Again, of Asaph.
A teaching poem, designed to teach future generations to remember God's works and goodness to Israel.
Remember! Remember what God has called you from, and brought you through, and promised for the future!
This song is intended to recount Israel's history in light of God's promises, works, and patience with them, so that future generations might set their hope in Him also, and not forget His works, or to keep his commandments. Remembering all He has done, will, hopefully, teach them not to rebel.
When God called Abram and established His covenant with him, He commanded that His laws and covenant should be handed down to future generations.
When Israel rebelled, and did not keep covenant with God, but forgot His works and wonders, they were defeated in battle.
Remember...how He rescued you from Egypt. He divided the sea for you to pass through! He led by day with a pillar of cloud, and by night with a pillar of fire. He brought water from a rock!
But they sinned.....testing God and seeking their own 'fancy' (NKJV v 18), or wants, rather than being satisfied with their needs being met. They questioned God's intent and ability. He was angry! but gave them 'angels food', the 'bread of heaven' (manna). He also sent them the meat they craved, literally dropping it in their laps. They ate, and their 'fancy' was satisfied.....but He struck them all with illness.
>>>sometimes our 'wants' aren't really what we need. <<<
They still sinned--resulting in wasted years in the wilderness.
At His discipline, they turned and sought Him again, but not with their whole hearts. Lip service; insincere and fake. Yet God, who knows all and sees all, still had compassion on them, forgiving them time and again.
I love verse 39.....and find great comfort in it when I am faced with an awe and proper fear of God because of His greatness and my insignificance in light of that.....
"For He remembered that they were but flesh, a breath that passes away and does not come again."
They limited Him by not remembering His power, or how He had redeemed them. They forgot the plagues of Egypt and how God destroyed them, but saved His people. He brought them out miraculously and established them in Canaan.
Yet still......they provoked Him. They worshiped other gods, and bowed to carved images. God allowed them to b punished by other nations, defeated and ruled by them.
and yet again.....God, in His steadfast love and covenant, rescued them once more.....and established David, a man after his own heart to be their king.
A shepherd to shepherd His people.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~````
Wow. So much to take away from this.
I have, many times, sought my own 'fancy' instead of being content with what God has provided. I am thankful for His discipline in that. He has taught me over and over again, that He knows best. So, I pour my heart out to Him, asking for my 'wants' when I can't see any biblical reason that they are sinful, yet in the same breath acknowledge that they are but just that.....wants.....and not needs.
yet how often I run back to the same place of not being content with what He's given.
And how often I have rebelled and paid Him lip service, knowing that He knows this.
And how often in His compassion has He forgiven and restored a right relationship with Him?
I will remember..........
Saturday, May 31, 2014
Friday, May 30, 2014
Psalm 77
Where's your focus?
Asaph is troubled......in anguish he longs for comfort in the night, reaching out to find God. I get the picture of someone groping through the dark, desperately reaching for something firm and sure.
No specific enemy is named. No sin exposed. The nature of his turmoil is really unknown. But it is intense.
Even thinking of God is not a comfort. He recalls times when his heart was full of song in the night......but not now! This is what he longs for though.
>>>> I am reminded of a phrase I hear quite often..."I'm just not feelin' it..." with regard to primarily petty things.....like Chinese for dinner, or going shopping, or playing a game, etc. But I also know from the testimony of others, and personally, the experience of 'just not feelin' it' with regard to a closeness to God. Prayer seems bland or forced.....or perhaps redundant. Worship is emotionless and flat. This song of Asaph's is a good place to go for those times......<<<<<<<
Asaph's situation seems severe. Again, there is no mention of enemies or specific sin......so I wonder if the problem is purely internal?
He asks 6 questions in his anguish......questions about God's character and committment.
All anticipate a 'no!' answer.
It seems he is spent. Cried out perhaps. Not the calm (yet anyway) that comes after the storm, but the silence after you've 'let it all out'.
And in that moment, he intentionally re-focuses from his own circumstances to who God is....in direct answer to the questions he just asked in those moments of intense emotion. Now he's thinking a little more than feeling.
