PSALM 83
Psalmist questions the LORD verse 1- 2
Keep not YOU silence – O God – hold not YOUR PEACE
and be not still – O God
FOR lo – YOUR enemies make a tumult
they that hate YOU have lifted up the head
Psalmist explains actions of the enemies verse 3- 4
They have taken crafty counsel against YOUR people
and consulted against YOUR hidden ones
They have said
Come – and let us cut them off from being a nation
that the name of Israel may be
no more in remembrance
Psalmist lists those who oppress Israel verse 5- 8
FOR they have consulted together with one consent
they are confederate against YOU
the tabernacles of Edom – the Ishmaelites – Moab
and the Hagarenes – Gebal – Ammon – Amalek
the Philistines with the inhabitants of Tyre
Assur also is joined with them
they have helped the children of Lot SELAH
Psalmist regarding punishment: Midianites verse 9- 10
Do to them as to the Midianites
as to Sisera – as to Jabin – at the brook of Kison
which perished at En-dor
they became as dung for the earth
Psalmist gives second example: Oreb & Zeeb verse 11- 12
Make their nobles like Oreb – and like Zeeb
yea all their princes as Zebah
and as Zalmunna – who said
Let us take to ourselves
the houses of God in possession
Psalmist gives final advice verse 13- 17
O my God – make them like a wheel – as the stubble before the wind
as the fire burns a wood
and as the flame sets the mountains on fire
so persecute them with YOUR tempest
and make them afraid with YOUR storm
Fill their faces with shame
that they may seek YOUR name O LORD
Let them be confounded and troubled for ever
yea – let them be put to shame – and perish
Psalmist gives reason for advice verse 18
THAT men may know that YOU
whose name alone is JEHOVAH
are the most high over all the earth
COMMENTARY:
DAILY SPIRITUAL BREAKFAST: Young Believers
: 1 “Keep not YOU silence, O God: hold not YOUR peace,
and be not still, O God.” (“Silence,” 1824 דְּמִי [dâmiy]; Four occurrences; AV translates as “silence” twice, “cut off” once, and “rest” once. 1 cessation, quiet, rest, silence, pause, peacefulness [Strong, J. (2001). Enhanced Strong’s Lexicon. Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software]).
DEVOTION: This imprecatory psalm by Asaph asks God to punish all the enemies of Israel. These are the peoples who have hoped for the destruction of Jerusalem, consisting of all the nations which surrounded them. Therefore, based on the actions of their neighbors, this psalm is asking for God not to sit silently while all this is going on.
The silence of God can be interpreted in more than one way. Sometimes we view God’s silence toward us as being a consequence of our own sins (Psalm 66:18). At other times, we view God’s silence as being His not answering our prayers in the way that we wanted Him to or as soon as we want Him to. In still other times, we see God is silent so as to test our faith and see if we will pray to Him with renewed fervor and not lose heart (Luke 18:1-7).
Yet silence is not synonymous with God’s not being active in the world or in response to His saints, despite man’s evil interpretation of history (2 Peter 3:3-4). Instead, His silence may be identified, in part, as a demonstration of His grace toward mankind. While He promises His return and His judgment of the world, God is still allowing a period of time now where men can repent and become followers of Jesus Christ. In addition, we can also be sure that God’s plan in marching forward in perfect completion to the endpoint of Revelation 22.
So it is okay when we are feeling squeezed in by the world around us to call upon the Lord to not keep silent. The ultimate fulfillment of this promise is the establishment of His kingdom that we pray for in the Lord’s Prayer (Matthew 6:10).
CHALLENGE: Does it appear to you that God is not being active in any part of the world today? If so, you can ask the Lord to intervene in His timing and in His way. Remember that He has a plan and a purpose to all that He is doing.
(Dr. Marc Wooten – board member
DAILY SPIRITUAL LUNCH: Transitional Believers
: 3 They have taken crafty counsel against YOUR people, and consulted against YOUR hidden ones. (3289 “consulted” [ya‘ats] means counsel, purposed, determined, devised, planned, to engage in plotting or enter into a conspiracy, or to conspire.)
DEVOTION: Humans have a sin nature when they are born. They are not prone to be followers of the LORD. They are prone to go in a different direction.
This was found true in the garden of Eden when Adam and Eve were tempted by the Devil to eat of the fruit against God’s command. It looked good and so they decided to eat and found out that disobedience was not something that they really want to do but had done.
