Just a Thought! - 21 January 2013

"The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief corner stone. This is the LORD's doing; it is marvelous in our eyes. This is the day which the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it." (Psalm 118:22-24)

These must be the most well-known verses in Psalm 118, with verse 24 being sung by Sunday School children throughout the world for hundreds of years. But let us look a little deeper at the text as it is far richer than what we usually sing about.

God's Salvation Confounds the World (vv22-23, 27)

The "stone" referred to in verse 22 has been interpreted a number of different ways over the years. Some have said that it is referring to Israel herself whom the Babylonians rejected and despised, yet later became the nation responsible for bringing the Saviour into the world. Others have said that it referred to king David who was rejected by his own brothers and his enemies, and hunted down by Saul, yet later became the king of Israel through whose line the Saviour would be born. And yet others have said that it was referring to an actual stone during the building of the second temple that was rejected and laid aside, yet later became the cornerstone of the temple. Given the context, it is the application to David which seems the more likely interpretation.

However, today, thousands of years later, we can look back and see a more important application of the verse. In Matthew 21:42 Jesus uses this verse to refer to Himself, He was the stone that the builders, namely the Jewish leaders of the day, rejected, yet He became the cornerstone of salvation. They rejected and crucified Him, but God raised Him up and exalted Him.

Note too that the rejection and salvation of the "stone" was the Lord's doing. It was not man that was trying to confound God's plans, but rather it was God doing all the work in the first place. God is the author and initiator of our salvation (see Isaiah 53:10; Acts 2:23; 4:27-28). God too has giving us the light (v27), for without it, we cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ (see 2 Corinthians 4:4-6). God's plan of salvation is a stumbling-block to the proud, but a source of great joy to God's elect (1 Corinthians 1:18-31).

A Day to Rejoice About (v24)

The day referred to in verse 24 that we are to rejoice about, in context then, does not refer to every day of our lives. Even though we should be thanking God for every day in our lives because He does indeed give us each day, but in context with the rest of the Psalm, this is referring rather to the day of salvation. That day when the rejected stone became the cornerstone.

The day that Christ died on the cross was the day that the church was essentially born, the day the stone was rejected. But three days later, God raised up the rejected stone to become the cornerstone of the church when He raised Jesus from the dead.

Verse 27 tells us, God's way of salvation required the appropriate sacrifice upon His altar. Jesus who lived a perfect life was that sacrifice (see Hebrews 10:1-14). Though this sacrifice was for all who believe in Him collectively, it is also a sacrifice for each of us individually, because Jesus is our personal saviour.

Let us give thanks to God today for His gift of salvation to us. A gift so unique, that it confounds the world. A gift so special that it gives us joy. Let us raise our voices in thanksgiving for that special day:

This is the day, this is the day that the Lord has made, that the Lord has made.

We will rejoice, we will rejoice and be glad in it, and be glad in it.

This is the day that the Lord has made,

We will rejoice and be glad in it.

This is the day, this is the day that the Lord has made.

Just a Thought!

© 2013

Just a Thought! - 14 January 2013

"The LORD is my strength and song, and He has become my salvation. The sound of joyful shouting and salvation is in the tents of the righteous; the right hand of the LORD does valiantly." (Psalm 118:14-15)

Last time we learnt that our struggles in life teach us to look to God as our rescue. That He alone is the one who can pull us out of the troubles of our life. As the psalmist continues, we now learn three results of God helping us. Let us look closer at them.

We Are Filled With Joy (vv 14-15)

Verse 14 is taken from the Song of Moses in Exodus 15:2. In its original context, Moses was giving praise to God for Him delivering the nation from the hands of the Egyptian army at the crossing of the Red Sea. The Exodus is the main event of the Old Testament that many, if not all, of the Old Testament writers looked backed to one way or another in their writings. It is seen as the ultimate example of God saving His people.

The psalmist here had obviously been through such a life changing rescue in his life, therefore he too saw God as his strength, song and salvation. Whatever the circumstances were in his life, he praised God for it. Words and feeling that obviously resonated with the people of Israel that they began to use this psalm in their own prayer life and sang it at Passover every year.

All of us have been rescued by God from something in our lives, including our sin. God is our strength, song and salvation too. Therefore, our hearts are also filled with joy for what He has done for us.

He is Glorified (vv 16-18)

As a result of what God has done for him, the psalmist vows to tell others about "the works of the Lord" (v17). It is also interesting to note that although the psalmist initially declared that his trouble was coming through the hands of his enemies, he actually recognises this as being discipline from God (v18). As John Calvin notes "The main thing in adversity is to know that we are laid low by the hand of God, and that this is the way which He takes to prove our allegiance, to arouse us from our torpidity [sluggishness], to crucify our old man, to purge us from our filthiness, to bring us into submission and subjection to God, and to excite us to meditate on the heavenly life."

Ultimately, it is God who is in control, and He gets the glory. Not only at the time of His rescuing us, but also as we go forward in our lives telling others about His rescue.

