PSALM 68
God asked to deal with the enemies of Israel verse 1- 2
Let God arise – let HIS enemies be scattered
let them also that hate HIM flee before HIM
as smoke is driven away – so drive them away
as wax melts before the fire
so let the wicked perish at the presence of God
Righteous need to shout for joy before God verse 3- 4
BUT let the righteous be glad – let them rejoice before God
YEA – let them exceedingly rejoice
Sing to God – sing praises to HIS name
extol HIM that rides upon the heavens
by HIS name JAH
and rejoice before HIM
God helps the helpless have joy verse 5- 6
A father of the fatherless – and a judge of the widows
is God in HIS holy habitation
God sets the solitary in families
HE brings out those which are bound with chains
BUT the rebellious dwell in a dry land
Introduction of what happened when God acted verse 7
O God – when YOU went forth before YOUR people
when YOU did march through the wilderness
SELAH
God cares for the poor verse 8- 10
The earth shook
the heavens also dropped at the presence of God
even Sinai itself was moved
at the presence of God
the God of Israel
YOU – O God – did send a plentiful rain
whereby YOU did confirm YOUR inheritance
when it was weary
YOUR congregation has dwelt therein – YOU – O God
has prepared of YOUR goodness for the poor
Lord scatters enemy armies verse 11- 14
The Lord gave the word
great was the company of those that published it
kings of armies did flee apace
and she that tarried at home divided the spoil
Though you have lain among the pots
yet shall you be as the wings of a dove covered with silver
and her feathers with yellow gold
When the Almighty scattered king in it
it was white as snow in Salmon
God chooses Jerusalem verse 15- 16
The hill of God is as the hill of Bashan
an high hill as the hill of Basham
Why leap you – you high hills?
this is the hill which God desires to dwell in
yea the LORD will dwell in it for ever
God lead captivity captive verse 17- 18
The chariots of God are twenty thousand – even thousands of angels
the Lord is among them – as in Sinai – in the holy place
YOU have ascended on high – YOU have led captivity captive
YOU have received gifts for men – yea for the rebellious also
that the LORD God might dwell among them
Lord cares for us daily verse 19
BLESSED be the Lord – WHO daily loads us with benefits
even the God of our salvation SELAH
God sovereign over death verse 20
HE that is our God is the God of salvation
and to GOD the Lord belong the issues from death
God committed to giving victory to Israel verse 21- 23
BUT God shall wound the head of HIS enemies
and the hairy scalp of such an one as goes on
still in his trespasses
The Lord
said
I will bring again from Basham – I will bring MY people again
from the depths of the sea – that your foot may be dipped
in the blood of your enemies
and the tongue of your dogs in the same
God enters the tabernacle in victory verse 24- 27
They have seen YOUR goings – O God
even the goings of my God – my King – in the sanctuary
The singers went before the players on instruments followed after
among them were the damsels playing with timbrels
Bless you God in the congregation – even the Lord
from the fountain of Israel
there is little Benjamin with their ruler
the princes of Judah and their council
the princes of Zebulun
and the princes of Naphtali
Nations bring gifts to the LORD verse 28- 32
Your God has commanded your strength – strengthen – O God
that which YOU have wrought for us
BECAUSE of YOUR temple at Jerusalem shall kings bring presents
to YOU
Rebuke the company of spearmen – the multitude of the bulls
with the calves of the people
till every one submit himself with pieces of silver
scatter YOU the people that delight in war
Princes shall come out of Egypt
Ethiopia shall soon stretch out her hands to God
Sing to God – you kingdoms of the earth
O sing praises to the Lord SELAH
Share the truth: Our God is awesome verse 33- 35
To HIM that rides upon the heavens of heavens – which were of old
lo – HE does send out HIS voice – and that a mighty voice
Ascribe you strength to God – HIS excellency is over Israel
and HIS strength is in the clouds
O God – YOU are terrible out of YOUR holy places
the God of Israel is HE that gives strength
and power to HIS people
BLESSED be God
COMMENTARY:
DAILY SPIRITUAL BREAKFAST: Young Believers
: 1 Let God arise, let HIS enemies be scattered: let them also that hate HIM flee before HIM. (8130 “hate” [sane’] means to scorn, decrease in status, enemy, a person who hates another person or thing, turned against, or represents an emotion ranging from intense “hatred” to the much weaker ‘set against” and is used of persons and things (including ideas, words, inanimate objects).
