Psalm 148

How thrilling, better yet, how edifying, these Hillel Psalms that speak of God’s praiseworthiness in every setting.  Today it is a call to all “heaven and earth”. Here are my reflections.  Take time to record your own today!

Heaven, v1-6

·         v2: We are now in Jerusalem.  The latest Israel/Gaza conflict has an “angel” story in it.  Whether we see them or not they are real and perfectly serve their Creator.

·         v3: Around 2AM the morning of July 20 was the last time I saw the magnificence of the night sky that Montana offers.  I was with my son and granddaughter at Becker Lake in the Beartooth Mtns.  I stepped out of the tent on that moonless night.  The Milky Way glistened with brilliance.  The desire to praise the Creator was instantaneous and fulfilled.

·         v4: Much of this I don’t understand.  I need to visit again with our friend Mark Amunrud who always has well-thought-out ideas about these things.  But the glory of it all is the mystery of the Creator of heaven and earth.

Why are the heavens called to such praise?  Because the LORD commanded them into existence.  They are His handiwork and simply by their existence and function they declare His glory.

Earth, v7-14

·         v8: In these summer months in Jerusalem the gentle breeze calls for constant thanks to our good Creator and Sustainer.  Recently there was a well-attested story of a sudden wind blowing a Hamas rocket off course so it landed in the ocean rather than a populated area.  Israel’s Iron Dome failed to destroy it in 2 or 3 attempts.  Praise to the sovereign LORD.

·         v9: Walking around the Garden Tomb, we now have signs identifying many of the trees.  There are several fruit trees here that bear fruit at differing times of the year.  It is a joy when in the Arab and Jewish markets to always have an abundance and variety of Israel-produced fruit. Praise to our wise Creator.

·         v10: In the afore-mentioned backpacking trip in the Beartooths we were thankful to see one moose at first light Sunday morning.  While in Bryce Nat’l Park Cindy captured wonderful pictures of a deer, and even a crow (not my favorite bird).  ALL give unique praise to their exalted Creator. (And here is a 2024 addition to this as I am frequently sitting on the deck at the back of our house looking out towards Spring Creek in Lewistown. The deer and the amazing variety of birds all give glory to the Creator. Even this morning there was an amazing flyby of half a dozen good size birds of some sort that just zipped across the backyard and threw the willow trees to land on the creek.)

·         v11: Oh, that the rulers of the nations would acknowledge the Creator and His decreed Anointed One, our Lord Jesus.  The phrase “wars and rumors of wars” so fits our world today and especially Israel.  But all any of them talk about it seems are their armies, their weapons, their plans, their negotiations, their… Where is the glory due His Name?!

·         v12: Here at the Garden the praise of the LORD is so evident in the staff.  There are Palestinians and Israelis who work together in full honor of His Name.  And even in this slow time the praise of many who come into this Garden is evident.  The sound of songs of praise in many languages is a staple here.  Last night at dinner we shared with our fellow volunteers the joys of worship at Central Bible Church.  The little orchestra and the congregation just filled that auditorium with the sounds of joyful praise.  And well we remember on our way through Montana meeting with the small gathering of believers in a home in Lewistown; how their praise filled that home, praise for the exalted LORD. 

Why should everything on earth praise the LORD?  Because He alone is exalted!  His glory is above the heavens and earth.  AND … do not miss it … He HAS exalted the horn of His people Israel, the greater Son of David, Jesus the Anointed One.  He is now in the heavenlies, at the right hand of the Majesty on High.  How I/we give great praise for the faith of Abraham, exercised by all believers today.  We praise You, our God, that in Christ we have been grafted in to the tree.  We are your saints.  May our praise this day reflect that reality!

Psalm 8, The Living God (2)

Let us begin with a word about Ex. 34:6-7.  Notice that “the LORD descended” to Moses (cf. v5).  For us to have knowledge of God, God must humble Himself to enable us to know this.  He created us in His image so that we can understand.  But as sinners, we do not ascend to heaven to learn about God; God must descend to us, as He did in Christ (again, John 1:18).  David said this in Ps. 8:3-4 (paraphrased) when I consider the greatness of the heavens you created, how amazing that You even think about us, much less that You visit us!?  In Scripture, the “visit” term is used of …

·       God visiting Sarah that she might give birth to Isaac (Gen. 21:1).

·       God visiting the people of Israel while in bondage in Egypt (Ex. 4:31).

·       The Psalmist prayed for the LORD to “visit me with Your salvation” (Ps. 106:4).