Entry Into His Presence (vv 19-21)

As a result of the nation's rescue from her enemies, Israel had the joy of being able to come before God at the temple in Jerusalem. Through the Passover, the nation of Israel were able to worship God in a way that no other nation could.

However, to enter the temple was not something to be treated lightly. Each worshipper had to check the state of their heart and make sure it was right before God. In old Testament times, this was only possible through ritual bathing and the offering of sacrifices. Now, as a result of Christ's death on the cross, all of us can come before God and worship Him. All we have to do is to repent of our sin and believe and trust in Him, then we will have the benefit of entering His presence. As the writer of Hebrews reminds us just before encouraging us to approach the throne with confidence, God will judge the thoughts and intentions of our hearts(4:12-16).

So far in Psalm 118 we have seen that God's mercy should be our continual song of praise (vv 1-4), that because we do not see salvation as our greatest need, God reminds us through allowing difficulties in our lives (vv 5-13), which when He rescues from them, He becomes our strength, song and salvation, for which He is glorified (vv 14-21). Let us go forth with this song of praise in our hearts and mouths.

Just a Thought!

© 2013

Just a Thought! - 7 January 2013

"It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in man. It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in princes." (Psalm 118:8-9)

Times are tough. On a daily basis we hear tales of people going through some really difficult situations, being diagnosed with cancer, financial stress, or the death of loved ones earlier than expected. The writer of Psalm 118 would so easily relate to many of life's modern struggles. At the beginning of this new year, let us see what we can learn from the Psalmist who penned these words over three thousand years ago.

Context

In verse five we learn that the writer was going through some form of distress. As we read on, we then learn that this distress is to the extent that he is hated (v7), and not merely by an individual, but by the nations that are surrounding him (vv 10-12). It is generally accepted that the writer was David, and from the writer talking about the nations surrounding him like a swarm of bees, this seems to be a logical conclusion. Whoever it was, the writer was being pushed violently to the extent that he was on the verge of falling (v13).

There are three lessons for us here:

We Need God

God uses trials in our lives to show us our need for Him, so much so that we will turn to prayer. Most, if not all of us, turn to prayer when we go through severe trials. When things are going well, we tend to forget prayer, even though we know we should. Whether it be merely thanksgiving, or praying for others, we tend to neglect our prayer lives when life is good.

But when we go through trials, we tend to pray more fervently with more focus. These prayers are to be offered in faith that God will deliver. Like the writer, we should see God as our refuge (vv 8-9), our help (v13), and our strength and salvation (v14). Out of great need the writer prayed, and so should we.

Do Not Doubt

When trials hit, the devil is quick to try and have us doubt God. He tells us that God is not going to come through, or that God does not truly love us, that is why we are going through what we are. However, the words of the Psalmist tell us something quite different, "The LORD is for me; I will not fear; what can man do to me?" We read similar words in Psalm 56:4 & 11 and Hebrews 13:6. Of course, we can experience bad things at the hands of man which cause us emotional and physical pain, but the point it that they cannot do anything that is ultimately harmful to us, in other words, they cannot take away God's salvation. Paul states this so beautifully in Romans 8:31-32, "If God is for us, who is against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things?"

Trust God Alone

Verses 8 and 9 show us the extent of the Psalmist's trust in God, he trusts no-one other than God. He sees God alone as his strength (v14) and he trusts God to protect him and save him from his enemies.

Trusting in God alone, turning to Him in prayer, and not doubting Him, are not necessarily automatic responses when trials hit. Maybe when all else fails we may do, but not initially. But as we learn in Psalm 118, prayer and faith should be our first response before we do anything else.

We also need to remember that we must not trust in the method of prayer itself, or even in particular words or phrases, but in the person we are calling out to. From the simplest, seemingly silly prayer, to the most elaborate, Bible-quoting prayer, we are to call on God in times of trial right from the beginning. Let us make this a year where we turn to Jesus first, no matter how big or small the problem.

Just a Thought!

© 2013

Just a Thought! - 1 January 2013

"Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; for His lovingkindness is everlasting. Oh let Israel say, "His lovingkindness is everlasting." Oh let the house of Aaron say, "His lovingkindness is everlasting." Oh let those who fear the LORD say, "His lovingkindness is everlasting."" (Psalm 118:1-4)

Psalm 118 was Martin Luther's favorite psalm. Spurgeon, in his The Treasury of David cited, "This is my psalm, my chosen psalm. I love them all; I love all holy Scripture, which is my consolation and my life. But this psalm is nearest my heart, and I have a peculiar right to call it mine. It has saved me from many a pressing danger, from which nor emperor, nor kings, nor sages, nor saints, could have saved me. It is my friend; dearer to me than all the honors and power of the earth." According to Spurgeon, Luther put verse 17, "I will not die, but live, and tell of the works of the Lord," on a plaque on his study wall, so he could see it every day as an encouragement to persevere when other Reformers around him were being killed.

As we start the new year, let us look closer at this Psalm and be encouraged by its message too.