DEVOTION: It is not hard to believe that there are people who actually consider God their enemy. They think of HIM and have nothing good to say about HIM. They use every opportunity to use HIS name in vain. Anyone who knows these types of people know that they want nothing to do with God or HIS commands.
Here we find the author of this Psalm, David, telling those members of the children of Israel that there are real individuals that “hate” God for who HE is.
David wants the LORD to scatter all HIS enemies who also are enemies of Israel. He wants the LORD to give him victory over his enemies in every battle.
We want the LORD to give us victory over our enemies even today. We have many people who don’t want to hear the message of salvation that the Word of God presents to the world. They want those who preach the gospel to be put in jail which is happening in some countries. In other countries we find that they find those who believe in Jesus Christ and they are tortured and killed by individuals who think that they are helping “their god” win a battle against the God of the Bible.
Our world is at war against the God of the Bible. Even in our country we find that there are people who don’t want those who are believers to be able to share their faith in public. They don’t want those who believe in the truths of the Bible to be in any public office.
It is sad how far it has gone even here in America. The country was founded on Biblical principles and yet those who look at these laws want to change them to make sure that God is not mentioned anywhere in our schools or government.
We know that God is going to judge the world one day. Those who reject HIM will face HIM at the Great White Throne Judgment to receive their judgment regarding eternity.
Our goal is to reach each one who rejects the Good News of the Bible with the Good News and let them know that God loves them and wants them to change their minds before it is too late.
CHALLENGE: We need to reach our neighbors, friends and co-workers with the truth of the Word of God before it is too late. Most will not want to hear but some will!
DAILY SPIRITUAL LUNCH: Transitional Believers
: 6 God sets the solitary in families: HE brings out those which are bound with chains: but the rebellious dwell in a dry land. (3173 “solitary” [yachiyd] means only one, only child, lonely, abandoned, unique child, or a person who is marked by dejection form being alone)
DEVOTION: There are people who genuinely want to worship the LORD. They were those who were bound with chains of captivity that have been set free by the LORD and HE wants them to come out singing praises to HIM.
If we have ever tried to worship the LORD but have been going through a hard time because of circumstances beyond our control or because of sin in the past we need to confess those sins and ask the LORD to give us joy in our worship of HIM. HE is a forgiving God and wants us to know that once we have genuinely asked for forgiveness of our sins HE is faithful and just to forgive us of our sins and leads us in the paths of righteousness.
One of the things we are supposed to do once our relationship is reestablished is to make sure that we sing praises to HIM every chance we get whether in a worship service or just walking down a sidewalk at Buffalo Bible Institute.
I was once walking do down the sidewalk toward the dining hall and someone asked me “Why are you singing” and I said because the LORD had just settled an issue with the school regarding my bill.
We are allowed to get excited when the LORD gives us a blessing and one of the ways we show it is to sing praises to HIM, even if it is off key!!
Too many people are afraid to genuinely worship the LORD at all times. We can sing loudly even off-key and the LORD knows our hearts and why we are praising HIM.
Genuine believers need to be encouraging and not discouraging to fellow believers even if they are not as talented as we are.
CHALLENGE: Are you an encourager or a discourager? Only you can answer that question. If the answer is “encourager” than keep it up. If it is a “discourager” cut it out!!
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: 19 Blessed be the Lord, who daily loads us with benefits, even the God of our salvation. Selah (6006 “loads” [‘amas] means to put, heavy burden, carry burden for another or care for)
DEVOTION: The history of this psalm seems to be around the time that David’s army conquered Jerusalem. The army was marching into Jerusalem with this psalm being sung. Victory over the enemy is the theme.