He sets his mind to actively remember God's works and to meditate on them and to talk about them. (Remember......he's not 'feelin' it' so this is an intentional, forced action on his part.....probably not easy.) And as he does, it seems he begins to 'feel it' again.
Suddenly he is back at the point of expressing, "Who is so great as our God? You are the God who does wonders! You have redeemed and saved us!"
He recounts God's might and presence as if in a thunderstorm. Great and awesome, yet invisible. He treads the waters of the earth, but his footsteps are not seen.
and He has let His people like a flock.
~~~~~~~~~
Note that he doesn't revert back to focusing on himself and his 'feelings'. He stays focused on God. Note also that the next psalm is a 'parable', used to teach coming generations of all of God's great wonders. I wonder if he got the idea for the next psalm while going through the experiences of psalm 77?
At any rate.......there is so much to be learned from Asaph here. How often do I struggle with 'just not feelin' it'? I keep on doing what needs to be done, day after day, prayer after prayer, worship service after worship service, ministry after ministry, study after study....but I seem to be spinning my wheels. Or perhaps the problem is some heartache too deep to share, that I can sit and cry over day after day. Perhaps a trial that never seems to end. Whatever.
In these times, I need to stay focused on what I know to be True, and Right, and Eternal. There is nothing lost in expressing those feelings, provided I express them to the One who can make things right, and that I am not willing to stay there wallowing in self pity and despair.
Re-focus. Sometimes the hardest thing in the world to do. Make myself recall all that God has done. Think about them. Ponder them. And talk about them.
Mind you this isn't a magic formula that works in a *poof*. Sometimes it takes a l-o-n-g time to start 'feelin' it' again. But I must press on, focusing on the right thing.
In the end......I know beyond all shadow of doubt that all will be well. God has promised it. And when I don't see the 'well' like He does, I can trust Him. Even when I'm not 'feelin' it', because I can look back, and see His hand in all that has pertained to me.
Thursday, May 29, 2014
Psalm 76
of Asaph.
God is known in Judah and Israel. They know His character and glory because He has chosen them, and loved them, and saved them. He has established His dwelling place among them at Salem (Jerusalem), and has defeated every foe there.
The finest, best and fiercest armies are no match for Him. When He comes against them, their skills become useless....for they are like dead men. When He speaks judgement it is a fearful thing. Who can stand? not one!
But He saves the humble.
"Surely the wrath of man shall praise You...." is difficult to comprehend. Study notes in the NKJB : Even man's hostility can be turned to serve the purposes of God. God will add to the judgement that man inflicts on himself.
RSB: God's wrath brings praise because it is directed against the wicked and unjust, who afflict the poor and vulnerable.
Because of His Name......that He has defeated all foes and saved you.....
Make your vows to Him and keep them. Be diligent to do them!
Serve Him who alone is to be feared!
God is known in Judah and Israel. They know His character and glory because He has chosen them, and loved them, and saved them. He has established His dwelling place among them at Salem (Jerusalem), and has defeated every foe there.
The finest, best and fiercest armies are no match for Him. When He comes against them, their skills become useless....for they are like dead men. When He speaks judgement it is a fearful thing. Who can stand? not one!
But He saves the humble.
"Surely the wrath of man shall praise You...." is difficult to comprehend. Study notes in the NKJB : Even man's hostility can be turned to serve the purposes of God. God will add to the judgement that man inflicts on himself.
RSB: God's wrath brings praise because it is directed against the wicked and unjust, who afflict the poor and vulnerable.
Because of His Name......that He has defeated all foes and saved you.....
Make your vows to Him and keep them. Be diligent to do them!
Serve Him who alone is to be feared!
Wednesday, May 28, 2014
Psalm 75
Again, of Asaph.
A song of thanks to God....because His wondrous works declare His Name (character and glory).
"I will judge at the proper time. I will judge uprightly and there will be no escape, for I established the earth and sustain it. You cannot hide. I have warned the boastful and the wicked against their pride and rebellion."
There is no other source for validation, whether of your sin or your righteousness.
God is the Judge. He raises up and he brings down. It is pointless to look to any other source.