Historical Context

Psalm 118 is the last Psalm in a group of Psalms, beginning with Psalm 113, known as the Egyptian Hallel (Hallel meaning praise). The Jews sang these Psalms during the time of the Passover. The first two before the meal, and the last four after the meal. As the last song of the Passover, this would have been the last song that Jesus sang with His disciples before going out to the Garden of Gethsemane (Matthew 26:30 or Mark 14:26).

The Passover serves as a picture of God's redemption of His people. Not just physically from the slavery in Egypt, but also spiritually from sin. Therefore Psalm 118 is a song of thanksgiving to God for His salvation. Although this Psalm is specifically referring to Israel's deliverance from her physical enemies of Egypt, we can legitimately apply it to God saving us from sin.

A Continual Song of Praise

The first and last verses of Psalm 118 are identical and state the theme, "Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; for His lovingkindness is everlasting." It is a call to the nation of Israel as a whole to praise God for His everlasting love. Whether it be the priests, the royal family, or the people on the streets, all were called to praise God for what he has done for the nation in saving her from her enemies.

Obviously we do not fall under the groupings of Israel or the priests of Aaron, but as believers we do fall under the group of those who fear the Lord. Therefore, all of us need to be stirred up to give thanks to the Lord for the gift of salvation that we have received from sin.

But we need to make sure that our thankfulness is not limited to only what God has done for us, but also because "He is good" and "His lovingkindness is everlasting." Even when we go through difficult trials (vv 5, 10-13), no matter how we feel during those times, God remains good and His lovingkindness endures. To those of us who fear Him, His deeds to us are especially good. As Paul tells us in Romans 8, everything that happens to us is for good (v28)), and nothing, whether it be tribulation, persecution, or even death, can separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus (v39).

The Year Ahead

I do not know what last year was like for you, you may be happy that it is over. However, no matter what lies ahead, let us remember that God is good and His lovingkindness endures forever. Let the person and character of God be our focus, and not merely His actions. Let us begin by remembering that He has saved us, thank Him for it, and then continue to thank and praise Him for who He is through all life's experiences, good or bad. For when we keep our eyes focussed on Him, the things and struggles of this life will seem to disappear in the light of who He is.

Just a Thought!

© 2013

Just a Thought! - 19 November 2012

"Your word I have treasured in my heart, that I may not sin against You." (Psalm 119:11)

How highly do you value the Bible and its message for you? Your answer may depend on how much you practice what it tells you. Or it might depend on how often you read or study it. It may simply depend on how thick the dust is that has settled on it since you last read it. Too often we tend to put the Bible aside for other things in life as if reading it is optional.

Busyness and Sin

There are two things in our lives that tend to keep us from the Bible - busyness and sin. Too many people allow their lives to become so filled with activities that they have little time to read the Bible. As a result, they depend on what other people have studied about the Bible than actually studying it themselves. When this happens, then we begin to sin more and maybe even justify our sin if someone points it out to us. We ignore what the Bible actually says because we have not studied it for ourselves.

In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus said that "where your treasure is, there your heart will be also" (Matthew 6:21). Although in this context He was not speaking about the Bible directly, the principle is true none the less. If you value things that are not of God; such as possessions, idols, self, sin, etc. then that is where your heart will be. Those things will consume you and you will do anything for them. Even neglect God and his Word.

However, if you value the things of God, including God's Word, over everything else, then you will become so passionate about the Word that you will want to study it as often as you can, and you will want it to change you. And when it does, the things in life that seemed absolutely important previously, will seem less so. The truly important things will then be provided, for as Jesus promised later in the Sermon on the Mount, "seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you" (Matthew 6:33).

There is a saying that is so true in this regard: The Bible will keep you from sinning, but sin will keep you from the Bible.

Hide the Word in Your Heart

So many claim that they cannot memorise the Bible. However I can almost guarantee you that you can quote 10 arbitrary facts off the top of your head? You probably know the words to a number of TV commercials by heart. You could probably also sing along to a number of well-known contemporary songs on the radio without even thinking about it. Men, I bet you remember a whole host of sports or car facts.

Yet for some reason we believe that we cannot memorise the Bible. Did you know that in the time of the Bible, a young Jewish boy could quote the entire first five books of the Bible (Genesis - Deuteronomy) by heart by the time he had his bar mitzvah at age thirteen? What a challenge for us!

So what is our excuse? I suggest two: laziness and a low value of Scripture.

David in our verse above treasured the Scriptures in his heart. Also in Psalm 119 we read that David meditated on the Word, that he delighted in God's statutes, and that he loved God's law. How many of us can say that?

How much do you study the Word of God? How much do you treasure it and delight in what it has to teach you? Do you consider it to be essential to life, or is it merely a book you take to church on Sunday or a weekly Bible study? How much dust does it gather on the shelf?

The challenge to all of us today is to value God's Word far greater than any other worldly possession, and to hide it in our hearts as much as possible. Allow God's Word to change you from the inside out.

Just a Thought!

© 2012