·       God visited Israel through the birth of Christ (Lk. 1:68).

·       Jesus’ prediction of the destruction of Jerusalem was a “time of visitation” (Lk. 19:44).

·       Jesus’ return will occur on the “day of visitation” (1 Pt. 2:12).

Praise God that He has humbled Himself that we might know something of the beauty of His glorious perfections!  Here are a few more from Scripture (we plan, Lord willing, to add to this last in some future posts.)

ii)      Psalm 90:2: God is great.  Story: In 1715, Louis XIV of France died.  Louis, who called himself “the Great,” was the monarch who made the infamous statement “I am the State!”  His court was the most magnificent in Europe, and his funeral was spectacular.  His body lay in a golden coffin.  To dramatize the deceased king’s greatness, orders had been given that the cathedral should be very dimly lighted, with only one special candle set above his coffin.  Thousands waited in hushed silence.  Then Bishop Massillon began to speak.  Slowly reaching down, he snuffed out the candle, saying, “Only God is great!”

iii)   Ps. 99:3,5,9: God is holy.

iv)            Psalm 139:7-10: God is omnipresent.

v) 1 John 1:9: God is faithful and just.

iv)    1 John 4:8,16: God is love.

One of the confirming truths of” the three persons of the Godhead is the fact that the attributes of deity are applied to the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.  Here is one illustration:

God is truth: Father: Dt. 32:4; Ps. 31:5; Son: Jn. 14:6; Spirit: Jn. 16:13.

Psa. 103:1-13,22, The Living God (1)

The pagan world was always haunted by the unknowability of God.  At best, men could but grope after his mystery.  “It is hard,” said Plato, “to investigate and to find the framer and the father of the universe.  And, it one did find him, it would be impossible to express him in terms which all could understand.”  Aristotle spoke of God as the supreme cause, by all men dreamed of and by no man known.  The ancient world did not doubt that there was a God or gods, but it believed that such gods as there might be were quite unknowable and only occasionally interested in mankind.  In a world without Christ, God was a mystery and power, desirable but never known.

Ah, but believers in Christ do not live in a world without Christ.  He is the image (exact representation) of the invisible God (Heb. 1;1-3).  He alone has seen God and has declared Him (John 1:18).  Following is a simple outline study of “theology proper” (i.e. the study of God Himself), with scriptures included along with a few additional illustrations.

1)    What can we know about God?

a)    God’s nature – what is God?

i)      How many true Gods are there?  ONE!  Deut. 32:36-39: There is no God besides Me, a truth quoted several times in Isa. 40-66.  Apparently Israel had forgotten this truth.  Since there is only one God, then, as the Shammah says (Deut. 6:4-6), The LORD is one!

ii)   What is God?  He is a spirit (Jn. 4:24) and Jesus made it clear, that a spirit has no flesh and bones (Lk. 24:39).

iii)            How many persons make up the “godhead?”  And what are their names?  There are three persons.  The Bible refers to God the Father, God the Son, God and Holy Spirit (Mt. 28:19; 2 Cor. 13:14).  Three persons existing in such unity that they are distinct, and yet there is only one God!

b)    God’s attributes – what is God like?  Some refer to these as God’s “perfections.”  Whatever term you use, we are talking about qualities attributed to God in His word, the Bible.  This list is not exhaustive.  While God is knowable, there is no thought our knowledge can ever be complete.

i)      Exodus 34:6-7: One of the richest troves of God’s attributes is found here, in what God says is His “name.”  We will quote it, and then continue in our next post: And the LORD passed before him (Moses on Mt. Sinai) and proclaimed, “The LORD, the LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, by no means clearing the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children and the children’s children to the third and the fourth generation.

Heb. 12:25-29; 1 Pt. 1:23-25, The Unchanging God (2)

The NT calls to our attention several things about our God that are unchanging or enduring.  Here are three more.

·       The faithfulness of God endures, 2 Tim. 2:13.  This is not a redundancy.  God’s faithfulness has to do with His keeping His word.  The question is this: is there ever a time when God decides He will no longer keep His word?  Particularly, will He renege on keeping His word if I fail to keep my word?  Often we have the thought that our sins will nullify God’s word.  For that reason, we have a double positive which is more emphatic. 

God’s faithfulness applies to His promises as well as His warnings.  Again, it applies to all of His word.  His word is pure and there is never a need to alter it.  Further, it applies to God’s conditional and unconditional promises.  For example, Israel’s idolatry triggered the consequences of the Mosaic Law (cf. Lev. 26; Deut. 28), which was conditional.  But her idolatry never has and never will cause God to renege on the unconditional covenants with Abraham/Isaac/Jacob (Gen. 12:1-3), or David (2 Sam. 7:12-16) or His Son (Ps. 2:6-9).