David realized that the Lord carried his daily loads on HIS shoulders. The LORD carries the load of those who are poor. The LORD carries the load of those that are helpless. The has chosen Jerusalem to be HIS city. HE promises to defeat Jerusalem. HE promises to care for all of the children of Israel. HE will defeat their enemies.
Each victory is given by the grace and mercy of the LORD. It is a benefit to know that the Lord is daily caring for Israel. HE allowed the children of Israel to be in HIS presence. HE allowed the children of Israel to see HIS goodness.
Verses 17-18 have been applied to Jesus Christ in the New Testament. HE is the one who will lead captivity captive. HE is thought to have lead the Old Testament saints to heaven with his resurrection. HE is going to return with HIS angels at the second coming. The LORD has a plan and gives us insights into HIS plans throughout the Old Testament. Nothing is happening by chance or luck. All can be found in the providence of God.
Do we understand the benefit the Lord has given us? Are we daily praising the Lord for the circumstances that surround our lives? Are we experiencing victories on a regular basis over our enemies? Do we realize that it is the LORD who is granting us the victory? Do we praise HIM for each victory? We should be.
When we experience defeat, do we turn to HIM for forgiveness and fellowship? HE promises to provide for all our needs. HE never sends more than we can take. Whatever HE sends our way is for our benefit. The New Testament says that it is for “our good.” We need to be singing praises to the Lord daily because of HIS care for us. Start singing, we are on the winning side with Christ!!!
CHALLENGE: Our loads can be great at times. It may seem like we are working alone in a given situation. Is that what the Word of God teaches? Our answer should be NO. Remembering this fact is hard at times. We are to allow the LORD to carry our loads!!!
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: 19 “Blessed be the Lord, Who daily loads us with benefits, The God of our
salvation!” The New King James Version (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1982). (Loads – 6006 עָמַס [ʿamac, ʿamas /aw·mas/] v. A primitive root; TWOT 1643; GK 6673; Nine occurrences; AV translates as “lade” four times, “load” twice, “put” once, “borne” once, and “burden” once. 1 to load, carry, carry a load. 1A (Qal). 1A1 to load. 1A2 to carry a load. 1B (Hiphil) to lay a load on. James Strong, Enhanced Strong’s Lexicon (Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software, 2001).
DEVOTION: Count your many blessings name them one by one and it will surprise you what the Lord has done! Recently the sign in front of the church stated, “Count your blessings not your problems!” We had many people comment on that sign and state how it encouraged them. Have you considered how the Lord has loaded your day with benefits and blessings? Have you taken the time to state the ways that you have benefited from God’s work in your life today?
This is a load that will truly be light and easy to bear as we reflect upon the God of our salvation.
Challenge: Stop and count the ways that the Lord has loaded you with His benefits today! It could change your outlook! (Dr. Brian Miller – board member)
DAILY SPIRITUAL SUPPER: Mature Believers
: 32 Sing to God, You kingdoms of the earth, O sing praises to the LORD. Selah. (7891 “sing” [shiyr] means to sing along with words, recount in song, use the voice as an instrument to voice, musical tones, rhythms and often words, sing a song, hoot like the sound of an owl, or echo.)
DEVOTION: I am one who makes a joyful noise unto the LORD. I can’t carry a tune in a bushel basket. The problem is that I don’t like song leaders who are dead pan and are not excited about worshiping the LORD.
I have tried many song leaders in my three churches and it ends up that I lead most of the time because the ones who have good voices don’t seem to care that God wants us to excited about worshiping HIM.
I know that when I get to heaven my voice will be good but at present it is just a joyful noise that brings honor and glory to the LORD.
Here we find that David was a good singer and wanted the children of Israel to be excited about their times of worship. He believed that God desired our best not only in preaching the Word of God but also in our whole worship service.
I have had leaders in churches that don’t even sing when it is time to sing because they were put down when they were younger by people who had good voices to carry a tune. This is wrong. We should encourage everyone with or without a voice to sing praises to the LORD all the time.
All of us have to ask ourselves if we are genuinely worshiping the LORD when we attend a worship service or we are just going through the motions? If everyone in a worship service was excited about what the LORD was doing in their lives there would be songs of praise that would reach heaven.
