PT-2 Psalm 131 (Psalm 131:2-3)

 

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 10/26/2012 7:36:13 AM

 

My Worship Time                                                                 Focus:  Psalm 131 PT-2

 

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                Reference:  Psalm 131:2-3

 

            Message of the verses:  Dr. Wiersbe wrote the following at the end of his introductory commentary on Psalm 131:  “In this brief psalm, he tells us the essentials of a life that glorifies God and accomplishes His work on earth.”  We looked at the first essential in yesterday’s SD and will continue looking at the next two in today’s SD.

 

Humility—Accept God’s Will (v.2)

            2 Surely I have composed and quieted my soul; Like a weaned child rests against his mother, My soul is like a weaned child within me.”

 

            In yesterday’s SD we looked at honestly accepting yourself, and in today’s SD we will look at humbly accepting God’s will and then the hope we have in accepting the future.

David speaks of the weaning of a child in verse two, and the way that this was when he wrote this psalm from the land of Israel is much different than the way that it is in the United States today.  Although it may be that more and more mothers are breast feeding their children today, I don’t think that the majority of women are breast feeding their children until age three or four today as was the custom when David wrote this psalm.  It is different and so in order to understand this verse we have to understand the times when this psalm was written.  David begins this verse by speaking of being composed and being quiet.  The word speaks of the calming of the sea or the leveling of the ground after it is plowed.  This kind of emotion would happen to the child from feeding from the mother, as opposed to having emotional highs and lows.  When a baby is born there is a crisis from the birth and feeding at the mother’s breast is a calming experience for the baby, but there would come a time when this had to end and this would again be a difficult time for the young child.  This could be described as a painful loss for the child.  Now we will look at this in the light of several different short Bible stories that Dr. Wiersbe has included in his commentary in order to help us understand this in terms of grownups.  “Abraham had to leave his family and city, send Ishmael away, separate from Lot, and put Isaac on the altar.  Painful weaning!  Joseph had to be separated from his father and brothers in order to see his dreams come true.  Both Jacob and Peter had to be weaned from their own self-sufficiency and learn that faith means living without scheming.  The child that David described wept and fretted but eventually calmed down and accepted the inevitable.”  Later Dr. Wiersbe goes on to write, “Successful living means moving from dependence to independence, and then to interdependence, always in the will of God.  To accept God’s will in the losses and gains of life is to experience that inner calm that is so necessary if we are to be mature people.”

I have to say that as I read the commentary from Dr. Wiersbe that there are times when things seem to jump right off the page with meaning for me.

 

Hope—Anticipate the Future (v. 3)

            3 O Israel, hope in the LORD From this time forth and forever.

 

            I suppose that we have all heard from our parents or said to our children when something we have to do is painful that it is four our own good, and this is the case of the weaning child in this psalm for when they were weaned they were set free in able to meet the future and to make the most of it.  Some people have a hard time in making changes, but when we look at our growth in our walk with the Lord there always have to be changes made.  Paul writes the following to the Corinthians, 2 Co 3:18  “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.”  Being transformed from one glory to another means that the Spirit is working inside our hearts to cause us to become more mature in the Lord.  We have looked at this word “transformed” in earlier SD’s, and it is a word that we get the word metamorphoses from where an ugly worm turns into a beautiful butterfly.  The word is also used in Romans 12:2, “2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.”  We also see the word when Jesus when up on the mountain with Peter, James, and John and He was transformed so that they could see His glory. 

            There are times in our lives when we desire not to change, but as Dr. Wiersbe puts it, “When we fret over a comfortable past, we only forfeit a challenging future.”  He concludes his commentary by writing, “Like the child being weaned, we may fret at our present circumstances, but we know that our fretting is wrong.  Our present circumstances are the womb out of which new blessings and opportunities will be born.  (Romans 8:28)”

 

            Spiritual meaning for my life today:  Changes that seem to be bad are changes that I have a hard time with even though they are in the will of God.  This is where faith has to come in believing what Romans 8:28 teaches us, “Moreover we know that to those who love God, who are called according to his plan, everything that happens fits into a pattern for good (Phillips).”  I’m sure that from age seventeen to age thirty-three that Joseph had a hard time believing that the dreams that he had when he was a child would still come true.

 

My Steps of Faith for Today:  Contentment is something that means that I know that God is always in control of my life in spite of going through difficult circumstances.

 

Memory verses for the week:  1Cor. 13:8-13

 

            8 Love never fails; but if there are gifts of prophecy, they will be done away; if there are tongues, they will cease; if there is knowledge, it will be done away.  9 For we know in part, and we prophecy in part, 10 but when the perfect comes the partial will be done away.  11 When I was a child, I use to speak like a child, think like a child, reason like a child; when I became a man I did away with childish things.  12 For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face, now we know in part, but then I will know fully just as I also have been fully known.  But now faith, hope, and love, abide these three, but the greatest of these is love.

