SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR
5/2/2012 9:32:47 AM
My Worship Time Focus: Learning about Worship
Bible Reading & Meditation Reference: Psalm
81:1-5
Message
of the verses: In today’s SD we will
begin to look at Psalm 80 by first looking at a few different introductions
from different Bible Commentators.
“This psalm was intended to be used
in the celebration of one of the feasts of Israel, most likely the Feast of
Booths, or Tabernacles. After the call
to worship (vv. 1-5), the psalm presents a message from God in the first person
(vv. 6-16). This oracle pleads with
Israel to ‘listen’ to Him (v. 13), so that He might pour out on the nation the
blessings of the covenant.” (The John
MacArthur Study Bible)
“The psalmist called the people
together to worship the Lord, but then the Lord’s messenger received a special
message from God and delivered it to the people. The occasion was a stated feast on the Jewish
calendar, but we are not told which feast it was. Passover is suggested by verses 5-7 and 10,
but the mention of the new moon and the full moon (v. 3, NASB) suggests
Trumpets and Tabernacles. The Jewish
religious year begins in the month of Nisan (our March-April), during which the
Feast of Passover is celebrated (Ex. 12).
The civil year begins with Tishri (our September-October), the seventh
month in the religious year, during which the Jews celebrate the Feast of
Trumpets (first day, ‘Rosh Hashanah’), the Day of Atonement (tenth day, ‘Yom
Kippur’), and feast of Tabernacles (days fifteen to twenty-two). (See Lev. 23:23-44 and Num. 29.) The first day would be new moon and the
fifteenth day the full moon. The
trumpets mentioned here are not the silver trumpets (Num. 10) but the ‘shofar,’
the ram’s horn, as was used at Jericho (Josh. 6). This argues for the occasion being the Feast
of Tabernacles, although perhaps Asaph conflated Passover and Tabernacles, for
they go together. Passover celebrated
the deliverance from Egypt and Tabernacles was also a joyful harvest
festival. The psalm reminds us of three
different aspects of true worship.”
(Warren Wiersbe)
Praising
God’s Name (vv. 1-5): “1 For the
choir director; on the Gittith. A Psalm of Asaph: Sing for joy to God our strength; Shout
joyfully to the God of Jacob. 2 Raise a song; strike the timbrel, The sweet
sounding lyre with the harp. 3 Blow the trumpet at the new moon, At the full
moon, on our feast day. 4 For it is a statute for Israel, An ordinance of the
God of Jacob. 5 He established it for a testimony in Joseph When he went
throughout the land of Egypt. I heard a language that I did not know:”
“1 For the choir director: A
psalm of Asaph, to be accompanied by a stringed instrument. Sing praises to
God, our strength. Sing to the God of
Jacob. 2 Sing! Beat the tambourine. Play
the sweet lyre and the harp. 3 Blow the ram’s horn at new moon, and again at
full moon to call a festival! 4 For this is required by the decrees of Israel;
it is a regulation of the God of Jacob. 5 He made it a law for Israel when he
attacked Egypt to set us free. I heard an unknown voice say,” (NLT)
We see in this section a call to
worship, a call to worship during the feasts, and it has already been discussed
in the introductions as to which feasts are thought to be talked about in this
psalm. We see music involved in the
worship of the Lord and we also see the paying of the “rams horn” involved in
this worship. As Dr. Wiersbe mentioned
in his introduction there were certain times in the Jewish religious calendar
where people came together to worship the Lord.
If my memory serves me correct this type of worship will again go on in
the 1000 year reign of Jesus Christ upon the earth beginning shortly after the
conclusion of the tribulation period, which will end with the second coming of
Jesus Christ to the earth. People who
are living all over the world will be required to come to Jerusalem on
different occasions to worship the Lord.
We can call this type of worship stated times for worship, but there
also could have been spontaneous times for worship, such as when the army has
defeated an enemy, and when that happened people could worship the Lord, giving
thanks for the victory that He gave them.
Dr. Wiersbe writes the following as he comments on both kinds of
worship: “Both are essential to balanced
worship, and both should focus on the goodness of the Lord. If all worshiping were personal and
spontaneous, there would be diversity but not unity; but if all worship only
followed a schedule, there would be uniformity and no diversity.”
Spiritual
meaning for my life today: This
strikes a chord with me as I think about worship and how it is done in churches
today. There seems to be different ways
that people worship in different churches, some are full of mostly songs, and
little preaching of the Word, some are very strict and have little singing, and
mostly dry preaching. Some are balanced
by have both singing, and preaching with the emphases on balance as all parts
of the service are to worship the Lord.
Then we can have our own worship everyday as we meet with the Lord in
our own private worship service. Parts
of my SD’s have the words “My Worship Time,” and the study of the Word of God
is genuine worship. There are
spontaneous times for worship when perhaps I have the privilege to lead someone
to the Lord, or when a burden has been lifted by a wonderful answer to
prayer. The important thing to do is to
worship the Lord for He deserves all worship that we give Him for the wonderful
salvation He has provided for us.
My Steps of Faith for Today: Worship
the Lord in Spirit and in Truth.
5/2/2012
10:17:10 AM
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