Verse 8: "For in the hand of the Lord there is a cup....surely its dregs shall all the wicked of the earth drain and drink down." See Psalm 11:6. I love how the study note in the RSB reads:
"There is a cup of God's blessing as well as a cup of His wrath. The wicked will drink wrath to its dregs. Jesus Christ too His people's punishment upon Himself by drinking the cup of God's judgement."
Judgement is sure. Either you will face it yourself, or you will be saved by the One who faced it for you.
See also Isaiah 51:17 and following. Here the cup of God's wrath has been poured out on His people because of their sin....but the Lord removes it and promises salvation.
Asaph sings.......praises to God, because He will take down the wicked, and lift up the righteous!
A song of thanks to God....because His wondrous works declare His Name (character and glory).
"I will judge at the proper time. I will judge uprightly and there will be no escape, for I established the earth and sustain it. You cannot hide. I have warned the boastful and the wicked against their pride and rebellion."
There is no other source for validation, whether of your sin or your righteousness.
God is the Judge. He raises up and he brings down. It is pointless to look to any other source.
Verse 8: "For in the hand of the Lord there is a cup....surely its dregs shall all the wicked of the earth drain and drink down." See Psalm 11:6. I love how the study note in the RSB reads:
"There is a cup of God's blessing as well as a cup of His wrath. The wicked will drink wrath to its dregs. Jesus Christ too His people's punishment upon Himself by drinking the cup of God's judgement."
Judgement is sure. Either you will face it yourself, or you will be saved by the One who faced it for you.
See also Isaiah 51:17 and following. Here the cup of God's wrath has been poured out on His people because of their sin....but the Lord removes it and promises salvation.
Asaph sings.......praises to God, because He will take down the wicked, and lift up the righteous!
Tuesday, May 27, 2014
Psalm 74
Asaph is the author. Notes from both study bibles state the common belief is that this is about the destruction of the temple in 586 BC by the Babylonians.
~~~~~~~~~~~
Why? Why are You angry? Why have You allowed this?
We are Yours! You chose us and established us with mighty works! Remember us......remember the beautiful sanctuary build for Your dwelling among us.
Now see it. The enemy has destroyed it. They have worshiped their gods there. They came in like lumberjacks.....swinging axes and hatchets.....tearing down the carved wood, then setting fire to it. Their goal: to subdue Israel. Israel's strength was their God.....surely if they couldn't worship Him, they would become weak and fail.
And now....all seems lost. There is no prophet speaking and there are no mighty works.
How long will You let this be? How long will You allow them to revile You?
(God is pictured as standing with His hands stuck in His "pockets"....the folds of His robes, doing nothing.)
Remember Him, though......
Remember that He is from 'old'. Everlasting.Remember how He has worked salvation for us. He created and controls the sea and all that is in it. He causes springs to flow, or dries them up.
He rules the night, and the day, for He created their lights and established their circuits in the heavens. He created the earth and all in it. He made the seasons turn in their times.
Now remembering God's great love for them, Asaph petitions God to remember His covenant with them. Protect 'your dove' from the beasts......see how they revile Your name and scoffs at You.
Evil is lurking.....everywhere. But God sees.
Protect and save the downtrodden and needy.....let them praise Your name!
Arise O God and defend Your cause! Do not overlook them!
(See the next Psalm.......He judges.......)
~~~~~~~~~~~
Why? Why are You angry? Why have You allowed this?
We are Yours! You chose us and established us with mighty works! Remember us......remember the beautiful sanctuary build for Your dwelling among us.
Now see it. The enemy has destroyed it. They have worshiped their gods there. They came in like lumberjacks.....swinging axes and hatchets.....tearing down the carved wood, then setting fire to it. Their goal: to subdue Israel. Israel's strength was their God.....surely if they couldn't worship Him, they would become weak and fail.
And now....all seems lost. There is no prophet speaking and there are no mighty works.
How long will You let this be? How long will You allow them to revile You?
(God is pictured as standing with His hands stuck in His "pockets"....the folds of His robes, doing nothing.)
Remember Him, though......
Remember that He is from 'old'. Everlasting.Remember how He has worked salvation for us. He created and controls the sea and all that is in it. He causes springs to flow, or dries them up.