Satan was crafty. His followers are crafty. So from the beginning we have seen that once Adam and Eve ate of the fruit that the LORD had told them not to eat of they were found to be sinners.
The enemies of the LORD seemed to have won the victory but it was only a single victory as the LORD provided a way to come back to HIM through Jesus Christ. The battle was started in the Garden of Eden but will not be ended until the final battle where the LORD will come back and give those who follow HIM victory.
God’s people have been battling since the Garden of Eden and continue until the final battle at Armageddon. It is sad that we are so easily tempted to disobey the LORD.
Our enemy is very crafty. He wants all of those who follow the LORD to fail. He wants those who are believers to not trust the LORD. He wants us to know that the life without Christ can be good.
However, he doesn’t want us to know that life for eternity is not good if we are not genuine followers of Christ. It is a battle that has gone one since the Garden of Eden and will continue until the final battle.
CHALLENGE: Understand that our enemy is crafty. Understand that each day is a battle for those who are followers of Jesus Christ. Our eyes have to stay on Jesus who is the author and finisher of our faith. We can trust HIM alone.
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: 9 “Deal with them as with Midian, as with Sisera, as with Jabin at the Brook Kishon,” The New King James Version (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1982). Deal – 6213 עָשָׂה, עָשָׂה [ʿasah /aw·saw/] v. A primitive root; TWOT 1708, 1709; GK 6913 and 6914; 2633 occurrences; AV translates as “do” 1333 times, “make” 653 times, “wrought” 52 times, “deal” 52 times, “commit” 49 times, “offer” 49 times, “execute” 48 times, “keep” 48 times, “shew” 43 times, “prepare” 37 times, “work” 29 times, “do so” 21 times, “perform” 18 times, “get” 14 times, “dress” 13 times, “maker” 13 times, “maintain” seven times, and translated miscellaneously 154 times. 1 to do, fashion, accomplish, make. 1A (Qal). 1A1 to do, work, make, produce. 1A1A to do. 1A1B to work. 1A1C to deal (with). 1A1D to act, act with effect, effect. 1A2 to make. 1A2A to make. 1A2B to produce. 1A2C to prepare. 1A2D to make (an offering). 1A2E to attend to, put in order. 1A2F to observe, celebrate. 1A2G to acquire (property). 1A2H to appoint, ordain, institute. 1A2I to bring about. 1A2J to use. 1A2K to spend, pass. 1B (Niphal). 1B1 to be done. 1B2 to be made. 1B3 to be produced. 1B4 to be offered. 1B5 to be observed. 1B6 to be used. 1C (Pual) to be made. 2 (Piel) to press, squeeze. James Strong, Enhanced Strong’s Lexicon (Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software, 2001).
DEVOTION: History is such a good teacher and works as a reminder for those who desire to learn from its truths. The nation of Israel had such a rich history of how the Lord had worked in their lives and nation. The psalmist brings to their memory the various countries that God dealt with in the past and asks for the same treatment for their present enemies.
Knowing how God has worked encourages us to ask for Him to work in our present circumstances and stress filled moments. Whether it is reading the Bible and seeing how God worked in the Old Testament or for the church in the New Testament we can be encouraged to call out to Him. Reflecting on how he has also worked in our lives encourages us to call out to Him. A good biography or a radio program that tells stories of great Christians can help you to see how God works and may work in your present situation.
CHALLENGE: Take a moment and stroll down memory lane with the Holy Spirit and allow Him to remind you of how He has worked in the past! (Dr. Brian Miller – board member)
DAILY SPIRITUAL SUPPER: Mature Believers
: 16 Fill their faces with shame; that they may seek YOUR name, O LORD.
(7036 “shame” [qalown] means disgrace, confusion, dishonor, ignominy, reproach.)
DEVOTION: This psalm deals with asking the LORD to punish the enemies of HIS people. The Psalmist is asking the LORD why HE is silent. He informs the LORD that the enemies are lifting their head against the LORD. They hate HIM.
He requests of the LORD that they be punished. He gives example of how the LORD worked in the past and said that HE could do it again to these nations. He even lists the nations that he would like the LORD to deal with. Some of these enemies are related to Israel but they still want nothing to do with their God.
This word that is used in our verse has the purpose of driving men to acknowledge the LORD is the ONLY true GOD. The psalmist is not just asking for judgment to save his nation but to prove to the other nations that their false gods are not the true God of the universe.
