Friday May 23, 2008 Psalms for Today (111-115)

We have a running tradition in the church here that we should all be on a "life-long-head-soak" in the Scriptures. The psalms and Proverbs divide nicely into daily reading, always available to you.

Today's Psalms had some whiz-bangers in them that have run along the lines of our studies and comments in our community. I think the timing is divine.

Ps 111:5-6
this runs with our discussions of the milennial and eternal reign of Jesus, and the passing comment of Paul in 1 Cor. 2.

Ps 111:9
the "covenant" of which he speaks is clearly not the Law of Moses, because Moses Himself told of the one who was to come after him--that the people were to follow Him (acts). And Hebrews teaches us abotu the Melchisedek priesthood, and Jeremiah 31 teaches us that there was coming a New Covenant... The covenant that this Psalm is referencing is the one we're in now! Amazing prophetic material in this psalm.

Ps. 112 starts with describing the man who lives in the "fear of the LORD" and goes on to show that the guy's not afraid of anything else and is blessed by the LORD. So fear is good, when it's godly fear.

yet in 112:9, we have a verse that is quoted in 2 Cor. 9:9 and the final passage is about JESUS. v.10 descibes how much the wicked HATE the rule and reign of Jesus, while we are commanded to pray "Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done" feel that?

in ps. 113: 4-6 we have a great reference to what I believe is the reason that Satan would speak and do as he is described in Is 14:12-17... God's own HUMILITY is amazing, astounding, even scandalous, before the might of the angelic hosts! "Who is like the LORD our God, who dwells on high, who humbles Himself to behold the things that are in the heavens and the earth..."
God comes down. From Eden on, he has come down. Check out Philippians 2 and see how scandalous this is. Then walk in it, because He has called the obedient faithful to bear the cross (luke 9)

Ps. 115
...amazing! amazing! Reading this scathing indictment of the world's religions! Go to India. go to Nepal! Go to Burma! Go to Thailand! Read this on a hillside there, out loud, and people will KILL YOU! I'm serious!
Read this in the tribal regions of the bush! God will tear down the false gods by His word. You will slip through their hands, until your appointed time to join Christ in the fellowship of His suffering. After that, the power of the resurrection!

There's an interesting thing in here: verse 16.
"The heavens, even the heavens (that is, the highest heavenly realms) are the LORD's; but the earth He has given to the children of men."
...and who's whining about how jacked things are down here and "how can god allow suffering like this..." Bro, it's US! We're the ones who believed the devil and ate of the fruit from the start. We're the ones who agree with his pride and serve falsehood and money and all...
We're the ones! It's on US.
...and everywhere that people turn to the Lord and call on His name, the earth gets renewed! Look at the justice the mercy that are poured out on people groups who turn to the LORD! The very existence of hospitals in India! The avoidance of civil war in England in the late 1700s. Ending child labor--christian movement. Women's suffrage--christian movement. Civil Rights--what was kIng? a christian preacher... get a clue, all! Jesus is the only answer. Drop what you got and follow the LORD!