joy

Who Is Like You?

/ kdmiller55 / Leave a comment

1 In you, O LORD, do I take refuge;
    let me never be put to shame!
2 In your righteousness deliver me and rescue me;
    incline your ear to me, and save me!
3 Be to me a rock of refuge,
    to which I may continually come;
you have given the command to save me,
    for you are my rock and my fortress.

4 Rescue me, O my God, from the hand of the wicked,
    from the grasp of the unjust and cruel man.
5 For you, O LORD, are my hope,
    my trust, O LORD, from my youth.
6 Upon you I have leaned from before my birth;
    you are he who took me from my mother’s womb.
My praise is continually of you.

7 I have been as a portent to many,
    but you are my strong refuge.
8 My mouth is filled with your praise,
    and with your glory all the day.
9 Do not cast me off in the time of old age;
    forsake me not when my strength is spent.
10 For my enemies speak concerning me;
    those who watch for my life consult together
11 and say, “God has forsaken him;
    pursue and seize him,
    for there is none to deliver him.”

12 O God, be not far from me;
    O my God, make haste to help me!
13 May my accusers be put to shame and consumed;
    with scorn and disgrace may they be covered
    who seek my hurt.
14 But I will hope continually
    and will praise you yet more and more.
15 My mouth will tell of your righteous acts,
    of your deeds of salvation all the day,
    for their number is past my knowledge.
16 With the mighty deeds of the Lord God I will come;
    I will remind them of your righteousness, yours alone.

17 O God, from my youth you have taught me,
    and I still proclaim your wondrous deeds.
18 So even to old age and gray hairs,
    O God, do not forsake me,
until I proclaim your might to another generation,
    your power to all those to come.
19 Your righteousness, O God,
    reaches the high heavens.
You who have done great things,
    O God, who is like you?
20 You who have made me see many troubles and calamities
    will revive me again;
from the depths of the earth
    you will bring me up again.
21 You will increase my greatness
    and comfort me again.

22 I will also praise you with the harp
    for your faithfulness, O my God;
I will sing praises to you with the lyre,
    O Holy One of Israel.
23 My lips will shout for joy,
    when I sing praises to you;
    my soul also, which you have redeemed.
24 And my tongue will talk of your righteous help all the day long,
for they have been put to shame and disappointed
    who sought to do me hurt. – Psalm 71:1-24 ESV

The unknown author of this psalm has been trusting in Yahweh for a long time and has never been disappointed. His experience with relying on the Almighty has been positive, and he is more than willing to share it with others.

O Lord, you alone are my hope.
    I’ve trusted you, O Lord, from childhood.
Yes, you have been with me from birth;
    from my mother’s womb you have cared for me.
    No wonder I am always praising you! – Psalm 71:5-6 NLT

O God, you have taught me from my earliest childhood,
    and I constantly tell others about the wonderful things you do. – Psalm 71:17 NLT

But old age has caught up with him, and his diminished strength has left him ever more dependent upon God’s help and hope.

And now, in my old age, don’t set me aside.
    Don’t abandon me when my strength is failing. – Psalm 71:9 NLT

For years, this faithful servant has relied upon God to deliver him from difficulty and has used these divine interventions to sing God’s praises to anyone who would listen. He states, “My life is an example to many, because you have been my strength and protection” (Psalm 71:7 NLT). Year after year, his loved ones and neighbors have been able to learn vicariously as they witnessed his repeated deliverance by God. His life has been a testimony to God’s faithfulness and a tangible example of what trust in God looks like.

But now, in the twilight of his life, his enemies are spreading the rumor that he has been abandoned by God. His latter years are filled with more turmoil than he can physically endure or emotionally handle.

As has been his custom, he takes his need to the LORD, begging Him to intervene.

O Lord, I have come to you for protection;
    don’t let me be disgraced. – Psalm 71:1 NLT

Be my rock of safety
    where I can always hide.
Give the order to save me… – Psalm 71:3 NLT

No details are given to explain the nature of his predicament, but the intensity of his suffering is unmistakable. He is surrounded by wicked and cruel oppressors who whisper against him and plot his demise. They accuse God of abandoning him and leaving him an easy target for their evil plans. But despite their verbal attacks and life-threatening overtures, the psalmist continues to place his hope in the LORD.

