Preparing Israel, Preparing Me - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my heart and mind in Psalm 137:4,

"How can we sing the songs of the Lord while in a foreign land?"

From eternity, before the Lord even created Adam and Eve, he determined he would redeem mankind. God knows all things, even future things as he exists outside of the dimension of time (this makes my head hurt!). Thus he knew mankind would turn against him and when mankind did so, God began his activity to redeem us.

We know this from passages such as Ephesians 1:4-8a, "For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace that he lavished on us." In this example Paul speaks of God predestining his adoption of those who embrace him in faith through his Son "before the creation of the world".

The Old Testament Scriptures provide us the record of God dealing with his covenanted people to prepare them for "the main attraction" of his program of redemption: the coming Messiah, born as a Jew, who would take the punishment for the sins of mankind on himself.

Here is the purpose of God having his people defeated by the Babylonians and their deportation. They needed to be molded into what God desired his people to be when the Son of God arrived to the nation. The differences between the nation of Israel prior to their destruction and deportation compared to what the nation looked like when Jesus did arrive is simply amazing! Among a number of things, idolatry was gone. The Scriptures, which had been lost during the succession of the kings prior to their deportation are now the focus of the culture and fabric of the nation. Israel, while certainly not a perfect nation at the time with her many faults, was now a nation God used for his purposes of redemption when Jesus appeared.

I see this simple verse here in Psalm 137 as the stirrings of what the Lord was accomplishing in developing the nation - to set the stage for the arrival of the Messiah. It expresses their longing for the land the Lord had given them (and now taken them from), and importantly, the anticipated joy they sought in singing "songs of the Lord", not in a foreign land, but in that land he had given them.

And, as I see how God brought needed changes to Israel, I am reminded of the needed changes the Lord brings to my own life - changes desperately needed.

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The Passion for Home - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my heart and mind in Psalm 137:4-6,

"How can we sing the songs of the Lord while in a foreign land? If I forget you, Jerusalem, may my right hand forget its skill. May my tongue cling to the roof of my mouth if I do not remember you, if I do not consider Jerusalem my highest joy."

The psalmist recalls his homeland and pleads within himself to not forget Jerusalem while captive in a foreign land. His longing and desire for his home is clearly on display as a passion that possesses him. It is difficult to not feel a compassion for his feelings of isolation from the home he misses so much. "By the rivers of Babylon we sat and wept when we remembered Zion." Verse 1.

What the psalmist expresses in this psalm reminds me of another passage where the desire to be home dominated the feelings of hearts that truly looked and hoped for fulfillment with a passion that is clearly expressed. "Instead, they were longing for a better country—a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them." These are the heroes of faith that longed for home, not here, but a better home that God prepares for those who embrace him in faith.

The apostle Paul tells us, "For we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands. Meanwhile we groan, longing to be clothed instead with our heavenly dwelling..." 2 Corinthians 5:1-2. Here Paul speaks of how much better it is to be away from these bodies we currently inhabit to be home with the Lord, "We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord." 2 Corinthians 5:8.

I am certain I love my home and family as much as anyone does theirs. I am also certain that I would miss it and them as much as the psalmist did his were I separated from them. And, as I think about that, I can't help but think how wonderful the home is that those of us who have embraced Jesus Christ in faith are all destined for!

I cannot think of a more appropriate passion!

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

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Seeing the Son of God in the OT Scriptures - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my heart and mind in Psalm 136:1-9,

"Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good.
    His love endures forever.
Give thanks to the God of gods.
    His love endures forever.
Give thanks to the Lord of lords:
    His love endures forever.
to him who alone does great wonders,
    His love endures forever.
who by his understanding made the heavens,
    His love endures forever.
who spread out the earth upon the waters,
    His love endures forever.
who made the great lights—
    His love endures forever.
the sun to govern the day,
    His love endures forever.
the moon and stars to govern the night;
    His love endures forever."

This responsive psalm identifies as its focus the "God of gods", verse 2, and the Lord of lords, verse 3. God's people are called upon to give thanks because of his unending love. The leading phrase of each verse, beginning with verse 4 and continuing up to verse 25 provides examples of his enduring love for his people through his acts.

The God of gods and Lord of lords is recognized for his "great wonders" and then the psalm acknowledges his creative acts. He is the Creator of the heavens and the earth, including the celestial lights: the sun to govern the day and the moon to govern the night.

While we celebrate God in his triune existence, it is the Son of God specifically that is identified as the creative agent within the godhead in Hebrews 1, and, so, the member of the Trinity pointed to here in Psalm 136 (although I do not intend to imply exclusively). "In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the universe." Hebrews 1:1-2.

The apostle John brings the same message, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made." John 1:1-3.

Thus, particularly, in psalm 136, it is the Son of God whose love endures forever (and certainly not exclusively among the members of the Trinity) and has expressed that by his "great wonders".

I make the point to stress my understanding of the Scriptures as a whole. I see little division between the testaments in our Bibles. The Son of God is present throughout the Old Testament Scriptures and is on full display as we discover God's revelation to us.

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

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What is a Servant of the Lord Like? - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my heart and mind in Psalm 134:1,

"Praise the Lord, all you servants of the Lord who minister by night in the house of the Lord."

The priests and Levites performed their duties both day and night in different shifts. We read in 1 Chronicles 9:33, "Those who were musicians, heads of Levite families, stayed in the rooms of the temple and were exempt from other duties because they were responsible for the work day and night." This psalm calls upon those who worked at the temple as "servants" to praise the Lord.

