LORD. 2 Lord, hear my voice! Let Your ears be attentive To the voice of my supplications. 3 If You, LORD, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand? 4 But there is forgiveness with You, That You may be feared.

    5 I wait for the LORD, my soul does wait, And in His word do I hope. 6 My soul waits for the Lord More than the watchmen for the morning; Indeed, more than the watchmen for the morning. 7 O Israel, hope in the LORD; For with the LORD there is lovingkindness, And with Him is abundant redemption. 8 And He will redeem Israel From all his iniquities.

 

12/12/2012 6:16:28 PM

 

PT-2 "Ps. 147" (Ps. 147:7-20)

 

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 12/11/2012 10:28:18 PM

 

My Worship Time                                                                            Focus:  Psalm 147-PT-2

 

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                           Reference:  Ps. 147:7-20

 

            Message of the verses:  We will continue to look at Psalm 147 in Today’s Spiritual Diary.  Dr. Wiersbe wrote the following at the end of his introductory commentary, “The psalm presents three reasons why the people should praise the Lord, and each section is marked off by the command praise the Lord (vv. 1, 7 and 12).”

 

            Sing to the Lord—the Land Has Been Refreshed (vv. 7-11):  “7  Sing to the LORD with thanksgiving; Sing praises to our God on the lyre, 8  Who covers the heavens with clouds, Who provides rain for the earth, Who makes grass to grow on the mountains. 9 He gives to the beast its food, And to the young ravens which cry. 10 He does not delight in the strength of the horse; He does not take pleasure in the legs of a man. 11 The LORD favors those who fear Him, Those who wait for His lovingkindness.”

 

            As we began to look at this psalm yesterday we decided that the psalm was written after the captives of Israel had returned from Babylon to Jerusalem.  These exiles knew that they would need rain to come from the Lord in order to have their crops grow and so the psalmist praises the Lord for providing the clouds and the rain to cause their crops to grow.  The Lord caused the grass to grow on the mountains even though no one had planted it there, and this grass was used to feed the beasts that lived there.  This feeding of these beasts would cause them to stay there and not go down where the children of Israel were.

 

            As far as feeding the young ravens Dr. Wiersbe writes, “The ancients believed that the young ravens were abandoned by the parent birds and had to find their own food (Luke 12:24).”  It is remarkable that we as His children can bring pleasure to the heart of God.

 

            Extol the Lord—the Word Has Been Revealed (vv. 12-20):  “12  Praise the LORD, O Jerusalem! Praise your God, O Zion! 13 For He has strengthened the bars of your gates; He has blessed your sons within you. 14 He makes peace in your borders; He satisfies you with the finest of the wheat. 15 He sends forth His command to the earth; His word runs very swiftly. 16 He gives snow like wool; He scatters the frost like ashes. 17 He casts forth His ice as fragments; Who can stand before His cold? 18 He sends forth His word and melts them; He causes His wind to blow and the waters to flow. 19 He declares His words to Jacob, His statutes and His ordinances to Israel. 20 He has not dealt thus with any nation; And as for His ordinances, they have not known them. Praise the LORD!”

 

            The psalmist speaks of peace in verse fourteen and Dr. Wiersbe writes the following about this word:  “In the Hebrew language ‘peace’ (shalom) is much more than the absence of war.  It describes total well being, including material prosperity and physical and spiritual health.  Peace at the borders means peace in the nation, for invaders have to cross the borders before they can attack.”  The psalmist speaks of this in this section of the psalm.  He also speaks of snow, which does not happen a lot in Jerusalem, but in the higher elevations it does snow.

            In verse nineteen the psalmist begins to talk about the Word of God that He had given to Israel, and states that God has not given any other nation the Law of God.  It was the responsibility of the children of Israel to take care of the Word of God as their scribes would copy the different books.  They would count the letters on each page that they copied and if it was not the correct number they would throw away the page and begin again.  The problem was not that they did not know the Word of God, but that they did not follow it.  D. L. Moody states “Every Bible should be bound in shoe leather,” and Dr. Wiersbe states that this is another way of stating that “faith without works is dead.”