 

10/26/2012 8:35:38 AM

PT-1 Ps. 131)

 

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 10/25/2012 9:01:41 AM

 

My Worship Time                                                                             Focus:  Psalm 131 PT-1

 

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                            Reference:  Psalm 131:1

 

            Message of the verses:  As has been our normal practice when we come to the book of Psalms, we will look at several introductions from different Bible Commentators to see what this psalm is about and how we can apply it to our lives.

 

“This psalm is David’s profession of humility, humbly made, with thankfulness to God for his grace, and not in vain-glory. It is probable enough that (as most interpreters suggest) David made this protestation in answer to the calumnies of Saul and his courtiers, who represented David as an ambitious aspiring man, who, under pretence of a divine appointment, sought the kingdom, in the pride of his heart. But he appeals to God, that, on the contrary.”  (Matthew Henry)

 

“The psalmist’s humility: Believers encouraged to trust in God.

 

“The psalmist aimed at nothing high or great, but to be content in every condition God allotted. Humble saints cannot think so well of themselves as others think of them. The love of God reigning in the heart, will subdue self-love. Where there is a proud heart, there is commonly a proud look. To know God and our duty is learning sufficiently high for us. It is our wisdom not to meddle with that which does not belong to us. He was well reconciled to every condition the Lord placed him in. He had been as humble as a little child about the age of weaning, and as far from aiming at high things; as entirely at God’s disposal, as the child at the disposal of the mother or nurse. We must become as little children, #Mt 18:3. Our hearts are desirous of worldly things, cry for them, and are fond of them; but, by the grace of God, a soul that is made holy is weaned from these things. The child is cross and fretful while in the weaning; but in a day or two it cares no longer for milk, and it can bear stronger food. Thus does a converted soul quiet itself under the loss of what it loved, and disappointments in what it hoped for, and is easy whatever happens. When our condition is not to our mind, we must bring our mind to our condition; then we are easy to ourselves and all about us; then our souls are as a weaned child. And thus the psalmist recommends confidence in God, to all the Israel of God, from his own experience. It is good to hope, and quietly to wait for the salvation of the Lord under every trial.”  (Matthew Henry Concise Commentary)

 

“Title: A Song of Degrees of David. It is both by David and of David: he is the author and the subject of it, and many incidents of his life may be employed to illustrate it.  Comparing all the Psalms to gems, we should liken this to a pearl: how beautifully it will adorn the neck of patience. It is one of the shortest Psalms to read, but one of the longest to learn. It speaks of a young child, but it contains the experience of a man in Christ. Lowliness and humility are here seen in connection with a sanctified heart, a will subdued to the mind of God, and a hope looking to the Lord alone happy is the man who can without falsehood use these words as his own; for he wears about him the likeness of his Lord, who said, "I am meek and lowly in heart." The Psalm is in advance of all the Songs of Degrees which have preceded it; for loveliness is one of the highest attainments in the divine life. There are also steps in this Song of Degrees: it is a short ladder, if we count the words; but yet it rises to a great height, reaching from deep humility to fixed confidence. Le Blanc thinks that this is a song of the Israelites who returned from Babylon with, humble hearts, weaned from their idols. At any rate, after any spiritual captivity let it be the expression of our hearts.”  (Charles H. Spurgeon)

 

“If anyone in Israel had reasons to be proud, it was David.  The eight son of a common citizen, he began as a humble shepherd and yet became Israel’s king.  A courageous soldier, a gifted general and tactician, and a sincere man of God, it was David who defeated Israel’s enemies, expanded her boundaries, and amassed the wealth that Solomon used to build the temple. He wrote nearly half of the psalms, and though (like all of us) he was guilty of disobeying the Lord, he was always repentant and sought God’s merciful forgiveness.  It was for David’s sake that the Lord kept the light burning in Jerusalem during the years of Judah’s decay, and it was from David’s line that Jesus Christ came into the world.  Expect for a few lapses into selfishness and sin, David walked with the Lord in a humble spirit.  In this brief psalm, he tells us the essentials of a life that glorifies God and accomplishes His work on earth.”  (Dr. Warren Wiersbe)

 

Since this psalm is so short let us look at the entire psalm before we begin to comment on it.  “1 A Song of Ascents, of David: O LORD, my heart is not proud, nor my eyes haughty; Nor do I involve myself in great matters, Or in things too difficult for me. 2 Surely I have composed and quieted my soul; Like a weaned child rests against his mother, My soul is like a weaned child within me. 3 O Israel, hope in the LORD From this time forth and forever.”  As I look at this brief psalm I will have to agree with Charles Spurgeon that although it may be short to read, it will take a lifetime to put into practice.

 

Honesty—Accept Yourself (v. 1)  ““1 A Song of Ascents, of David: O LORD, my heart is not proud, nor my eyes haughty; Nor do I involve myself in great matters, Or in things too difficult for me.”