We are never to put down others because they are not on key unless they are disruptive to the service. I know that there are people who like to disrupt a genuine worship service but that is not always the case.
CHALLENGE: Are we encouraging all the congregation to make a joyful noise unto the LORD in our church services? If not, start now.
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: 34 “Ascribe you strength unto God: HIS excellency is over Israel,
and HIS strength is in the clouds.” (“Ascribe,” 5414, נָתַן [nathan] 1 to give, put, set. 1a (Qal). 1a1 to give, bestow, grant, permit, ascribe, employ, devote, consecrate, dedicate, pay wages, sell, exchange, lend, commit, entrust, give over, deliver up, yield produce, occasion, produce, requite to, report, mention, utter, stretch out, extend. 1a2 to put, set, put on, put upon, set, appoint, assign, designate. 1a3 to make, constitute [Strong, J. (2001). Enhanced Strong’s Lexicon. Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software]).
DEVOTION: In this psalm, David celebrates the goodness and greatness of God. He is declaring and describing how God had provided for Israel in a way that future generations would remember. As a conclusion to this psalm, David admonishes the people to declare (or ascribe) the strength of God along with him.
The purpose of declaring God’s attributes is to praise Him. There is a need for people to praise God, and not simply to approach Him only with requests. When we praise God, we are reminded of who He is and what He has done for us. This readjusts our perspective about Him and makes think about life more from an eternal perspective. This change in focus can be critical to us as we struggle with things in our lives.
Often we may feel as though God is not showing His strength on our behalf. We are tempted to feel as though we are abandoned by Him, and that the forces of evil are stronger than we can withstand. Yet we know that no temptation or testing has come to us other than what we can bear (1 Corinthians 10:13), and so we need to seek His guidance through it. So we need to be willing to declare His strength for us in spite of our feelings.
Describing God’s strength is key to our understanding of who God is and what His plan in the world is. Every day we should awaken to the knowledge that we serve a great God!
CHALLENGE: Take a moment and praise God for His strength. You need to think of ways that He has shown you His strength through His work in your life.
(Dr. Marc Wooten – board member)
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DISCIPLINES OF THE FAITH:
BODY
Chastity (Purity in living)
Fasting (Time alone with LORD without eating or drinking)
Sacrifice (Giving up something we want to serve the LORD)
Submission (Willing to listen to others and LORD)
Solitude (Going to a quiet place without anyone)
SOUL
Fellowship (Gathering together around the Word of God)
Frugality (wise use of resources)
Journalizing (Writing down what you have learned from the LORD)
Study and Meditation (Thinking through your study in the Word)
Secrecy (Doing your good deeds without others knowing but God)
SPIRIT
Celebration (Gathering around a special occasion to worship LORD)
Confession (Tell the LORD we are sorry for our sins on a daily basis)
Prayer (Conversation with God on a personal level)
Silence (Letting the LORD deal with some problems and needs)
Worship (Time to praise the LORD alone or in a group)
Let righteous be glad verse 3
Let righteous rejoice before God verse 3
Let righteous exceedingly rejoice verse 3
Sing verse 4, 32
Sing praises verse 4, 32
Extol God verse 4
Rejoice before God verse 4
God goes forth before HIS people verse 7
Presence of God verse 8
God of Israel verse 8
Congregation verse 10
Hill of God verse 15
Sanctuary verse 24
Singers verse 25
Players on instruments verse 25
Damsels playing with timbrels verse 25
Bless God in the congregation verse 26
Temple at Jerusalem verse 29