·       The kingdom of God endures, Heb. 12:25-29.  This passage builds on the previous point concerning God’s faithfulness, even when we sin.  Hebrews is written to Jewish believers.  The nation is about to be obliterated by the Romans.  It was common for the people of Israel to wonder if they had pushed God too far.  Read Isaiah 40:27-31 where the prophet calls Israel to task for believing their way was hidden from God and that they had been passed over by God.  He reminds them that God is not worn out nor neglectful.  They need to be those who “wait on the LORD.”  The believers receiving the Hebrews letter would have wondered the same thing as they knew the destruction of 70AD has nearly upon them.  The truth they are given is that, though the kingdom of their day was about to be destroyed, they had received, in Christ, a kingdom which cannot be shaken.  They are still servants of God and should worship Him appropriately.

·       The word of God endures, 1 Pet. 1:22-25.  God’s word is “living” (cf. Heb. 4:12).  It is through His word that we have life through faith in Christ.  Because His word endures, then we know that it will never cease to give life to those who have believed.  Our life is bound up in His Word, so let us continue or endure in it.   Never go beyond it (Num. 22:18).  Believe every word of it (1 Ki. 22:14).  Don’t add to or take from it (Pr. 30:5-6).  Let us find it faithfully coming from our lips.  Speak it boldly (Ac. 4:20,31).  Do not neglect it (6:2).  Accept it as God’s word (8:14).  Continue to increase in it and spread it (12:24) that the word of God might spread (6:7) in our families, communities and nation.

Let us praise our unchanging God! 

Heb. 7:15-19; Gen. 3:22-24, The Unchanging God (1)

One of my favorites, the Cathedral Quartet, sang this song:

Yesterday things were different. Today they’re different again.

Jesus will never, never change. Jesus is always the same.

Let’s consider our “unchanging God,” highlighting some of the things in the New Testament that are enduring.

·       The wrath of God endures, John 3:36.  Jesus combined “wrath” with the “forever” word in this passage.  Some (Catholics, some modernists) are unsure of this truth.  Others deny it altogether, teaching annihilation of the wicked soul after death or proclaiming universalism.  Jesus said, Then they will go away to eternal punishment and the righteous to eternal life (Mt. 25:46).  Punishment is as eternal as the life.  This doctrine is important for God’s people to understand and confess; it promotes the endurance of the saints (Rev. 14:9-12).

·       The purpose of God endures, Rom. 9:11.  God’s purpose stands.  It’s not just that God keeps His word.  It is that His word is a statement of what He is about.  Because of this doctrine, we can be sure that all things work for God for those who love God (Ro. 8:28); He works all things to be consistent with His will (Eph. 1:11); the Church is fully consistent with God’s eternal purpose in Christ; our salvation is the outworking of His own purpose and grace given to us in Christ (2 Tim. 1:9).  Everything in all of creation is moving towards the fulfillment of God promise to exalt His Son (Psalm 2:6-9).

·       The New Covenant of God endures, 2 Cor. 3:11.  As great a monument to God’s wisdom and sovereignty was the Law in the OT, it was temporal.  As Paul made clear, it had a purpose of revealing to us our sin.  But it was replaced by a more glorious covenant, one that remains.  Christ’s death made the Old Testament obsolete, freeing us from it’s claim (Heb. 9:15); Christ’s resurrection made the NT eternal because it was linked to His indestructible life (Hb. 7:15-19).

·       The righteousness of God endures, 2 Cor. 9:9 (from Ps. 112:9).  Don’t wait for God’s standard of righteousness to change.  It won’t!  Note these two related truths.  Because God’s righteousness endures we should not continue in sin (Rom. 6:1).  On the other hand, because God’s righteousness endures, therefore faith, hope and love abide (1 Cor. 13:12).

There is more to say.  But for now, consider how the enduring nature of God is tied to God the Son.  He came to earth so that He could die, which sounds like the end of the enduring God.  Yet, His death makes possible His resurrection, bringing about life that is eternal.  God barred Adam from the “tree of life” lest he eat it’s fruit and “endure” in his sinfulness (Gen. 3:22-24).  God in Christ, the Second Adam, endured the cross (Heb. 12:2) that we might eat of that tree (Rev. 22:2).

Psalm 118, God Our Refuge (4)

4)    What benefits come to those who make God their refuge?