He rules the night, and the day, for He created their lights and established their circuits in the heavens. He created the earth and all in it. He made the seasons turn in their times.
Now remembering God's great love for them, Asaph petitions God to remember His covenant with them. Protect 'your dove' from the beasts......see how they revile Your name and scoffs at You.
Evil is lurking.....everywhere. But God sees.
Protect and save the downtrodden and needy.....let them praise Your name!
Arise O God and defend Your cause! Do not overlook them!
(See the next Psalm.......He judges.......)
Monday, May 26, 2014
Psalm 73
One of my favorite Psalms.
Asaph, one of David's chief musicians, is the author.
God is good. This is the conclusion.........
But Asaph recalls a time when he struggled with this.....pondering the prosperity of the wicked.....struggled to the point of it hindering his walk with God.
He observed that they live peaceful, long lives, free from trouble. They are proud and violent......this indeed is their whole life--they wear it openly like jewelry and clothing. They have all they could possibly want....living in opulence. They are in want of nothing.
They speak of oppression with no fear of God. They act, indeed, as if they own the earth.
They deceive themselves into believing that God does not see, or hear, or even have knowledge of their life.
That's just the way they are....and it isn't fair.
Here Asaph trips up......he becomes a little arrogant, speaking of and focusing on himself, after having focused for so long on the wicked. He feels that his commitment to godliness is in vain. His obedience to the laws of God, to keeping the commandments, lead to nothing. Why bother? when the wicked fare better than he? He dwells on this so much that it is eating him alive!
He was wise enough to not speak his mind on the issue.....so as not to mislead others, or cause doubt in them. (I think we all need to take a lesson in this! )
He tried to understand, to make sense of it.....but it was overwhelming and painful.
Until.......
He sought God. In His house. Then.....he got it.
Ultimately they will not prosper. No, God will destroy them. In His time, suddenly, they will be consumed. This is their fate....and they have no clue, and no hope.
Asaph realizes the foolishness of his struggle, confesses it, and acknowledges God's wisdom and everlasting love. God has not, and will not forsake Asaph! Where else can he find hope? Who, but God, can help?
I love verse 25:
Whom have I in heaven but You?
And there is none upon earth that I desire besides You.
My flesh and my heart fail; ("often!" is handwritten in my Bible)
But God is the strength of my heart an my portion forever. ("always" is handwritten here)
It is good to draw near to God.....and what else but the struggles of life to drive us there.
It is though knowing Him.....studying Him in His Word, and in prayer, that we come to know Him well. And knowing Him, we learn that we can trust Him.
And having experienced His love and help, we can declare Him to those around us!
Asaph, one of David's chief musicians, is the author.
God is good. This is the conclusion.........
But Asaph recalls a time when he struggled with this.....pondering the prosperity of the wicked.....struggled to the point of it hindering his walk with God.
He observed that they live peaceful, long lives, free from trouble. They are proud and violent......this indeed is their whole life--they wear it openly like jewelry and clothing. They have all they could possibly want....living in opulence. They are in want of nothing.
They speak of oppression with no fear of God. They act, indeed, as if they own the earth.
They deceive themselves into believing that God does not see, or hear, or even have knowledge of their life.
That's just the way they are....and it isn't fair.
Here Asaph trips up......he becomes a little arrogant, speaking of and focusing on himself, after having focused for so long on the wicked. He feels that his commitment to godliness is in vain. His obedience to the laws of God, to keeping the commandments, lead to nothing. Why bother? when the wicked fare better than he? He dwells on this so much that it is eating him alive!
He was wise enough to not speak his mind on the issue.....so as not to mislead others, or cause doubt in them. (I think we all need to take a lesson in this! )
He tried to understand, to make sense of it.....but it was overwhelming and painful.
Until.......
He sought God. In His house. Then.....he got it.
Ultimately they will not prosper. No, God will destroy them. In His time, suddenly, they will be consumed. This is their fate....and they have no clue, and no hope.
Asaph realizes the foolishness of his struggle, confesses it, and acknowledges God's wisdom and everlasting love. God has not, and will not forsake Asaph! Where else can he find hope? Who, but God, can help?