Ascribe strength unto God verse 34
Bless God verse 35
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DOCTRINES OF THE FAITH:
Scripture (66 inerrant books of the Bible)
God the Father (First person of the Godhead)
God – Elohim (Creator, Sovereign) verse 1, 2, 4- 10, 15- 21, 24, 26, 28, 31, 32, 34, 35
Presence of God verse 2, 8
JAH verse 4
Father to the fatherless verse 5
Judge to the widows verse 5
Holy habitation verse 5
Sets the solitary in families verse 6
Brings those out which are bound in chains verse 6
God of Israel verse 8, 35
Sends plentiful rain verse 9
Confirms HIS inheritance verse 9
HIS congregation verse 10
Prepared goodness for the poor verse 10
Lord – Adonai (Owner, Master) verse 11, 19, 20, 22,
26, 32
Almighty verse 14
Hill of God verse 15
LORD – Jehovah (Covenant keeping, Personal) verse 16, 18
Chariots of God (20,000) verse 17
Led captivity captive verse 18
LORD God verse 18
Received gifts for men verse 18
Blessed be the Lord verse 19
God of salvation verse 20
GOD – Jehovah (Covenant keeping, Personal) verse 20
GOD the Lord verse 20
Wound the head of HIS enemies verse 21
King verse 24
God has commanded your strength verse 28
Kingdoms of the earth shall submit verse 30
Rides upon the heaven of heavens verse 33
Mighty voice verse 33
Strength of God verse 34
Excellency over Israel verse 34
Terrible verse 35
Blessed be God verse 35
God the Son (Second person of the Godhead –God/man, Messiah)
God the Holy Spirit (Third person of the Godhead – our comforter)
Trinity (Three persons of the Godhead who are co-equal = ONE God)
Angels (Created before the foundation of the world – Good and Evil)
Thousands of Angels verse 17
Man (Created on the sixth twenty-four hour period of creation)
Enemies verse 1, 23
Wicked verse 2
Kings of armies did flee verse 12
Almighty scatters kings verse 14
Snow of Salmon verse 14
Hill of Bashan verse 15, 22
Kings bring presents verse 29, 30
People that delight in war verse 30
Egypt verse 31
Ethiopia verse 31
Kingdoms of the earth – sing praises to Lord verse 32
Sin (Missing the mark set by God on man and angels)
Enemies of God verse 1, 21
Hate God verse 1
Wicked verse 2
Rebellious verse 6, 18
Trespasses verse 21
Delight in war verse 30
Salvation (Provided by Christ’s death on the cross for our sins)
Righteous verse 3
Glad verse 3
Rejoice verse 3, 4
Sing verse 4, 32
Praise verse 4, 32
Weary verse 9
Publish God’s Word verse 11
Daily loads with benefits verse 19
Salvation verse 19, 20
Bless the LORD verse 26
Strength verse 28, 35
Power verse 35
Israel (Old Testament people of God)
David – author of this Psalm verse 1- 35
Holy habitation verse 5
God’s people verse 7
God of Israel verse 8, 35
God’s inheritance verse 9
Congregation verse 10, 26
Those who stay home divided the spoil verse 12
Sinai – holy place verse 17
People brought from the depths of the sea verse 22
Feet dipped in the blood of their enemies verse 23
See goings of the LORD verse 24
Sanctuary verse 24
Fountain of Israel verse 26
Benjamin verse 27
Judah verse 27
Zebulon verse 27
Naphtali verse 27
Temple at Jerusalem verse 29
Rebuke the company of spearmen verse 30
Enemies of Israel to submit to them verse 30
Israel verse 34
Given strength and power from God verse 35
Church (New Testament people of God)
Last Things (Future Events)
Wicked perish at the presence of God verse 2
Issues of death verse 20
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QUOTES regarding passage
: 4 This God is all that Israel needs. By the ascription “who rides on the clouds,” the psalmist contrasts the all-sufficiency of the God of Israel with the powers of Baal whom the Canaanites worshiped as “the Rider on the clouds.” They attributed to him rain, fertility, and prosperity. Here the “clouds” signify the chariot of God racing through the sky bringing blessin and curse, vindication and vengeance (cf. 18: 10-19) (p. 445, The Expositor’s Bible Commentary Volume 5, Willem A. VanGemeren.)