O God, don’t stay away.
    My God, please hurry to help me.
Bring disgrace and destruction on my accusers.
    Humiliate and shame those who want to harm me. – Psalm 71:12-13 NLT

In his frustration and confusion, the psalmist calls on God to avenge him and uses powerful language to communicate his preferred consequences for his enemies. He doesn’t turn the other cheek or ask God to forgive them because “they don’t know what they are doing” (Luke 23:34 NLT). No, he asks God to mete out justice and show no mercy. In his pain and suffering, he can only imagine an outcome that results in God’s wrath being poured out in full. No other resolution makes sense.

Living long before Jesus delivered His Sermon on the Mount, the psalmist operated under the premise of reciprocal justice, better known as lex talionis (law of retribution). The Mosaic Law contained a clause that supported this idea.

If there is further injury, the punishment must match the injury: a life for a life, an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, a hand for a hand, a foot for a foot, a burn for a burn, a wound for a wound, a bruise for a bruise. – Exodus 21:23-25 NLT

But Jesus offered a different take on the law, declaring a higher standard for reciprocal justice.

“You have heard the law that says, ‘Love your neighbor’ and hate your enemy. But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven. For he gives his sunlight to both the evil and the good, and he sends rain on the just and the unjust alike.” – Matthew 5:44-45 NLT

In his gospel account, Luke records a more nuanced version of Jesus’ radical message.

“But to you who are willing to listen, I say, love your enemies! Do good to those who hate you. Bless those who curse you. Pray for those who hurt you. If someone slaps you on one cheek, offer the other cheek also. If someone demands your coat, offer your shirt also. Give to anyone who asks; and when things are taken away from you, don’t try to get them back. Do to others as you would like them to do to you.” – Luke 6:27-31 NLT

Paul jumped on the bandwagon in his letter to the believers living in Rome, a hotbed of anti-Christian sentiment that was rife with persecution against Christ followers.

Bless those who persecute you. Don’t curse them; pray that God will bless them.…Never pay back evil with more evil. – Romans 12:14, 17 NLT

Even the apostle Peter got in on the action, calling believers to live by a completely different code of conduct.

Don’t repay evil for evil. Don’t retaliate with insults when people insult you. Instead, pay them back with a blessing. That is what God has called you to do… – 1 Peter 3:9 NLT

Yet, despite his adverse conditions and less-than-compassionate outlook, the psalmist knew he could count on God to hear and respond, providing him with another opportunity to sing God’s praises.

But I will keep on hoping for your help;
    I will praise you more and more.
I will tell everyone about your righteousness.
    All day long I will proclaim your saving power… – Psalm 71:14-15 NLT

God had proven Himself trustworthy and reliable time and time again, and the psalmist remained confident that God would come through this time as well. In fact, he saw Yahweh as incomparably consistent in HIs actions. As far as he was concerned, God was one of a kind and had a proven track record of coming through at just the right time, and this occasion would be no different.

Who can compare with you, O God?
You have allowed me to suffer much hardship,
    but you will restore me to life again
    and lift me up from the depths of the earth. – Psalm 71:19-20 NLT

The psalmist’s line of thought mirrors the words of Moses, written centuries earlier. When considering Israel’s unique relationship with God, Moses was prone to point out how His righteousness and accessibility went hand in hand. God was holy, yet wholly approachable.

For what great nation is there that has a god so near to it as the LORD our God is to us, whenever we call upon him? And what great nation is there, that has statutes and rules so righteous as all this law that I set before you today? – Deuteronomy 4:7-8 ESV

The law and sacrificial systems made it possible for unrighteous men to enter the presence of a holy God. That is why the psalmist was fully confident that God would restore him and thoroughly prepared to return the favor with joy, praise, and song.

