SPIRITUAL
DIARY FOR 8/10/2012 11:16:30 AM
My Worship Time Focus: Psalm
113 PT-1
Bible Reading & Meditation Reference: Psalm
113:1-3
Message
of the verses: In Today’s SD we will
begin to look at Psalm 113, and then Lord willing we will continue in the book
of Mark chapter nine after we finish looking at this psalm. We will begin as we have in the past when
beginning a new psalm by looking at the introductions by several different
Bible Commentators.
“This Psalm is one of pure praise,
and contains but little which requires exposition; a warm heart full of
admiring adoration of the Most High will best of all comprehend this sacred
hymn. Its subject is the greatness and condescending goodness of the God of
Israel, as exhibited in lifting up the needy from their low estate. It may
fitly be sung by the church during a period of revival after it has long been
minished and brought low. With this
Psalm begins the Hallel, or Hallelujah of the Jews, which was sung at their
solemn feasts: we will therefore call it THE COMMENCEMENT OF THE HALLEL. Dr.
Edersheim tells us that the Talmud dwells upon the peculiar suitableness of the
Hallel to the Passover, "since it not only recorded the goodness of God
towards Israel, but especially their deliverance from Egypt, and therefore
appropriately opened with Praise ye Jehovah, ye servants of Jehovah, — and no
longer servants of Pharaoh." Its allusions to the poor in the dust and the
needy upon the dunghill are all in keeping with Israel in Egypt, and so also is
the reference to the birth of numerous children where they were least expected.” (Charles H. Spurgeon)
“Psalms 113-118 comprise rich
6-psalm praise to God commonly called the ‘Egyptian Hallel’ (‘Hallel’ meaning
praise in Hebrew). These were sung at
Passover, Pentecost, and Tabernacles, but had the greatest significance at
Passover, which celebrated the Jews’ deliverance from Egypt (cf. Ex.
12-14). Traditionally Pss 112, 114 were
sung before the Passover meal and Pss 115-118 afterwards. Psalm 118 would most likely be what Christ
and the disciples sang before they left the Upper Room the night Christ was
betrayed (cf. Mat. 26:30; Mk. 14:26).
There are two other notable sets of praise in the Psalter: 1) The Great
Hallel (Pss 120-136) and 2) The Final Hallel (Pss 145-150). (The John MacArthur Study Bible)
“It was traditional for the Jewish
people to sing 113-114 before they ate their Passover meal, and they closed the
meal by singing 115-118 (Matt. 26:30; Mark 14:26). These psalms were also sung in celebration of
Pentecost, Tabernacles, the new moon festivals, and the Feast of
Dedication. Because of the emphasis in
114, this small collection of psalms was called ‘The Egyptian Hallel.’ The psalm opens and closes with ‘hallelujah’
(‘praise Jehovah’) and gives us three wonderful reasons for praising the
Lord.” (Warren Wiersbe)
God’s
Name Is the Greatest (vv. 1-3): “1
Praise the LORD! Praise, O servants of the LORD, Praise the name of the LORD. 2
Blessed be the name of the LORD From this time forth and forever. 3 From the
rising of the sun to its setting The name of the LORD is to be praised.”
We see the word “praise” four times
in these three verses, but the question arises who are the servants of the LORD
spoken of in verse one. In different
parts of God’s Word like Psalms 34:22; 69:36; 136:22; and Isaiah 42:8-9; and
54:17 we see that this term is used for all of Israel, the entire nation. Israel had the great responsibility, a
responsibility that believers have today, of spreading the news about God to
others who do not know about Him, the true and living God.
Dr. Wiersbe points out that the word
“name” is used three times in these verses and refers to the character of God
and the revelation of who His is and what He does. We know that God has a good name, and because
of who He is that name should be magnified among those who have never trusted
him. Dr. Wiersbe writes “To ‘glorify
God’ means to make God look good to those who do not know Him. This kind of praise pays no attention to time
(‘forever more’) or space (from east to west).
God’s name is attached to His covenant with Israel and both His name and
His covenant can be trusted.” (See Deut.
28:1-14, especially noting verse 10): “10
“So all the peoples of the earth will see that you are called by the name of
the LORD, and they will be afraid of you.”
Spiritual
meaning for my life today: There are
several reasons why I spend time in God’s Word each day, and one of those
reasons is because God tells us to do this in His Word, and by doing this I
bring glory to the name of God. There is
nothing that I have that has not been given to me by the Lord, especially the
salvation that He provided for me on the cross by His Son, Jesus Christ, and
for this reason alone I owe all that I have been entrusted to too the
Lord. By doing these Spiritual Diaries
and posting them on the WWW I can lift up the name of God to those who know Him
and perhaps to those who will come to know Him, and this I count as a great
privilege. I desire to bring glory to my
Lord through these Spiritual Diaries by the Holy Spirit using them to call some
to salvation, to lift up those who know the Lord by encouraging them in their
walk with the Lord, and to have the Holy Spirit stimulate those who know the
Lord to begin a systematic study of God’s Word.
This psalm provided a good place to bring out these points.
My Steps of Faith for Today:
Continue to abide in the Vine (John 15) in order to be led by the Holy
Spirit of God to do the works that He has planned for me to do.
Memory
verses for the week: 2Peter 1:1-9
1 ¶
Simon Peter, a bond-servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who
have received a faith of the same kind as ours, by the righteousness of our God
and Savior, Jesus Christ: 2 Grace and
peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord;
3 seeing that His divine power has
granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true
knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence. 4 For by these He has granted to us His
precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of
the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust.
5 ¶
Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith
supply moral excellence, and in your moral excellence, knowledge, 6 and in your knowledge, self-control, and in
your self-control, perseverance, and in your perseverance, godliness, 7 and in your godliness, brotherly kindness,
and in your brotherly kindness, love. 8
For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they render you neither
useless nor unfruitful in the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 For he who lacks these qualities is blind
or short-sighted, having forgotten his purification from his former sins.
8/10/2012
11:55:19 AM
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