I love verse 25:
Whom have I in heaven but You?
And there is none upon earth that I desire besides You.
My flesh and my heart fail; ("often!" is handwritten in my Bible)
But God is the strength of my heart an my portion forever. ("always" is handwritten here)
It is good to draw near to God.....and what else but the struggles of life to drive us there.
It is though knowing Him.....studying Him in His Word, and in prayer, that we come to know Him well. And knowing Him, we learn that we can trust Him.
And having experienced His love and help, we can declare Him to those around us!
Sunday, May 25, 2014
Sunday, Lord's Day, May 25, 2014
Sunday School: Psalm 119:89-104 Hebrew letters Lamedh and Mem
Forever. Steadfast. Everlasting. Infinite. Immutable.....the same yesterday, today, and forever.
God's Word is all of the above.
It sustains me. Without it, I would perish. It saves me........by giving me life.
How? It is in God's Word that we learn that we are sinful creatures. The Law teaches us of our sin, It demonstrates that we cannot keep the Law of God, but points to the means He established from before time began to redeem and save us.....the atoning work of Christ.
I cannot turn from your Word, for it is my only hope. Enemies surround me, but I will hold to Your Word, for it is limitless in it's perfection. "Every other perfection has limits" (NKJV study Bible note on v. 96).
I love Your Word! I think of it all the time.....and consider all I do in light of it.
I love it, therefore I meditate on it....then I love it more.
"Familiarity breeds affection, and affection breeds familiarity." (quote by Spurgeon??)
The understanding it gives me makes sense of life in the broader sense of seeing life through spiritual eyes. Those who do not love the Word of God, do not have this perspective, and lack understanding.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~``
Sermon: Psalm 128 Henry Beaulieu
>>Truthfully, I went into this sermon questioning the meaning for me. I read the text last night, though already familiar with it. It makes me sad, in that I am NOT the wife of a godly husband. I really sort of felt 'left out' of God's blessing , though knowing this isn't so. So......I asked the Lord to speak His truth to me, and went in with wide open ears to hear. <<<
This is one of the songs of ascent....sung by pilgrims on the way to the temple in Jerusalem in preparation for worship.
"What is the good life?" Per our society, going, doing, possessions, wealth, personal contacts, who you know and where you go.....all not necessarily bad in and of themselves, but if you trust these things for a 'good life' filled with God's blessing, at the end of the day, you'll come up empty, for they are useless.
v 1. Blessed is the one who fears Jehovah (KJV) This name of God would conjure up memories of all of God's mighty acts.
**the fear of God is a prominent theme in the Scriptures. It is an awe filled reverence of God that stems from a right knowledge of Him. It stems from knowing Him.
This is a virtue that is primarily lost in our society. The wicked do not fear Him, because they do not know Him, but at the last Day....when He comes and they see Him....they will mourn and wail because of a different fear......fear of judgement.
The righteous does not know that kind of fear. Our fear is not of judgement and wrath,
for we know that the full wrath of God was poured out on a substitute for us......His only Son. THIS in and of itself elicits the proper fear of God in us.
I John 4:18 : ......perfect love casts out fear..... is about fear of judgement and God's wrath being eradicated in us by God's love.
Also.....a proper fear comes through the discipline of the one who loves us.
Henry used the illustration of his much beloved aunt switching him for disobedience, but he knew she love him, and he loved her.
See Ps 130:3. If You, Lord, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand? (fear....crippling fear.) But there is forgiveness with you, That You may be feared.
It is knowledge of His great love and forgiveness of our sin, undeserved and unmerited, that makes us fear Him properly.
Meditation from the bulletin: Psalm 130:4b "That Thou mayest be feared." This is the fruitful root of piety. None fear the Lord like those who have experienced his forgiving love. Gratitude for pardon produces far more fear and reverence of God than all the dread which is inspired by punishment. If the Lord were to execute justice upon all, there would be none left to fear him; if all were under apprehension of his deserved wrath, despair would harden them against fearing him; it is grace which leads the way to a holy regard of God, and a fear of grieving him."
Charles H. Spurgeon.