 

            Dr. Wiersbe begins his commentary on this verse by stating something that has just jumped out at me:  “We move toward maturity when we honestly accept who we are, understand what we can do, accept both and live for God’s glory.  Rejecting or hating ourselves, fantasizing about ourselves, and envying others are marks of immaturity.”  David, the author of this psalm, had seen pride in his former boss, King Saul, and he would also see it in one of his son’s, Absalom, and all one has to do is read about their lives to understand that pride is not what a true believer should desire in his heart.  Pride is spoken of in the book of Proverbs: “Pr 8:13 “The fear of the LORD is to hate evil; Pride and arrogance and the evil way And the perverted mouth, I hate.

Pr 11:2 When pride comes, then comes dishonor, But with the humble is wisdom.

Pr 16:18 Pride goes before destruction, And a haughty spirit before stumbling.

Pr 21:24 “Proud," "Haughty," "Scoffer," are his names, Who acts with insolent pride.

Pr 29:23 A man’s pride will bring him low, But a humble spirit will obtain honor.”

Here are some verses from Proverbs that speak of being “proud.”  “Pr 15:25 The LORD will tear down the house of the proud, But He will establish the boundary of the widow.

Pr 16:5 Everyone who is proud in heart is an abomination to the LORD; Assuredly, he will not be unpunished.

Pr 16:19 It is better to be humble in spirit with the lowly Than to divide the spoil with the proud.

Pr 21:4 Haughty eyes and a proud heart, The lamp of the wicked, is sin.

Pr 21:24 “Proud," "Haughty," "Scoffer," are his names, Who acts with insolent pride.”

 

A couple more quotes from Dr. Wiersbe on this section and we will be done.  “When you accept yourself and your lot and thank God for the way He made you, you do not need to impress people.  They will see your worth and love you for who you are.”  “David did not promote himself; it was all God’s doing.”

 

            Spiritual meaning for my life today:  Sometimes it is good to get your spiritual toes stepped on and that is what has happened to me today.  God deals with me the way that He sees fit in order to accomplish in me what He wants to accomplish.  My desire is to allow people to see Jesus in me.

 

My Steps of Faith for Today:  Continue on my quest to be content.

 

Memory verses for the week:  1Cor. 13:8-13

 

            8 Love never fails; but if there are gifts of prophecy, they will be done away; if there are tongues, they will cease; if there is knowledge, it will be done away.  9 For we know in part and we prophecy in part; 10 but when the perfect comes, the partial will be done away.  11 When I was a child I use to speak like a child, think like a child, reason like a child; when I became a man I did away with childish things.  12 For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I will know fully just as I also have been fully known.  13 But now faith, hope, love, abide these three, but the greatest of these is love.

 

10/25/2012 10:20:03 AM

 

 

Psalm 130 PT-2 (Ps. 130:3-8)

 

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 10/24/2012 10:22:27 AM

 

My Worship Time                                                                 Focus:  Psalm 130 PT-2

 

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                Reference:  Psalm 130:3-8

 

            Message of the verses:  In Today’s Spiritual Diary we will continue to look at the 130^th Psalm.  I want to quote what Warren Wiersbe wrote at the end of his introductory commentary so we can better understand the direction we are going in as we continue to look at this psalm.  “No matter what our need, when we call upon the Lord in faith, He hears us and makes the changes needed in our lives.” 

 

From Guilt to Forgiveness (vv. 3-4)

 

            “3 If You, LORD, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand? 4 But there is forgiveness with You, That You may be feared.”

 

            I can say that these two verses are very precious to all who know the Lord, for in them we see the forgiveness that God has given to us, and that brings peace to our hearts.

 

            In this section we have moved from the sea to the courtroom. 

 

            The word mark means to keep and have charge of and God is perfectly able to do this, however as we continue to read the verses we see that God is also ready to forgive us.  As we look at the portion in the Scriptures that tells us about what is called “The White Throne Judgment,” we see that although God is able to remember the sins of those who stand before him there, and all who do not accept the forgiveness that is offered by God through Jesus Christ will stand there, God opens the books and those there will have a chance to plead their case before God.  How will they do this?  They will speak of the good works that they have done “for the Lord,” but they will not have the forgiveness necessary to enter into heaven because they turned down the offer that God gives to have salvation through the work that Jesus Christ did on the cross.

 

            Dr. Wiersbe concludes this section by stating, “If you take seriously the guilt of sin, you will take seriously the grace of forgiveness. Salvation is a serious and costly transaction.”

 

From Darkness to Light (vv 5-6)

 

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.”

 

             In this section we have moved from the courtroom to the city walls where we find that the watchman are doing their job by being alert when they look out into the darkness in order to make sure that there is no danger approaching.  The guards have no way of making the sun rise any faster than it will rise, but when the sun finally rises they can again rejoice because they are still safe from another night. 

            As we look at a person who does not know Jesus Christ as their Savior and then they come to know Him it is like the night is now gone and the Light of the Lord is now shining upon them as they come to know the Lord.  Jesus stated that He is the light in the Gospel of John.  Peter writes, “But you are A CHOSEN RACE, A royal PRIESTHOOD, A HOLY NATION, A PEOPLE FOR God’s OWN POSSESSION, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; (1Peter 2:9).”  What a wonderful joy to be in His marvelous light. 