The word for shame in the next verse is: 2659 “shame” [chapher] means to blush, to be ashamed, disappointed, confounded, be brought to confusion. This word is different but has the same purpose- bring glory to God.
These two words want to influence the enemy to understand that there is only ONE true God in the universe. It would be great if all the enemies of the LORD would turn to HIM but we know that this is not going to happen. They will know that HE is God only when they face HIM for their final judgment.
The reasons for praying for God to judge them that are doing things against God’s people is that they might be brought to confusion and know that they can’t win against the people of God.
We realize that God is the only one who is supposed to judge our enemies. We cannot use their methods to win. We have the best weapon in any war: PRAYER. We are not to try to get even with them. Vengeance is the LORD’S alone.
CHALLENGE: Our prayer life toward our enemies needs to be done with the same reason that the Psalmist gave. We should not just want judgment but the conversion of those who hate God. All things are possible with the LORD!!!
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: 18 That men may know that YOU, whose name alone is JEHOVAH, are the Most High over all the earth. (905 “alone” [bad] means solitude, apart from, separation, only, by itself, unit, or only.)
DEVOTION: When you are by yourself it means that there is no one around but you. Here we find that there is only one whose name is Jehovah in our universe. HE is the only one and there is no other. HE is the one and only person who can create the world. HE is the only one who can allow men on earth to know who HE is to them.
HE is the creator of the world and all that is in it. HE needs no help. We know that HE manifests HIMSELF in three persons: the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit but as one God alone.
It is hard for us to understand the concept of ONE God in three PERSONS but that is what the Bible teaches us and we need to accept this fact and move on.
God wants ALL mankind to know that HE is the Most High and no one is near HIM to be worshiped.
To us it seems strange to understand who HE is but HE presents HIMSELF to Adam and Eve. HE presents HIMSELF to Moses. HE presents HIMSELF to the world in the New Testament as Father, Son and Holy Ghost. The three in one.
It is not easy for us to understand but our minds might have trouble but our faith should not.
Worship doesn’t come easy to humans. Here we have the God of the universe presented to the children of Israel who presented HIMSELF to Adam and Eve in the garden. Asaph wants the children of Israel to worship HIM alone. HE is the Most High.
Worship doesn’t come easy to some humans. It is hard for us to comprehend who God is and that we are worship HIM in spirit and in truth every day of our life after we commit our life to HIM through Jesus Christ.
CHALLENGE: HE has not changed since HE met Adam. HE has not changes when we will meet HIM in the future. Our worship has to be real as HE is the only one we should worship.
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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)
Prayer for LORD to judge enemies verse 1- 18
Let them stubble
Persecute enemies with tempest
Make them afraid
Silence (Letting the LORD deal with some problems and needs)
Worship (Time to praise the LORD alone or in a group)
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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, 12, 13
God’s storm verse 15
LORD – Jehovah (Covenant keeping, Personal) verse 16
JEHOVAH – LORD verse 18
Most High verse 18
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)
Man (Created on the sixth twenty-four hour period of creation)
Enemy of the LORD verse 2
Tabernacles of Edom verse 6
Ishmaelites verse 6
Moabites verse 6
Hagarenes verse 6
Gebal verse 7
Ammon verse 7
Amalek verse 7
Philistines verse 7
Inhabitants of Tyre verse 7
Assur verse 8
Children of Lot verse 8
Midianites verse 9- 11
Sin (Missing the mark set by God on man and angels)
Tumult verse 2
Hate God verse 2
Crafty counsel verse 3
Consult against God’s people verse 3, 5
Cut off God’s people verse 4
Wanting to take house of God for possession verse 12
Salvation (Provided by Christ’s death on the cross for our sins)
Seek the LORD verse 16
Know the LORD verse 18
Israel (Old Testament people of God)
Asaph – author of Psalm verse 1- 18
Keep not silence O God
Fill enemies with shame
Let faces be filled with shame
That men might know who God is
God’s people verse 3
Hidden ones verse 3
Israel verse 4
Houses of God verse 12
Church (New Testament people of God)
Last Things (Future Events)
Perish verse 17
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DONATIONS:
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QUOTES regarding passage
Ver. 5. For they have consulted together with one consent, &c.] Or heart; wicked men are cordial to one another, and united in their counsels against the people of God, and his interest: whatever things they may disagree in, they agree in this, to oppose the cause and interest of true religion, or to persecute the church and people of God: Herod and Pontius Pilate are instances of this: they are confederate against thee; or have made a covenant against thee; the covenant they had entered into among themselves, being against the Lord’s people, was against him; and such a covenant and agreement can never stand; for there is no wisdom, nor understanding, nor counsel against the Lord, Prov. 21:30. This the psalmist mentions to engage the Lord in the quarrel of his people, and not be still, and act a neutral part; since those were his enemies, and confederates against him, and they are next particularly named. (Gill, J. (1810). An Exposition of the Old Testament (Vol. 4, p. 53). London: Mathews and Leigh.)