As I think of what it might mean to be a "servant" of the Lord, apart from the temple worship and its activities (since I don't serve there), the Scriptures are not silent. In addition to servants of the Lord being called upon to praise  the Lord, Jesus taught, "Anyone who loves their life will lose it, while anyone who hates their life in this world will keep it for eternal life. Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me." John 12:25-26.

As Paul provides some direction for Timothy as a servant of the Lord, we read, "And the Lord's servant must not be quarrelsome but must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful. Opponents must be gently instructed, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will." 2 Timothy 2:24-26.

We read that the servant of God must be well-equipped in the Scriptures, "All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work." 2 Timothy 3:16-17.

I find an interesting passage in Revelation 19:5-8 (like Psalm 134), where all God's servants "great and small" are called upon to praise God,

"Then a voice came from the throne, saying:
'Praise our God,
    all you his servants,
you who fear him,
    both great and small!'
Then I heard what sounded like a great multitude, like the roar of rushing waters and like loud peals of thunder, shouting:
'Hallelujah!
    For our Lord God Almighty reigns.
Let us rejoice and be glad
    and give him glory!
For the wedding of the Lamb has come,
    and his bride has made herself ready.
Fine linen, bright and clean,
    was given her to wear.'
(Fine linen stands for the righteous acts of God's holy people.)"

Just a few thoughts today about the Lord's servant.

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

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The Maker of Heaven and Earth - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my heart and mind in Psalm 134:3,

"May the Lord bless you from Zion, he who is the Maker of heaven and earth."

In reading Proverbs 3:19 this morning I came across a similar reference to God as the creator of the heavens and the earth, "By wisdom the Lord laid the earth's foundations, by understanding he set the heavens in place…". This sounds a whole lot like Hebrews 1:10, "In the beginning, Lord, you laid the foundations of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands.", which is a quote of Psalm 102:25.

We read the account of God creating all things in the beginning chapters of Genesis. The apostle John tells us that it was the Son of God that was the creative agent within the Trinity, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made." John 1:1-3. A few verses later he says, "The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth." John 1:14. Thus, he identifies the "Word" that created all things as the Son of God, Jesus Christ.

Returning to the passage in Hebrews 1, we find the Son of God, again, identified as the creative agent within the Trinity, "But about the Son he says, 'Your throne, O God, will last for ever and ever; a scepter of justice will be the scepter of your kingdom. You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness; therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions by anointing you with the oil of joy.' He also says, 'In the beginning, Lord, you laid the foundations of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands.'"

We also read in Hebrews 1:1-2, "In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the universe." Here again we see the Son of God as the Creator of everything.

Not only do we see the Son of God creating the universe, he also maintains it, "The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word." Hebrews 1:3.

This morning I am too busy worshipping the Son of God to worry about man-made global warming. After all, he maintains it all by "his powerful word." He is going to destroy it all by fire anyway, "But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything done in it will be laid bare." 2 Peter 3:10.

God-made global warming!

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

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The Lord's Blessing - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my heart and mind in Psalm 133:3b,

"For there [Mount Zion] the Lord bestows his blessing, even life forevermore."

"Life forevermore" is eternal life, life without end. We can conceive it but we have never seen it in this life. We all have a shelf-life. We only live so long and then we die. The writer of Hebrews points out, "Just as people are destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many… " We all die, we all will experience setting these bodies we inhabit aside.

This, of course, is not a pleasant thought. When God created mankind, death was not a feature. However, after fair warning, God condemned Adam and Eve, as well as all their progeny (us) to eventual death when they turned their backs on God. We are born into this life with the sentence of death hanging over our heads because of sin.

We attempt all kinds of things to hold off the inevitable. We all know a substantial amount of wealth is spent on efforts to forestall what is incapable of being avoided or evaded. Everything from cosmetic products that help us look not quite as old, to research into how to prolong life (at least avoid the shortening of it) through medical improvements, pharmaceuticals, lifestyle choices, etc. The pursuit of finding that "fountain of youth" is big.

Death is God's curse upon us. It is often assumed that Satan is the author and cause of death, but that betrays a lack of knowledge of the Scriptures. Death is God's judgment for mankind's sin. And, we all sin.

But, that is not the whole story! God loves us and although he decreed death as his judgment of us for sin, he has provided us a way! He "bestows his blessing, even life forevermore." He has done this, not by removing his judgment of sin in death, but by providing us a way through his Son, Jesus Christ. Following our physical deaths, we can enter into eternal life!

God sent his Son, Jesus Christ, to pay the penalty for our sins through sacrificing his life on that cross so that when we leave this life, we can enter into eternal life, "even life forevermore"! All he asks of us is to embrace him in faith. "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God's one and only Son." John 3:16-18.

How wonderful is that ?!

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

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Got Unity? - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my heart and mind in Psalm 133:1,

"How good and pleasant it is when God's people live together in unity!"

In this "song of ascents" penned by David, I note not that God's people will live together in unity, just that it is "good and pleasant" when they do. David, in the following two verses of this three verse psalm describes the pleasantness that comes when God's people do live together in unity.

I frankly do not see God's people doing this- "living together in unity" any time soon. With the history we have of those who claim to represent Jesus Christ in the world, living together in unity does not appear likely to be something we will see in this life.

However, a new age is coming. An age when the "wheat and tares" will be separated out, when the "sheep and the goats" will be separated out. Surely that will be an age when God's people will live together in unity.

It will be in that next age that God's people will finally shed their sinful nature. It will be an age when God's people will reflect the character and nature (not the stature!) of Jesus Christ. Surely we will see God's people living in unity in that age!

It will also be in that next age where we will be living in the very presence of God himself, with the resultant impact on our lives that we can imagine. "Look! God's dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God." Revelation 21:3. Surely this is a time when God's people will live together in unity!

I can't wait! How about you?

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

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