 

From to Bondage to Freedom (vv. 7-8)

 

            “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.”

 

            We now move to the slave market and the key word in this section is redemption.  Redemption means “setting someone free by paying a price.”  When the Lord Jesus Christ finished His work that the Father had sent Him to accomplish He said from the cross “It is finished.”  After He said this He died. “John 19:30 “Therefore when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, "It is finished!" And He bowed His head and gave up His spirit.”  I want to look at the Greek word that is translated “it is finished.”  The reason that I want to look at this word is because it was stamped on a prisoner’s charges that were brought against him after he was released from prison and that word in the Greek is “teleo.”  The English/Greek dictionary that I use states this at the end of the definitions for this word, “Christ satisfied God’s justice by dying for all to pay for the sins of the elect. These sins can never be punished again since that would violate God’s justice. Sins can only be punished once, either by a substitute or by yourself.”  This is what redemption is all about and our redemption came at the cost of God’s Son dying on a cross for us.  Dr. Wiersbe concludes his commentary on this psalm by writing, “The psalmist saw a future redemption for the people of Israel, as did Paul (Romans 11) and the prophets (Isa. 11, 60, 65-66; Zech. 12:10-14:21).  Christian believers look forward to the coming of Christ and the redemption He will bring (Romans 8:18-30).”  We will conclude this portion with these verses from Romans, “18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us. 19 For the anxious longing of the creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God. 20  For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope 21 that the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God. 22 For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now. 23  And not only this, but also we ourselves, having the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our body. 24 For in hope we have been saved, but hope that is seen is not hope; for who hopes for what he already sees? 25 But if we hope for what we do not see, with perseverance we wait eagerly for it.

“26 In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words; 27 and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. 28 And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. “29 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; 30  and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified.”

 

            Spiritual meaning for my life today:  I am so very thankful for the light of God’s Word that was used to call me unto the Lord.  As I look at what God did on my behalf I am truly amazed and in awe, for to think that God would send His One and only Son to come to this earth to purchase my salvation, to bring redemption to me by dying on the cross.  I suppose that I do not think about this as much as I should and that is why I am thankful to have this brought to my mind in this portion of Scripture. 

            Our Heavenly Father knew that we as believer’s would tend not to remember this and that is one of the reasons for the Lord’s Supper, to remind us of what Christ did for us on the cross.  It did not end on the cross for after He was buried for three days He arose again to life and we have that hope too.  “Titus 2:13 looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus.”

 

My Steps of Faith for Today:  To continue to learn contentment and to also learn what the plans of God are for me to accomplish for Him.

 

Memory verses for the week:  1Cor. 13:8-13

 

            8 Love never fails; but if there are gifts of prophecy, they will be done away; if there are tongues, they will cease; if there is knowledge, it will be done away.  9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part; 10 but when the perfect comes, the partial will be done away.  11 When I was a child I use to speak like a child, think like a child, reason like a child, when I became a man I did away with childish things.  12 For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I will know fully just as I also have been fully known.  13 But now faith, hope, love, abide these three, but the greatest of these is love.

 

10/24/2012 11:20:18 AM

 

 

PT-1 Psalm 130 (Psalm 130:1-2)

 

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 10/23/2012 10:28:11 AM

 

My Worship Time                                                                 Focus:  Psalm 130 PT-1

 

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                Reference:  Psalm 130:1-2

 

            Message of the verses:  As has been our practice as we begin to look at a psalm, we look at several introductions from different Bible Commentators in order to get a grasp on what the background of the psalm is and therefore have a better idea on how the psalm can be used in our lives.

 

“This psalm is by some thought to have been written by David either when persecuted by Saul, and in great distress, and fearful he should perish by him; or else when in great distress of mind because of sin, after the affair of Bathsheba; and it is reckoned therefore among the penitential psalms. Though others think it was written by Ezra, or some other godly person in the captivity; and Aben Ezra and R. Obadiah interpret it of Israel in captivity.”  (John Gill) 

 

“This psalm relates not to any temporal concern, either personal or public, but it is wholly taken up with the affairs of the soul. It is reckoned one of the seven penitential psalms, which have sometimes been made use of by penitents, upon their admission into the church; and, in singing it, we are all concerned to apply it to ourselves.”  (Matthew Henry)

 

“It would be hard to see any upward step from the preceding to the present Psalm, and therefore it is possible that the steps or ascents are in the song itself: certainly it does rise rapidly out of the depths of anguish to the heights of assurance. It follows well upon 129: when we have overcome the trials which arise from man we are the better prepared to meet those sharper sorrows which arise out of our matters towards God. He who has borne the scourges of the wicked is trained in all patience to wait the dealings of the Holy Lord. We name this the DE PROFUNDIS PSALM: "Out of the depths" is the leading word of it: out of those depths we cry, wait, watch, and hope. In this Psalm we hear of the pearl of redemption, #Ps 130:7-8: perhaps the sweet singer would never have found that precious thing had he not been cast into the depths. ‘Pearls lie deep.’”  (Charles H. Spurgeon)