 

            Spiritual meaning for my life today:  I surely agree that it is easier to know the Word of God than to practice and keep it.

 

My Steps of Faith for Today:  Continue to learn contentment, and continue to seek to have my mind transformed by renewing it with the Word of God.

 

Memory verses for the week:  Psalm 130:1-8

 

            1 Out of the depths I have cried to You, O LORD. 2 Lord, hear my voice! Let Your ears be attentive To the voice of my supplications. 3 If You, LORD, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand? 4 But there is forgiveness with You, That You may be feared.

    5 I wait for the LORD, my soul does wait, And in His word do I hope. 6  My soul waits for the Lord More than the watchmen for the morning; Indeed, more than the watchmen for the morning. 7 O Israel, hope in the LORD; For with the LORD there is lovingkindness, And with Him is abundant redemption. 8 And He will redeem Israel From all his iniquities.

 

12/11/2012 11:12:13 PM

 

   

 

           

Psalm 147:1-6

 

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 12/10/2012 8:38:33 AM

 

My Worship Time                                                                            Focus:  Psalm 147 PT-1

 

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                           Reference:  Psalm 147:1-6

 

            Message of the verses:  We will begin looking at Psalm 147 in the way that we have been looking at most of the psalms by first looking at several introductory comments from several different Bible Commentators in order to better understand what this psalm is all about, in order to be able to put into practice the teachings of it.

 

            “This is another psalm of praise. Some think it was penned after the return of the Jews from their captivity; but it is so much of a piece with Psalm 145 that I rather think it was penned by David, and what is said #Ps 147:2,13 may well enough be applied to the first building and fortifying of Jerusalem in his time, and the gathering in of those that had been out-casts in Saul’s time. The Septuagint divides it into two; and we may divide it into the first and second part, but both of the same import.

 

   I. We are called upon to praise God, #Ps 147:1,7,12.

 

   II. We are furnished with matter for praise, for God is to be glorified,

 

1. As the God of nature, and so he is very great, #Ps 147:4-5,8-9,15-18.

 

2. As the God of grace, comforting his people, #Ps 147:3,6,10,11.

 

3. As the God of Israel, Jerusalem, and Zion, settling their civil state #Ps 147:2,13,14, and especially settling religion among them, #Ps 147:19,20.

 

   It is easy, in singing this psalm, to apply it to ourselves, both as to personal and national mercies, were it but as easy to do so with suitable affections.”  (Matthew Henry)

 

            “Subject: This is a specially remarkable song. In it the greatness and the condescending goodness of the Lord are celebrated The God of Israel is set forth in his peculiarity of glory as caring for the sorrowing, the insignificant, and forgotten. The poet finds a singular joy in extolling one who is so singularly gracious. It is a Psalm of the city and of the field, of the first and the second creations, of the common wealth and of the church. It is good and pleasant throughout.

 

“Division: The, song appears to divide itself into three portions. From #Ps 147:1-6, Jehovah is extolled for building up Zion, and blessing his mourners; from #Ps 147:7-11, the like praise is given because of his provision for the lowly, and his pleasure in them; and then, from #Ps 147:12-20, he is magnified for his work on behalf of his people, and the power of his word in nature and in grace. Let it be studied with joyful gratitude.”  (Charles H. Spurgeon)

 

“When Nehemiah and his people finished rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem, restoring the gates, and resettling the people, they called a great assembly for celebration and dedication, and it is likely that this psalm was written for that occasion (vv. 2, 12-14; Neh. 12:27-43).  The verb ‘gather together’ in verse 2 is used in Ezekiel 39:28 for the return of the captives to Judah, and the word ‘outcast’ in verse 2 is used for these exiles (Neh. 1:9).  One of the unique characteristics of this psalm is the large number of present participles in it—‘building, healing, binding, counting, lifting up,’ and so on—all of which speak of the constant and dynamic working of the Lord for His people.  The psalm presents three reasons why the people should praise the Lord, and each section is marked off by the command to praise God (vv. 1, 7 and 12).”  (Warren Wiersbe)