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: 19, 20 ….. The people of God “praise” (b-r-k, v. 19, cf. 104:1; Judg 5:2, 9) him because of the evidences of his care. He shows a daily vigilance over his people. He does not carry merely their burdens, but he cares for them (see NEB, “He carries us day by day”, cf. Exod 19:4; Deut 1: 31; Ps 28:9; Isa 40:11). He continually leads his people out of “death” (v. 20), as he did at the time of the Exodus. The Hebrew root y-s- (“go out”) is used for the Exodus (cf. v.7)and here for the deliverance (“escape”) from death. If “death” is taken as a personification of Mot (“death), the Canaanite god of death, then the psalmist proclaims that Israel’s El (“God”) is victorious over Mot. Again this may be construed as a polemical not against Canaanite mythology. The God of revelation and history is the Incomparable One! (p. 450, The Expositor’s Bible Commentary Volume 5, Willem A. VanGemeren.)
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68:24 procession … sanctuary. A description of the celebration when the ark of the covenant, a symbol of God’s presence, was brought to Mt. Zion (cf. 1Ch 15:16–28). (MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (2006). The MacArthur study Bible: New American Standard Bible. (Ps 68:24). Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers.)
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24–27. Cavalcade of Israel. The various groups that escorted the ark meet us in the narratives of 1 Chronicles 13:8 and 15:16–28, where many individual names are preserved; but here the scene effectively ‘comes into view’ (neb) in its order of march. On a point of detail, the maidens should be pictured ‘surrounding’ the singers and minstrels (Weiser; cf. rv) rather than interposed between the two groups. Their role with the timbrels was time-honoured: cf. Miriam, and Jephthah’s daughter, and the women who greeted David and Saul. The tribal names are samples of the whole: two each of the southernmost and of the northernmost. Benjamin may have led the way in memory of the lead it took at Deborah’s battle (Judg. 5:14) or because Jerusalem was within its borders. (Kidner, D. (1973). Psalms 1–72: an introduction and commentary (Vol. 15, p. 262). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.)
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68:24–27. God’s triumphal entrance into Zion and the sanctuary is again described here, pictured like a victory parade with singers and other musicians. All who saw God’s victorious entrance should praise Him. The tribes of Benjamin and Judah, one small and one large, represent the southern portion of the kingdom and Zebulun and Naphtali represent the northern portion. Perhaps the last two are mentioned because of the praise bestowed on them in Deborah and Barak’s song (Jud. 5:18). (Ross, A. P. (1985). Psalms. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 1, p. 844). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.)
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Ver. 24. They have seen thy goings, O God, &c.] In saving his people, and destroying his enemies. Even the goings of my God, my King, in the sanctuary; the walk and conversation of Christ, when he was made flesh, and dwelt among men; his manner of life and deportment; his works and miracles, his sufferings, death, and resurrection from the dead; all which his apostles were eye-witnesses of; as also his going up to heaven, which was visible to angels and men; likewise his progress and victorious expeditions in Judea, and in the Gentile world, by the ministry of the word, in which he went forth conquering, and to conquer; which sense is confirmed by the following words: for Christ, who is God over all, the Lord and God of his people, and King of saints, is here, as throughout the psalm, intended. The Targum interprets it of the path or goings of the divine Majesty upon the sea, which the house of Israel saw. (Gill, J. (1810). An Exposition of the Old Testament (Vol. 3, p. 802). London: Mathews and Leigh.)
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24 They have seen thy goings, O God; even the goings of my God, my King, in the sanctuary.
25 The singers went before, the players on instruments followed after; among them were the damsels playing with timbrels.
26 Bless ye God in the congregations, even the Lord, from the fountain of Israel.
27 There is little Benjamin with their ruler, the princes of Judah and their council, the princes of Zebulun, and the princes of Naphtali.
24. “They have seen thy goings, O God.” In the song the marchings of the Lord had been described; friends and foes had seen his goings forth with the ark and his people. We suppose that the procession was now climbing the hill, and entering the enclosure where the tabernacle of the ark was pitched; it was suitable at this moment to declare with song that the tribes had seen the glorious progress of the Lord as he led forth his people. “Even the goings of my God, my King, in the sanctuary.” The splendid procession of the ark, which symbolised the throne of the great King, was before the eyes of men and angels as it ascended to the holy place; and the Psalmist points to it with exultation before he proceeds to describe it. All nature and providence are, as it were, a procession attending the great Lord, in his visitations of this lower globe. Winter and summer, sun and moon, storm and calm, and all the varied glories of nature swell the pomp of the King of kings, of whose dominion there is no end. (Spurgeon, C. H. (n.d.). The treasury of David: Psalms 56-87 (Vol. 3, p. 144). London; Edinburgh; New York: Marshall Brothers.)