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5. “For they have consulted together with one consent.” They are hearty and unanimous in their designs. They seem to have but one heart, and that a fierce one, against the chosen people and their God. “They are confederate against thee.” At the Lord himself they aim through the sides of his saints. They make a covenant, and ratify it with blood, resolutely banding themselves together to war with the Mighty God. (Spurgeon, C. H. (n.d.). The treasury of David: Psalms 56-87 (Vol. 3, p. 420). London; Edinburgh; New York: Marshall Brothers.)
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‘… Thy foes their banners are unfurling’—for the strength of the psalm is its emphasis on ‘thy’ and ‘thee’. There is no mention of ‘us’ or ‘Israel’ (except on the enemy’s lips, 4); the attack is seen to be basically against God (2, 5; cf. Ps. 2:1–3), and while the immediate target is Israel, the prayer takes its stand not on the people’s plight but on their relationship, thy people … thy protected ones (3). The second of these terms is well paraphrased in neb, ‘those thou hast made thy treasure’. It uses the verb found in 27:5a; 31:19a, 20b (20a, 21b, Heb.). (Kidner, D. (1975). Psalms 73–150: An Introduction and Commentary (Vol. 16, p. 331). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.)
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The psalmist delineated how Judah’s enemies had taken counsel to destroy her (vv. 2–5). As God’s enemies they plotted cunningly (cf. 64:6) against God’s people (83:3) and against God Himself (v. 5). They conspired to destroy the nation and wipe out any remembrance of her. These foes included numerous surrounding nations: Edom … Ishmaelites (also called the descendants of Hagar), Moab … Gebal (Byblos), Ammon … Amalek … Philistia and the city of Tyre. Mighty Assyria also supported this coalition which included the descendants of Lot, the Moabites and Ammonites (Gen. 19:36–38). (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. 854). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.)
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83:5–8 consulted together: Throughout history, many nations have conspired to bring about the ruin of Israel and Judah. All such endeavors are condemned in this psalm. against You: In conspiring against the people of God, the wicked actually resist God Himself. The tents of Edom: The place names in this passage refer to nations on the borders of Israel and Judah. The Hagrites may have come from Arabia (1 Chr. 5:10, 19, 20). The people of Gebal may have lived in a mountainous region south of the Dead Sea; alternatively, Gebal may have been another name for Byblos, a city near Tyre. (Radmacher, E. D., Allen, R. B., & House, H. W. (1997). The Nelson Study Bible: New King James Version (Ps 83:5–8). Nashville: T. Nelson Publishers.)
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5. Rend. “For they have devised a counsel together: that they may make a compact against Thee.” a. Lit. “For they have counselled in mind together.” The Hebr. לב lêb here refers probably, not to the hearty earnestness (Hengst.) or unanimity (LXX. after lêb echâd, 1 Chron. 12:38) of the counsel, but to the intelligence and thought with which it was devised. Cf. for this meaning of lêb Hos. 7:11, Prov. 7:7, Job 12:3. (Jennings, A. C., & Lowe, W. H. (1885). The Psalms, with Introductions and Critical Notes (Second Edition, Vol. 2, p. 68). London: Macmillan and Co.)
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4–8. All confederacies are to the same purport, where God’s grace doth not influence the heart. And what a host of them are formed against the Israel of God? And let the Reader remark, who they are that join thus together. As it was by the seed of Jacob of old, so is it now by the praying seed of Jacob. Edom was Esau’s seed, Jacob’s brother: Ishmael was the natural son of Abraham. And who are the foes of the child of God? It was not an open enemy, saith the prophet concerning Christ’s foes, that reproached me; Psm. 55:12; and as by Christ, so by his people: a man’s foes are those of his own household. Nay, we may all say, though not by him, yet of ourselves, our own hearts are confederate against us. (Hawker, R. (2013). Poor Man’s Old Testament Commentary: Job–Psalms (Vol. 4, p. 433). Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software.)