 

“The sixth of seven Penitential Psalms, Psalm 130 emphasizes what God does for helpless people who cry out to Him for mercy.  Perhaps the Jewish pilgrims used this psalm to confess their sins and seek God’s forgiveness and blessing as they made their way to the sanctuary.  (See Hebrews 10:19-25 for the kind of preparation believers today need when they approach the Lord.)  No matter what our need, when we call upon the Lord in faith, He hears us and makes the changes needed in our lives.”  (Dr. Warren Wiersbe) 

 

            Let’s look at Hebrews 10:19-25 as suggested by Dr. Wiersbe, “19  Therefore, brethren, since we have confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus, 20 by a new and living way which He inaugurated for us through the veil, that is, His flesh, 21 and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 22 let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. 23 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful; 24 and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, 25 not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near.”

 

            Now before we begin to look at this psalm I want to repeat a story that I heard from a missionary who ministers in Portugal, and who is a part of the missions conference that we are having at the church that I attend.  He tells the story of a lady who is now a member of the church that he ministers in.  I do not remember the name of the lady but the story that he told is a story of how God’s grace worked in her life.  This woman was a great athletic along with her husband and they traveled around teaching youngsters gymnastics as they had a school.  I don’t remember all of the wonderful things that she did other than she was very rich and very famous and as the world would look at her, she was on top of the world.  This lady was driving a van full of kids when she stopped for gas and in her haste to leave she forgot to fasten her seat belt and then got into an accident and went through the windshield of the van.  She became paralyzed in most of her body after the accident.  She was pregnant and then after giving birth later on became pregnant again.  Sometime after the birth of her second child her husband left her and now this lady who had been rich and famous was now paralyzed with two small children and did not have the money that she once had.  She tried several different churches; one who promised healing for her and another that said they could do nothing for her.  When her daughter was about twelve years old she began to go to the church that this missionary was at and became a believer.  She would walk two miles to church, rain or shine, and her mother began to notice a difference in her daughter and so this lady began to come to church where she also became a believer in Jesus Christ and now has a glowing testimony stating that she was happy for the accident for because of it she found the Lord.  The missionary said that if there are any people who are having a great deal of trouble in their life and they come to talk to him, he first sends them to see this lady and she tells them her story and they come away with a new attitude.  Now let us look at the 130^th Psalm in its entirety to see how this lady’s story is similar to the psalmist’s story.  “1 A Song of Ascents: 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.”

 

From Death to Life (vv. 1-2)

           

            We can conclude from these first two verses that the psalmist was in a desperate situation, and death was staring him in the face.  Dr. Wiersbe states that the tense of the verb “cry” indicates that the psalmist had been crying out to the Lord in the past and was continuing to cry out to him as he penned this psalm and the reason was because without the mercies of God in intervening in his situation he would die.  When you look at this psalm in the NASB you see that the word “Lord” which is sometimes in all caps and sometimes just has the first letter “L” capitalized.  When it is in all caps it is the word Jehovah, and when it is just has the first letter capitalized it is the word “Adonai,” of “Master.”  The combination of these words for God is seen eight times in this psalm.  The psalmist was remembering the prayer that Solomon prayed when he dedicated the temple when Solomon cries for God’s eyes to be opened, “’Now, O my God, I pray, let Your eyes be open and Your ears attentive to the prayer offered in this place.’”  He may have been thinking of Psalm 34:15, “The eyes of the LORD are toward the righteous And His ears are open to their cry.” 

 

            Dr. Wiersbe writes, “We can cry out to God from the depths of disappointment and defeat and from the depths of fear and perplexity.  Like a heavy weight, sin drags its victims to the depths, but God made us for the heights (Isaiah 40:31; Col. 3:1).”  “Yet those who wait for the LORD Will gain new strength; They will mount up with wings like eagles, They will run and not get tired, They will walk and not become weary.”  “Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.”

 

            Spiritual meaning for my life today:  As I am trying to make a concerted attempt to begin to memorize more Scripture I think that I would like to put this psalm to memory beginning next week.  I understand what Dr. Wiersbe says about sin wearing you down and the best way to combat against it is the Word of God.

 

My Steps of Faith for Today:  My desire is to learn contentment and to be humble before the Lord.

Memory verses for the week:  1Cor. 13:8-13

 

            8 Love never fails; but if there are gifts of prophecy, they will be done away; if there are tongues, they will cease; if there is knowledge, it will be done away.  9 For we know in part and we prophecy in part, 10 but when the perfect comes the partial will be done away.  11 When I was a child, I use to speak like a child, think like a child, reason like a child; when I became a man I did away with childish things.  12 For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face, now I know in part, but then I will know fully just as I also have been fully known.  13 But now faith, hope, love, abide these three, but the greatest of these is love.