V2.....Blessed...productive and benefits from it. All things balanced....work, family life, worship, etc. The one who fears Jehovah is happy. It is well. Joy is in the Lord, not the circumstances of life.
V3....The man who fears God and walks in His ways will find a godly wife, typically, who makes the home a joyful and pleasant place. Children as olive shoots.....means a blessing. Olive trees were a sign of abundance and prosperity. They provided sustenance for the present and the future in that they spread and continued to grow. The one who fears Jehovah will see his children as a blessing.....a legacy and posterity.
>>>>>>>>>> as I thought on this, I lost the feeling of being left out somewhat. The one whose wife I was did not fear Jehovah. He didn't see me and/or the children as blessings, but as hindrances to the life he chose to live outside of God's laws. As much as I wish I had the opportunity to be a godly wife for a man who fears Jehovah, I am not left out of the blessing of God. He takes care of the widow, and has indeed blessed me much with wonderful friends and family, and a church body where I am honored and loved, and cared for. <<<<<<<<<<<<
V5....There is national blessing when it is full of those who fear Jehovah.
V6....Long life and peace for that one who fears Him.
The man who fails to fear the Lord will not have any of these things.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~`
Sunday evening: Matthew 27:62- 28:15
Those who chose not to believe will go to great lengths to perpetrate proof of their lies.
Even after evidence (the guard's report) that Jesus had risen, the Jewish leadership broke their own laws by bribing them to lie about it.
quick notes:
The Jewish didn't keep their own laws of keeping the Sabbath, however the women did.
They didn't believe Jesus claims, but were still afraid. Were they really afraid that perhaps His claims were true? Or was it simply as they said, that they feared the disciples would pull off a hoax?
The Roman guards, no doubt, had seen some pretty gruesome things in their day as soldiers in the world's mightiest army at that time. But this......An earthquake, an angel, Christ risen from the dead.....put them down like dead men.
How is it that these Roman legionnaires were so easily bribed? To fall asleep on the job was a serious thing. The love of money.......
Note: only some of the guard went to the priests. Surely the others told everyone they met what had happened!
In conjunction with this passage, we read Romans chapter 6.
We need a new 1: record, 2: life, 3: body. The story of the death, burial and resurrection of Christ is our assurance of salvation. Our record (sin deserving death) was put on Him so that He could bear God's wrath for us, while His record of sinlessness was accounted to us who believe. God was satisfied.....for He raised Him from the dead.
Forever. Steadfast. Everlasting. Infinite. Immutable.....the same yesterday, today, and forever.
God's Word is all of the above.
It sustains me. Without it, I would perish. It saves me........by giving me life.
How? It is in God's Word that we learn that we are sinful creatures. The Law teaches us of our sin, It demonstrates that we cannot keep the Law of God, but points to the means He established from before time began to redeem and save us.....the atoning work of Christ.
I cannot turn from your Word, for it is my only hope. Enemies surround me, but I will hold to Your Word, for it is limitless in it's perfection. "Every other perfection has limits" (NKJV study Bible note on v. 96).
I love Your Word! I think of it all the time.....and consider all I do in light of it.
I love it, therefore I meditate on it....then I love it more.
"Familiarity breeds affection, and affection breeds familiarity." (quote by Spurgeon??)
The understanding it gives me makes sense of life in the broader sense of seeing life through spiritual eyes. Those who do not love the Word of God, do not have this perspective, and lack understanding.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~``
Sermon: Psalm 128 Henry Beaulieu
>>Truthfully, I went into this sermon questioning the meaning for me. I read the text last night, though already familiar with it. It makes me sad, in that I am NOT the wife of a godly husband. I really sort of felt 'left out' of God's blessing , though knowing this isn't so. So......I asked the Lord to speak His truth to me, and went in with wide open ears to hear. <<<
This is one of the songs of ascent....sung by pilgrims on the way to the temple in Jerusalem in preparation for worship.
"What is the good life?" Per our society, going, doing, possessions, wealth, personal contacts, who you know and where you go.....all not necessarily bad in and of themselves, but if you trust these things for a 'good life' filled with God's blessing, at the end of the day, you'll come up empty, for they are useless.
v 1. Blessed is the one who fears Jehovah (KJV) This name of God would conjure up memories of all of God's mighty acts.