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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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The first murder: Cain kills his brother Abel, and is condemned to wander the earth.
INSIGHT
“Am I my brother’s keeper?” Cain asks. God’s answer is unequivocal: Yes. God intended for His people to be social beings — to love, care for, and protect each other.
The mark of any society is how well it cares for those who cannot care for themselves. Elevated societies do well with this; debased societies do not.The mark of a selfish society is that it cares well for those it likes and does not care well for those it does not like. This kind of thinking leads to brutality.
The Christian is called to have the mind of Christ in this matter. We are to do good to all people, regardless of race, gender, or social position. Indeed, we are our brother’s keeper.
(Quiet Walk)
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THE PERSONALITY OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost… 2 Corinthians 13:14
The Holy Spirit is identified with the Father and the Son in such away as to indicate personality. There are two great arguments here. The first is the baptismal formula: “baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost” (Matthew 28:19). Here He is associated with the Father and the Son in a way that of necessity points to His personality.
The second argument is based on the apostolic benediction in 2 Corinthians 13:14: “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost….” Obviously the Holy Spirit is a person in line with the person of the Father and of the Son.
A most interesting way we can prove the personality of the Spirit is by showing that He is identified with us, with Christians, in away that indicates that He is a person. In Acts 15:28 we read, “For it seemed good to the Holy Ghost, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things.” This was a decision arrived at by members of the early church, and as they were persons, so He must be a person. You cannot say, “It seemed good to a power and to us,” because the power would be working in us. But here is someone outside us—“It seemed good to him and to us.”
Personal qualities are ascribed to the Holy Spirit in the Scriptures. He is said, for example, to have knowledge. Paul argues, “For what man knows the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? Even so the things of God knows no man, but the Spirit of God” (1 Corinthians 2:11).
A Thought to Ponder
The Spirit is identified with us, with Christians, in a way that indicates that He is a person. (From God the Holy Spirit, pp. 10-11, by Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones))
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Blessed Are the Dead
“And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Write, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labors; and their works do follow them.” (Revelation 14:13)
This promise applies specifically to those recent believers who will suffer martyrdom during the last half of the awful tribulation period (“henceforth,” in context). But dealing as it does with the state of the believing dead, in principle, it surely likewise applies to all who die “in the Lord.”
How are they blessed? In numerous ways, according to this verse.
First, they are blessed in that they “rest from their labors.” In this life we earn our physical sustenance by “the sweat of [our] face” (Genesis 3:19). Here we must work hard to train our minds (Ecclesiastes 12:12). Now we constantly battle our inward, fallen nature: “O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?” (Romans 7:24). Even as we attempt to serve our fellow man, our efforts are spurned and rejected. Not so for the dead! There all these labors will cease, and joyous, eternal service to the Lamb will commence (Revelation 22:3).
Secondly, they are blessed in that their labors continue to bear fruit even after they have gone. Perhaps even a previous word or act of testimony will be the eventual tool God uses to bring someone to Himself, and the reward will be properly distributed. No act done to the glory of God will pass unnoticed.
Thirdly, what a blessing to know that this state is promised by the very Spirit of God Himself. One’s worth at death is not measured by the content and sincerity of the opinions of friends at his funeral.
This doctrine should produce both great courage for the Christian and great comfort for the bereaved. (JDM, The Institute for Creation Research)
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When Love Never Ends
The Lord watches over all who love him. Psalm 145:20
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Daily Hope
Today’s Scripture
Genesis 1-3
As we begin the New Year, I want to wish you and your family a great beginning to 2022! A new year is a time when we seek to put the past behind us and expectantly look to the future with anticipation and hope. As believers, we are excited about the possibilities that God has in store for us and what His plans are for each one of His followers.
The best way we can know the plans He has for us, is to know His word and seek to be obedient to His established directions. This can only be done as we read and meditate upon the scriptures. Reading the Bible is essential for our growth, maturity, and effectiveness as a disciple of Jesus Christ. In stating this, I would like to invite you to read with me through the scriptures chronologically. I will provide Monday through Friday reading plans.
Establishing these 4 points will assist you to be successful in your reading.