Again, here is a rapid list, with references to search out.

a)    Psalm 2:12: blessing.

b)    Ps. 5:11: gladness, joy.

c)    Ps. 27:1: no fear.

d)    Ps. 31:1; no shame (from the collapse of one’s false refuge in time of trouble.)

e)    Ps. 31:19: God’s goodness.

f)     Ps. 34:22: No condemnation.

g)    Ps. 37:40: deliverance.

h)    Ps. 46:1: help.

i)      Ps. 57:1: mercy (until the disaster has passed).

j)      Ps. 62:2: Never shaken.

k)    Ps. 91:9: No harm.

l)      Ps. 144:2: Victory (people, enemies are subdued).

m) Prov. 18:10: safety.

5)    How does one make God his refuge?

As is always the case, it’s not 1-2-3 steps and you’re in.  It’s a well-rounded lifestyle.  The key to making God my refuge has to do with His word.  Obedience to the word of God places me in and keeps me in His fortress, or hidden in the cleft of the rock, or under His wings, or lifted high above the fray, etc.  Disobedience to His word effectively removes me from His refuge.  I am on my own.

The “normal” Christian life is a walk of faith, and involves the word of God and the power of prayer for obedience through fellowship.  Look at how these everyday ingredients work together.

Pr.10:29: The “upright” (obedient) dwell within the refuge; the disobedient are liable to destruction.

Pr. 30:5: God is a shield to those who put their trust in Him and His pure word.  God’s word is without error.  It is the lamp for your feet (Ps. 119:105).

Ps. 91:14-15; 62:7-8: Through prayer, call upon Him in trouble and He will set us on high and deliver us.  Don’t attempt this on your own.

Ps. 118:8-9; 91:2; Pr. 18:10: Bottom line: trust in Him!  RUN to the Lord, your Strong Tower.

Neh. 8:10: And in all this, remember the joy of fellowship; it is the source of strength.  “Forsake not the assembling of yourselves together.”  The Body of Christ is God’s provision that you might steadily and continuously be built up in your faith.

Isaiah 30:1-17, God Our Refuge (3)

2)    When do we need a refuge? We need perseverance (Greek hupomone), when dealing with “things”.  We need patience (Greek makrothumia), when dealing with “people.”  Hebrew has various words translated “trouble” in English.

a)    Sara (Ps.46:1): personal anguish one encounters in adverse circumstances (e.g. childbirth).

b)    Sar (Ps. 59:16): harassment and torment engendered by an enemy.

c)    Oni (Ps. 107:41): pain or punishment resulting from affliction, disability, material or physical deprivation, oppression.

d)    Zerem (Isa. 25:4): a flood of rain, a down pour.

The Lord is a refuge when dealing with people (Ps. 14:6; 17:7; 59:1; Jer. 16:19).

3)    What other “refuges” do men turn to in times of trouble?

i)      Here is a rapid list:

(1)                        Men/princes, Ps. 118:8-9.

(2)                        Wealth, Ps. 52:7; Pr. 18:11.

(3)                        Walled cities, Isa. 25:12; 26:5; 17:9f; 23:4,11,14.

(4)                        Idols, Isa. 57:13.

(5)                        The mountains, Ps. 11:1; Rev. 6.

(6)                        All are LIES, Isa. 28:15,17.

ii)   A special study of Isa. 30:1-17 shows the fallacy of Israel’s reliance on Egypt for protection and deliverance. 

(a) What did God say Israel would find in trusting Egypt?

(i)   v3: shame and disgrace.

(ii)                        v5: useless help; neither help nor an advantage.

(iii)                     v6: unprofitable help.

(iv)                     v7: “Rahab and Do-Nothing.”  The AV says, “Their strength is to sit still.”  The NASB says, “Rahab who has been exterminated.”

(v)                        The same can be said of other false refuges.

(b)            What characterizes Israel?

(i)   v1: She is obstinate, carrying out plans but not God’s plans, forming an alliance with the Holy Spirit.

(ii)                        v2: She is not consulting God but looking to others.

(iii)                     v9: She is rebellious, deceitful, unwilling to listen to instruction.

(iv)                     v10-11: She tells the preachers to change their message.

(c) What harvest will Israel reap?  Her false refuge will crumble (v13-14); she will flee from her oppressors (v16-17; i.e. there is no refuge.

(d)            In v15 where does God say Israel could have found deliverance and strength?  In quietness, rest, repentance and trust (opposite of v6) she would find refuge in the Lord.