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FROM MY READING:
(Remember the only author that I totally agree with is the HOLY SPIRIT in the inerrant WORD OF GOD called THE BIBLE! All other I try to gleam what I can to help me grow in the LORD!!)
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Faith is the fundamental principle in overcoming the world and giving us eternal life.
INSIGHT
John writes: “Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?” (v. 5). Faith is the victory that overcomes the world. John wants us to have assurance of our salvation. So he writes further: “And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life” (vv. 11-13). If you believe in Jesus as Your personal Savior, you have the Son of God and you have eternal life. (Quiet Walk)
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THE UNUSUAL AND THE SPECTACULAR
These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God. 1 John 5:13
There is a tendency in mankind to pay great attention to and to concentrate upon the unusual and the spectacular. We seem to do that instinctively; I suppose it is one of the results of the Fall. Anything unusual or exceptional always attracts attention much more than the usual and the ordinary; that is why some sort of calamity or extraordinary thing in nature always attracts and interests us much more than the perpetual and wonderful things of nature from day to day. Wordsworth said about himself at the end of his great ode Intimations of Immortality:
To me the meanest flower that blows can give
Thoughts that do often lie too deep for tears.
That is right, and we ought all to put it like that. But the trouble with most of us is that because it is always there we do not marvel at it; that little flower in the hedgerow does not give rise in us thoughts that “lie too deep for tears.” But if we see a tree struck by lightning we are interested because it is unusual, because it is exceptional.
Now, we tend to do that self-same thing in the whole matter of Christian experience. I attribute this to the Fall, and, of course, one must point out in passing that this is something that tends to be organized and often becomes a business. Those who produce books know that the spectacular always appeals to the mind; so they pick out exceptional cases and give them great publicity. But this contradicts essential New Testament teaching. The New Testament never lays stress upon the way in which certainty comes to us; what it is interested in is the fact that it has come.
A Thought to Ponder: There is a tendency in mankind to pay great attention to the spectacular. I suppose it is one of the results of the Fall.
(From Life in God, pp. 104-105, by Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones)
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The Beginning of Wisdom
“The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding have all they that do his commandments: his praise endureth for ever.” (Psalm 111:10)
This age has rightly been called the “age of information.” With multitudes of books and periodicals in every field of study and practice, with billions of dollars devoted to all kinds of research, and now even the “information superhighway” of the internet. It seems everyone and every organization is posting information of some sort on its own website and email. The world is almost drowning in information.
“But where shall wisdom be found and where is the place of understanding?” (Job 28:12). Job’s urgent question can never be answered online, but only in an ancient book. “Behold, the fear of the LORD, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding” (Job 28:28).
This spiritual truism is found often in that book. King Solomon, to whom God had granted special wisdom (1 Kings 3:11-12), penned divinely inspired words when he wrote: “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge,” and then “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding” (Proverbs 1:7; 9:10).
If anything is missing in our information age, it is surely the fear of God, at least among most people—even most religious people. But, as our text says: “A good understanding have all they that do his commandments.”
From our New Testament perspective, we now know that “in [Christ] are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” (Colossians 2:3). “And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment” (1 John 3:23). Herein is true knowledge and understanding and wisdom. (HMM, The Institute for Creation Research)
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Well Done!
I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 2 Timothy 4:7
The school where my son Brian coaches football lost the state title game in a hard-fought battle. Their opponent was undefeated over the past two years. I sent Brian a text to commiserate with him and received a terse reply: “Kids battled!”
No coach shamed the players after the game. No one shouted at them for their mishaps or bad decisions along the way. No, the coaches showered the young players with praise for what could be praised.