 

10/23/2012 12:50:56 PM

Psalm 129 PT-2 (Ps. 129:3-8)

 

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 10/22/2012 9:59:40 AM

 

My Worship Time                                                                             Focus:  Psalm 129 PT-2

 

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                            Reference:  Psalm 129:3-8

 

            Message of the verses:  As we begin the second SD in the 129^th Psalm I want to quote what Dr. Wiersbe wrote at the end of his introductory commentary, “The psalm gives three instructions that we should follow when we find ourselves suffering for Jesus Christ.”

 

Benefit from It (vv. 3-4)  “3 “The plowers plowed upon my back; They lengthened their furrows." 4 The LORD is righteous; He has cut in two the cords of the wicked.

 

            As we look at verse three we will look at two ways in which to understand this verse better.  First we will look at two verses from the OT that could help us better understand about having plowers plow on a person’s or a nation’s back, and the first is found in Joshua 10:24, “When they brought these kings out to Joshua, Joshua called for all the men of Israel, and said to the chiefs of the men of war who had gone with him, "Come near, put your feet on the necks of these kings." So they came near and put their feet on their necks.”  This verse tells that if Israel would obey the Lord that He would allow them to defeat their enemies.  The second verse is found in the book of Isaiah chapter fifty-one and verse twenty-three, “"I will put it into the hand of your tormentors, Who have said to you, ’Lie down that we may walk over you.’ You have even made your back like the ground And like the street for those who walk over it."  Now we will look at verse three in a little different way as some Bible teachers have said that this verse speaks of a person being beaten with a whip and thus leaving the marks on their back, like furrows, from the whip.  The first person that I would think of this happening to is our Lord Jesus Christ and the prophet Isaiah had prophesied about this, “I gave My back to those who strike Me, And My cheeks to those who pluck out the beard; I did not cover My face from humiliation and spitting.” “Who his own self bore our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live to righteousness: by whose stripes you were healed 1Pe. 2:24 AKJV).”  The Apostle Paul also was beaten and he speaks of this in “2Co 11:24 Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one.”

 

            Dr. Wiersbe writes “The nation of Israel has been plowed long, deep, and often, but what a harvest of blessing it has brought to the world!”  Israel did learn much from their time of persecution in Babylon and when we look at the book of Nehemiah we see that there was a great revival after they returned from their captivity.  I realize that it did not last a long time, but a day will come when after another long persecution of the Jews that all Israel will be saved. 

 

            We as believers in Jesus Christ today can look at this plowing in a different way for it reminds us of sowing and bringing in the harvest.  Paul tells the Galatians that whatsoever we sow we will reap.  We must remember that we must plant the right seeds in order to have the right kind of a harvest.  Dr. Wiersbe concludes this section by saying, “God permits people to treat us like dirt, and we must accept it, but we have the privilege of transforming it by the grace of God into character that honors the Lord.”

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            Before ending I want to look at a verse in Psalm 124:7 to help explain verse four, “7  Our soul has escaped as a bird out of the snare of the trapper; The snare is broken and we have escaped.”

 

Commit to the Lord (vv. 5-8)  “5 May all who hate Zion Be put to shame and turned backward; 6  Let them be like grass upon the housetops, Which withers before it grows up; 7 With which the reaper does not fill his hand, Or the binder of sheaves his bosom; 8 Nor do those who pass by say, "The blessing of the LORD be upon you; We bless you in the name of the LORD.’”

 

            As we look at verse five in light of what is going on in today’s world we can be assured that those who hate Israel will be put to shame and they will be destroyed.  There are many who take the Bible seriously look at what is going on in the Middle East today as it is ushering the world into the last days of human history as we know it.  Why do they look at it this way?  The main thing that causes many to believe that we are in the “Last Days” is the rebirth of the nation of Israel that took place on May 14^th of 1948, and this happened in one day.  “"Who has heard such a thing? Who has seen such things? Can a land be born in one day? Can a nation be brought forth all at once? As soon as Zion travailed, she also brought forth her sons (Isaiah 66:8).”  As we now look at the rebuilt state of Israel we see it surrounded by enemies for they simply hate Israel because they are Jews, and this is something that God will not stand for as He told Abraham that He would bless those who bless him and those that curse him He would curse, and we can see this throughout history every since God formed the nation of Israel. Ezekiel writes that there are a number of nations that will surround Israel in the last days and that they will form an alliance in order to destroy them, but God will destroy those nations. Let us look at a few verses from the 38^th and 39^th chapters of Ezekiel, “Eze 38:8 “After many days you will be summoned; in the latter years you will come into the land that is restored from the sword, whose inhabitants have been gathered from many nations to the mountains of Israel which had been a continual waste; but its people were brought out from the nations, and they are living securely, all of them.”  “1  "And you, son of man, prophesy against Gog and say, ’Thus says the Lord GOD, "Behold, I am against you, O Gog, prince of Rosh, Meshech and Tubal; 2  and I will turn you around, drive you on, take you up from the remotest parts of the north and bring you against the mountains of Israel. 3 “I will strike your bow from your left hand and dash down your arrows from your right hand. 4 “You will fall on the mountains of Israel, you and all your troops and the peoples who are with you; I will give you as food to every kind of predatory bird and beast of the field. 5 “You will fall on the open field; for it is I who have spoken," declares the Lord GOD. 6 “And I will send fire upon Magog and those who inhabit the coastlands in safety; and they will know that I am the LORD. 7 “My holy name I will make known in the midst of My people Israel; and I will not let My holy name be profaned anymore. And the nations will know that I am the LORD, the Holy One in Israel. “8 "Behold, it is coming and it shall be done," declares the Lord GOD. "That is the day of which I have spoken. 9 "Then those who inhabit the cities of Israel will go out and make fires with the weapons and burn them, both shields and bucklers, bows and arrows, war clubs and spears, and for seven years they will make fires of them.”  (Ezekiel 39:1-9)  We see in these verses that God will have the last say as to what will happen to Israel, and what will happen to those who hate them.