 

Praise the Lord—His People Have Been Restored (vv 1-6):  “1 Praise the LORD! For it is good to sing praises to our God; For it is pleasant and praise is becoming. 2 The LORD builds up Jerusalem; He gathers the outcasts of Israel. 3 He heals the brokenhearted And binds up their wounds. 4 He counts the number of the stars; He gives names to all of them. 5 Great is our Lord and abundant in strength; His understanding is infinite. 6 The LORD supports the afflicted; He brings down the wicked to the ground.”

 

As we looked at the introductions from different commentators and even several that I did not include we saw a difference of opinion as to when and even who penned this psalm.  Some thought that it was David and the time was when the first temple was being built.  Others though that it was during the time when the captives from Israel returned their land which was decreed by Cyrus in 537 B.C., and  Isaiah the prophet prophesied of this event by even giving the name of Cyrus in chapters 44-45 of his book.  Jeremiah also spoke of this return and even gives the length of stay in chapters 25 and 29 of his book.  After my brief look at this psalm and the different commentators that I have read I have come to the conclusion that the psalm was written after the Jews returned to Jerusalem from their captivity in Babylon.

 

As we look at the event of the Jews returning to Israel we know that this event was a very emotional event for them, and the psalmist captures the emotion of those who had returned.  Some of those who returned were old enough to remember being captured by the Babylonians and the cruel treatment that they received both in Jerusalem and then in Babylon.  They had all lost friends and family members too during this time.  We see that the psalmist shows the tenderness of God in dealing with these people, “He heals the brokenhearted And binds up their wounds.” 

 

We also see the greatness of our God in this section of Psalm 147:  “4 He counts the number of the stars; He gives names to all of them. 5 Great is our Lord and abundant in strength; His understanding is infinite.”  We see here not only the power, but also the understanding of our God and for that we surely can praise Him.

 

Spiritual meaning for my life today:  Every morning before I begin to write to my Spiritual Diary I try to have a prayer time with the Lord, and in this time of prayer I first ask the Lord to search my heart for any hidden sins and also confess sins that I know that I have committed.  I feel that this is necessary in order to have a sweet fellowship with the Lord.  Next I praise the Lord for His attributes, including His holiness, goodness, compassion, His being all powerful, all wise, all knowing, and the fact that He is everywhere.  Love and justice are the last two attributes that I praise the Lord for.  I also pray for other matters like praying that the Lord will open my heart and mind to understand from His Word, and pray that the Lord will use my Spiritual Diary as it goes onto my blog to bring honor and glory to the Lord.  As we look at this portion of this psalm we see different attributes of our Lord, as we see His power and also His compassion two aspects of His character that are worthy of our praise.

 

My Steps of Faith for Today:  Praise the Lord for who He is, continue to learn contentment, and continue to study the Word of God in order to have my mind transformed by His Word so that I am more and more conformed to the image of my Lord.

 

Memory verses for the week:  Psalm 130:1-8

 

            1 Out of the depths I have cried to You, O LORD. 2 Lord, hear my voice! Let Your ears be attentive To the voice of my supplications. 3 If You, LORD, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand? 4  But there is forgiveness with You, That You may be feared.

    5 I wait for the LORD, my soul does wait, And in His word do I hope. 6 My soul waits for the Lord More than the watchmen for the morning; Indeed, more than the watchmen for the morning. 7 O Israel, hope in the LORD; For with the LORD there is lovingkindness, And with Him is abundant redemption. 8 And He will redeem Israel From all his iniquities.    12/10/2012 9:27:03 AM