Along the same vein, it’s good to know that believers in Jesus will not hear harsh words of condemnation from Him. When Christ comes and we stand before Him, He won’t shame us. He’ll see what we’ve done as we’ve followed Him (2 Corinthians 5:10; Ephesians 6:8). I think He’ll say something like, “You battled! Well done!” The apostle Paul testified that he had “fought the good fight” and looked forward to being welcomed by God (2 Timothy 4:7–8).
Life is a relentless struggle with a fierce, unyielding foe devoted to our destruction. He will resist every effort we make to be like Jesus and to love others. There’ll be a few good wins and some heartbreaking losses—God knows—but there will be no eternal condemnation for those in Jesus (Romans 8:1). If we stand before Him in the merits of God’s Son, each one will “receive [his] praise” from God (1 Corinthians 4:5).
By David H. Roper, Our Daily Bread Ministries)
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But there is something better than being comfortable, and the followers of Christ ought to find it out – the poor, soft, overstuffed Christian of our time ought to find it out! There is something better than being comfortable! (p. 170, TozerSpeaks Volume Two, A.W. Tozer)
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The First Love
“Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world.” (John 17:24)
This is the very heart of the moving prayer of the Lord Jesus Christ in the upper room before His arrest and crucifixion. As we hear Him pray, we are translated back in time, before time began, and there we encounter the indescribable love within the counsels of the triune Godhead—Father, and Son, and Spirit—three persons, yet one God.
Then, after speaking of this love, Jesus prayed—in the final words of His sure-to-be-answered prayer—“that the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them, and I in them” (v. 26).
This love—the love within the Trinity—was the primeval love and, therefore, is the spring from which flows every other form of true love—marital love, mother love, brotherly love, love of country, love of friends, love for the lost, or any other genuine love.
It is appropriate that the first mention of love in the Old Testament refers to the love of a father (Abraham) for his son Isaac (Genesis 22:2), and then that the first reference to love in the New Testament (Matthew 3:17) speaks of the heavenly love of God the Father for God the Son. In both cases, the son is called “beloved,” yet in both cases the father and son are prepared to go to the altar of sacrifice, that the will of God might be done and a way of salvation be provided for lost sinners.
“He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?” (Romans 8:32). One day—as He prayed—we shall be with Him, see His glory, and even experience His own eternal love in our hearts. (HMM, The Institute for Creation Research)
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“I will go to the king, which is against the law; and if I perish, I perish!” (4:16). Those are not the words of someone being melodramatic; they are the words of a realist who accurately assesses the situation. By law, no one can go into the presence of the king unless invited; to do so means execution. If the king chooses to extend grace to the person, he offers his scepter, whereupon the subject is to kneel and touch the top of the scepter. Esther has no idea what Ahasuerus will do. He deposed Vashti with a clap of his hands; he signed the edict to kill the Jews without asking a question. Though she has no other choice, Esther’s decision still takes great courage. (Quiet Walk)
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FACING DEATH
Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness.
2 Timothy 4:8
The kingdom of God gives us power even to look into the face of death and to smile at it. We go out of this world in triumph and in joy. Consider what Paul says; this is power, this is not just a talker, nor just a man who has been writing all his life. Here is a man who has known the power; so, he says, “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing” (2 Timothy 4:7-8).
So what about it? Have you known all this? This is Christianity; this is the kingdom of God, the power of God! Here, then, are the questions that we must ask ourselves. Do I know anything about this power of God? Is it obvious to those who live with me that the power of God is in me? Does my life show it? Are other people influenced by what they see? Can I say, “I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth” (Romans 1:16)?
Has God made you anew? Do you know there is a new nature in you? If not, you are not a Christian; you are outside the kingdom of God, whatever your knowledge, whatever your interest may be. A Christian is a new creation born of the Spirit, born from above, born again–“not in word, but in power” (1 Corinthians 4:20). Have you known this? If you have, I need not exhort you to praise God! If you have not, then go to Him; tell Him you are dead and lifeless. Cry, “God have mercy upon me, a sinner.”
A Thought to Ponder: A Christian is a new creation born of the Spirit, born from above, born again. (From The Kingdom of God, p. 119, by Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones)
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