 

            The psalmist goes on in this section to speak of the enemies of Israel to be like grass that grows on top of the flat roofs of their houses.  Seeds would blow upon the tops of these flat roofs that were composed of a mixture of mud and mortar, wood and thatching, which would make it easy for them to grow and so the grass would begin to grow but then the hot weather would make it so that the shallow seeds would die very fast and this is what the psalmist says will happen to the enemies of Israel.  The question comes up as to why should people hate Israel and the answer to this question is that Satan hates Israel and because unbelievers are children of the Devil “"You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies.’”  (John 8:44)  Satan hates Israel because the Lord Jesus Christ came from the tribe of Judah and it was because of His death on the cross that the world, the flesh, and the Devil have been defeated.  Take a look at the 12^th chapter of the book of Revelations and you will be able to see the intense hatred that Satan has for Israel, and then take a look at the different countries of the world that have this same hatred and you will see where they get it from.

 

            The Jewish people have trusted in the Lord to have Him care for those who hate them and Paul writes about this in the book of Romans as he quotes the OT in this section as part of what he writes, “17 Never pay back evil for evil to anyone. Respect what is right in the sight of all men. 18 If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men. 19 Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, "VENGEANCE IS MINE, I WILL REPAY," says the Lord. 20 “BUT IF YOUR ENEMY IS HUNGRY, FEED HIM, AND IF HE IS THIRSTY, GIVE HIM A DRINK; FOR IN SO DOING YOU WILL HEAP BURNING COALS ON HIS HEAD." 21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”  (Romans 12:17-21)

 

            As believers in Jesus Christ we owe much to the nation of Israel, for they gave us the Word of God and they also gave to us the Savior of the world and for that we can praise the Lord for the nation of Israel.

 

            Dr. Wiersbe concludes his commentary on this psalm with these insightful words, “When people treat you like dirt because you belong to Jesus, remember the ABC’s of this psalm: accept it, benefit from it, commit it to the Lord.”

 

            Spiritual meaning for my life today:  When I look at the situation in our country and around the world I know that eventually the outcome of all this is written in the pages of the Scriptures, but there are times when I desire to take matters into my own hands to hurry things up, but I have to be patient, but one thing that I can do and that is to continue to pray for revival and to trust the Lord to work out His perfect plan, for He is all knowing.

 

My Steps of Faith for Today:  Continue to seek to learn contentment and patience as I trust the Lord.

 

Memory verses for the week:  1Cor. 13:8-13

 

            8 Love never fails; but if there are gifts of prophecy, they will be done away; if there are tongues, they will cease; if there is knowledge, it will be done away.  9 For we know in part and we prophecy in part; 10 but when the perfect come, the partial will be done away.  11 When I was a child I use to speak like a child, think like a child, and reason like a child, when I became a man I did away with childish things.   12 For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I will fully know just as I also have been fully known.  13 But now faith, hope, love, abide these three; but the greatest of these is love.

 

10/22/2012 11:24:45 AM

 

 

Psalm 129 PT-1 (Ps. 129:1-2)

 

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 10/21/2012 8:56:46 AM

 

My Worship Time                                                                 Focus:  Psalm 129 PT-1

 

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                Reference:  Psalm 129:1-2

 

            Message of the verses:  We will look at several introductions to Psalm 129 by different Bible Commentators in today’s SD in order to help us better understand what this “ascent” psalm has to say, and how it will benefit us in our walk with the Lord.

 

“This psalm relates to the public concerns of God’s Israel. It is not certain when it was penned, probably when they were in captivity in Babylon, or about the time of their return.

 

   “I. They look back with thankfulness for the former deliverances God had wrought for them and their fathers out of the many distresses they had been in from time to time, #Ps 129:1-4.