**the fear of God is a prominent theme in the Scriptures. It is an awe filled reverence of God that stems from a right knowledge of Him. It stems from knowing Him.
This is a virtue that is primarily lost in our society. The wicked do not fear Him, because they do not know Him, but at the last Day....when He comes and they see Him....they will mourn and wail because of a different fear......fear of judgement.
The righteous does not know that kind of fear. Our fear is not of judgement and wrath,
for we know that the full wrath of God was poured out on a substitute for us......His only Son. THIS in and of itself elicits the proper fear of God in us.
I John 4:18 : ......perfect love casts out fear..... is about fear of judgement and God's wrath being eradicated in us by God's love.
Also.....a proper fear comes through the discipline of the one who loves us.
Henry used the illustration of his much beloved aunt switching him for disobedience, but he knew she love him, and he loved her.
See Ps 130:3. If You, Lord, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand? (fear....crippling fear.) But there is forgiveness with you, That You may be feared.
It is knowledge of His great love and forgiveness of our sin, undeserved and unmerited, that makes us fear Him properly.
Meditation from the bulletin: Psalm 130:4b "That Thou mayest be feared." This is the fruitful root of piety. None fear the Lord like those who have experienced his forgiving love. Gratitude for pardon produces far more fear and reverence of God than all the dread which is inspired by punishment. If the Lord were to execute justice upon all, there would be none left to fear him; if all were under apprehension of his deserved wrath, despair would harden them against fearing him; it is grace which leads the way to a holy regard of God, and a fear of grieving him."
Charles H. Spurgeon.
V2.....Blessed...productive and benefits from it. All things balanced....work, family life, worship, etc. The one who fears Jehovah is happy. It is well. Joy is in the Lord, not the circumstances of life.
V3....The man who fears God and walks in His ways will find a godly wife, typically, who makes the home a joyful and pleasant place. Children as olive shoots.....means a blessing. Olive trees were a sign of abundance and prosperity. They provided sustenance for the present and the future in that they spread and continued to grow. The one who fears Jehovah will see his children as a blessing.....a legacy and posterity.
>>>>>>>>>> as I thought on this, I lost the feeling of being left out somewhat. The one whose wife I was did not fear Jehovah. He didn't see me and/or the children as blessings, but as hindrances to the life he chose to live outside of God's laws. As much as I wish I had the opportunity to be a godly wife for a man who fears Jehovah, I am not left out of the blessing of God. He takes care of the widow, and has indeed blessed me much with wonderful friends and family, and a church body where I am honored and loved, and cared for. <<<<<<<<<<<<
V5....There is national blessing when it is full of those who fear Jehovah.
V6....Long life and peace for that one who fears Him.
The man who fails to fear the Lord will not have any of these things.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~`
Sunday evening: Matthew 27:62- 28:15
Those who chose not to believe will go to great lengths to perpetrate proof of their lies.
Even after evidence (the guard's report) that Jesus had risen, the Jewish leadership broke their own laws by bribing them to lie about it.
quick notes:
The Jewish didn't keep their own laws of keeping the Sabbath, however the women did.
They didn't believe Jesus claims, but were still afraid. Were they really afraid that perhaps His claims were true? Or was it simply as they said, that they feared the disciples would pull off a hoax?
The Roman guards, no doubt, had seen some pretty gruesome things in their day as soldiers in the world's mightiest army at that time. But this......An earthquake, an angel, Christ risen from the dead.....put them down like dead men.
How is it that these Roman legionnaires were so easily bribed? To fall asleep on the job was a serious thing. The love of money.......
Note: only some of the guard went to the priests. Surely the others told everyone they met what had happened!
In conjunction with this passage, we read Romans chapter 6.
We need a new 1: record, 2: life, 3: body. The story of the death, burial and resurrection of Christ is our assurance of salvation. Our record (sin deserving death) was put on Him so that He could bear God's wrath for us, while His record of sinlessness was accounted to us who believe. God was satisfied.....for He raised Him from the dead.
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