1) Create a plan. Make a daily appointment with God and maintain it until it becomes a habit and a priority in your life.
2) Prioritize a specific time. It will take 20-30 minutes each day to accomplish the reading and meditation.
3) Find a quiet place, free from interruptions.
4) You may desire to have a journal to take notes.
Begin your reading by prayer, asking the Holy Spirit to speak through His written word. Read the passage and consider what God may be personally speaking to you about and how that applies to your life?
In today’s reading, God reveals to us His plan for creation and the work that He did to bring this creation into existence! As you read, note the way God’s handiwork is described, emphasized and the manner it is presented. Perhaps you can also detect how creation is presented differently in the first two chapters. Lastly, see how subtle temptation was used to bring sin into the world. Conclude by asking yourself how we are tempted and what subtle elements do we need to be mindful of in our life.
Pick a version of Scripture that you enjoy reading or have wanted to read. (The above scripture reading is directly linked to NKJV). Read/ listen using apps such as Bible Gateway (www.biblegateway.com) and enjoy your journey through the Scripture this year. My prayer is that all of us will benefit and grow in our likeness of the Savior!
With an Expectant Hope, Pastor Miller
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The Lord is extolled for the goodness of who He is and what He has done.
INSIGHT
There has never been a generation that did not praise God. Since the beginning of time, salvation and praise have been passed down in unbroken succession. David writes, “One generation shall praise Your works to another, and shall declare Your mighty acts” (v. 4). That praise is directed to God for who He is (His character) and what He has done. Of God’s character, David writes: “The Lord is gracious and full of compassion, slow to anger and great in mercy” (v. 8). The Lord is good. Writing of God’s work, he says, “The Lord upholds all who fall, and raises up those who are bowed down” (v. 14); “is near to all who call upon Him” (v. 18); and “will fulfill the desire of those who fear Him” (v. 19). “The Lord preserves all who love Him” (v. 20). For these reasons, we praise Him along with David.
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THE WONDERS OF HIS GRACE
And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong. 2 Corinthians 12:9-10
It is to those who were in the depths that the sense of the presence of God has been most real and the realization of His sustaining power most definite.
The widow of a German Moravian bishop told me that the universal testimony of all the Christians in Germany who had suffered untold hardships on account of their faith was, in her experience, that they would have missed none of these things, that indeed they thanked God for them. By these things they had been awakened to a realization of the poverty of their Christian lives and experiences; by these things also they had had their eyes opened to “the wonders of His grace.”
That is but their modern way of expressing what the psalmist puts thus: “It is good for me that I have been afflicted; that I might learn thy statutes” (Psalm 119:71).
It is also but the re-echo of Paul’s reaction to the verdict, “My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness,” which led him to say, “Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong” (2 Corinthians 12:9-10). If we but love God and submit ourselves to Him, that most certainly will be our experience; for again I would remind you that “all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.”
A Thought to Ponder: By these things they had been awakened to a realization of the poverty of their Christian lives. (From Why Does God Allow War? pp. 125-126, by Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones)
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Rightly Divide the Word
“Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” (2 Timothy 2:15)
This command is for us to “give diligence” (Greek spoudazo) for God’s approval by “rightly dividing” the word of truth. That which is to be rightly divided is not in doubt: “Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth” (John 17:17). The end goal is to “display yourself” as one who is, therefore, approved by God.
The key is to “rightly divide” the Scriptures. The Greek word orthotomeo, only used this one time, has several shades of meaning: to cut straight, to cut straight ways; to proceed on straight paths, hold a straight course; to make straight and smooth; to handle aright; to teach the truth directly and correctly.
Two passages emphasize the way to “divide” the Scriptures. When Isaiah asked rhetorical questions about how to learn and understand biblical knowledge, the answer was “precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little” (Isaiah 28:9-10). Thus:Find the major pieces first.
Find the supporting elements next.
Find the pieces throughout the text.
Solomon, as the “wise preacher,” noted that one who would teach the people knowledge must have given “good heed, and sought out, and set in order many proverbs” (Ecclesiastes 12:9).Pay attention to the words (meanings, context).
Penetrate (research) the teaching (text first, then books).
Organize the information for teaching purposes.
This kind of study preparation requires a “workman”—one who is willing to give the diligence necessary to produce the powerful sayings built on the “word of truth.” If properly prepared, the workman will never be “ashamed.” (HMM III, The Institute for Creation Research)
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