 

   “II. They look forward with a believing prayer for and a prospect of the destruction of all the enemies of Zion, #Ps 129:5-8. In singing this psalm we may apply it both ways to the Gospel-Israel, which, like the Old-testament Israel, has weathered many a storm and is still threatened by many enemies.”   (Matthew Henry)

 

“Title:  A Song of Degrees. I fail to see how this is a step beyond the previous Psalm; and yet it is clearly the song of an older and more tried individual, who looks back upon a life of affliction in which he suffered all along, even from his youth. Inasmuch as patience is a higher, or at least more difficult, grace than domestic love, the ascent or progress may perhaps be seen in that direction. Probably if we knew more of the stations on the road to the Temple we should see a reason for the order of these Psalms; but as that information cannot be obtained, we must take the songs as we find them, and remember that, as we do not now go on pilgrimages to Zion, it is our curiosity and not oar necessity which is a loser by our not knowing the cause of the arrangement of the songs in this Pilgrim Psalter.

 

      “AUTHOR, ETC. — It does not seem to us at all needful to ascribe this Psalm to a period subsequent to the captivity … indeed, it is more suitable to a time when as yet the enemy bad not so far prevailed as to have carried the people into a distant land. It is a mingled hymn of sorrow and of strong resolve. Though sorely smitten, the afflicted one is heart whole, and scorns to yield in the least degree to the enemy. The poet sings the trials of Israel, #Ps 129:1-3; the interposition of the Lord, #Ps 129:4; and the unblessed condition of Israel’s foes, #Ps 129:5-8. It is a rustic song, full of allusions to husbandry.  It reminds us of the books of Ruth and Amos.”

(Charles H. Spurgeon)

 

“The destruction of Jerusalem by the Babylonians was described by the prophets as ‘plowing’ (vv. 3-4; Isa. 51:23; Mic. 3:12; Jer. 26:17-18), so this psalm was probably written after the exiles returned to the land.  There they were surrounded by enemy peoples who hated them, so the theme was appropriate.  The psalmist speaks for the nation and states that, no matter how severe the persecution, nothing can destroy the people of Israel.  But God’s church has also suffered severe persecution throughout the centuries, and faithful individual Christians face personal hostility.  ‘Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution’ (2 Tim. 3:12, NKJV).  The psalm gives three instructions that we should follow when we find ourselves suffering for Jesus Christ.”  (Dr. Warren Wiersbe)

 

Accept It (vv. 1-2) “1 A Song of Ascents: "Many times they have persecuted me from my youth up," Let Israel now say, 2  "Many times they have persecuted me from my youth up; Yet they have not prevailed against me.”

 

            I am reminded of Genesis 12:1-3 where God says to Abram, “1 Now the LORD said to Abram, "Go forth from your country, And from your relatives And from your father’s house, To the land which I will show you; 2 And I will make you a great nation, And I will bless you, And make your name great; And so you shall be a blessing; 3 And I will bless those who bless you, And the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed.’”   The psalmist is reaffirming this promise that God made to Abraham, and thus to the house of Israel.  When God states that through Abraham that all the nations of the earth will be blessed, He is speaking of the coming of the Messiah, Jesus Christ, who came from the line of Abraham.  Israel has been persecuted more than any other nation in the history of mankind, and yet Israel still stands today and as of May 14, 1948, Israel is now back in their land, and they are still surrounded by their enemies, who are still trying to destroy her.  God’s Word makes it plain that this will not happen and Paul writes to the Romans that there will come a day when “all Israel will be saved.” 

 

            The persecution that Israel faced has also been in the Church as even today we read from the “Voice of the Martyrs” whose website is http://www.persecution.com/ that there are close to 1000 people who die every day for the cause of Christ. 

 

            Spiritual meaning for my life today:  I am so thankful for the Word of God, especially because I do not have to worry about what is going to happen to this world, for we can find out what will happen in His Word, especially books like Daniel, Ezekiel, Revelation and many other books of the Bible.  We can read in Revelation chapters six through nineteen what will happen in the last days of planet earth before the return of Jesus Christ physically to the earth, and later on in that book we can read what will happen to this world and see how God will make a new heaven and a new earth for His children to live on.  We may yet go through persecution in this country, but we have the great hope that the Lord will return to take us to be with Him and we will be with Him forever.

 

My Steps of Faith for Today:  Continue to learn contentment from reading the Word of God and trusting the Lord of Glory.

 

Memory verses for the week:  1Cor 13:8-13

 

            8 Love never fails; but if there are gifts of prophecy, they will be done away; if there are tongues, they will cease; if there is knowledge, it will be done away.  9 For we know in part, and we prophecy in part, 10 but when the perfect comes the partial will be done away.  11 When I was a child I use to speak like a child, think like a child, reason like a child, when I became a man I did away with childish things.  12 For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I will know fully just as I also have been fully known. 13 But now faith, hope, love, abide these three, but the greatest of these is love.

 

 10/21/2012 9:39:33 AM