Then I will praise you with music on the harp,
    because you are faithful to your promises, O my God.
I will sing praises to you with a lyre,
    O Holy One of Israel.
I will shout for joy and sing your praises,
    for you have ransomed me.
I will tell about your righteous deeds
    all day long… – Psalm 71:22-24 NLT

Old age may have diminished some of his physical faculties, but it had done nothing to curb his enthusiasm or minimize his trust in God. He would keep believing and hoping to the end because his God was trustworthy and true.

Father, the older I get, the more I understand what the psalmist is trying to say. Experience has proven that You are trustworthy and worthy of my wholehearted confidence. You have never given a reason NOT to trust You, so why would I beginnow? Give me the strength to rely on You even when things look bleak and dark. Help me to rest in Your sovereignty and trust in Your power to show up even when things are looking down. There is no god like You, and no other place I can turn in my times. of need. Amen

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

You’re In Good Hands

/ kdmiller55 / Leave a comment

To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David. A Song.

1 God shall arise, his enemies shall be scattered;
    and those who hate him shall flee before him!
2 As smoke is driven away, so you shall drive them away;
    as wax melts before fire,
    so the wicked shall perish before God!
3 But the righteous shall be glad;
    they shall exult before God;
    they shall be jubilant with joy!

4 Sing to God, sing praises to his name;
    lift up a song to him who rides through the deserts;
his name is the LORD;
    exult before him!
5 Father of the fatherless and protector of widows
    is God in his holy habitation.
6 God settles the solitary in a home;
    he leads out the prisoners to prosperity,
    but the rebellious dwell in a parched land.

7 O God, when you went out before your people,
    when you marched through the wilderness, Selah
8 the earth quaked, the heavens poured down rain,
    before God, the One of Sinai,
    before God, the God of Israel.
9 Rain in abundance, O God, you shed abroad;
    you restored your inheritance as it languished;
10 your flock found a dwelling in it;
    in your goodness, O God, you provided for the needy.

11 The LORD gives the word;
    the women who announce the news are a great host:
12     “The kings of the armies—they flee, they flee!”
The women at home divide the spoil—
13     though you men lie among the sheepfolds—
the wings of a dove covered with silver,
    its pinions with shimmering gold.
14 When the Almighty scatters kings there,
    let snow fall on Zalmon.

15 O mountain of God, mountain of Bashan;
    O many-peaked mountain, mountain of Bashan!
16 Why do you look with hatred, O many-peaked mountain,
    at the mount that God desired for his abode,
    yes, where the LORD will dwell forever?
17 The chariots of God are twice ten thousand,
    thousands upon thousands;
    the LORD is among them; Sinai is now in the sanctuary.
18 You ascended on high,
    leading a host of captives in your train
    and receiving gifts among men,
even among the rebellious, that the LORD God may dwell there.

19 Blessed be the LORD,
    who daily bears us up;
    God is our salvation. Selah
20 Our God is a God of salvation,
    and to God, the LORD, belong deliverances from death.
21 But God will strike the heads of his enemies,
    the hairy crown of him who walks in his guilty ways.
22 The LORD said,
    “I will bring them back from Bashan,
I will bring them back from the depths of the sea,
23 that you may strike your feet in their blood,
    that the tongues of your dogs may have their portion from the foe.”

24 Your procession is seen, O God,
    the procession of my God, my King, into the sanctuary—
25 the singers in front, the musicians last,
    between them virgins playing tambourines:
26 “Bless God in the great congregation,
    the LORD, O you who are of Israel’s fountain!”
27 There is Benjamin, the least of them, in the lead,
    the princes of Judah in their throng,
    the princes of Zebulun, the princes of Naphtali.

28 Summon your power, O God,
    the power, O God, by which you have worked for us.
29 Because of your temple at Jerusalem
    kings shall bear gifts to you.
30 Rebuke the beasts that dwell among the reeds,
    the herd of bulls with the calves of the peoples.
Trample underfoot those who lust after tribute;
    scatter the peoples who delight in war.
31 Nobles shall come from Egypt;
    Cush shall hasten to stretch out her hands to God.

32 O kingdoms of the earth, sing to God;
    sing praises to the LORD, Selah
33 to him who rides in the heavens, the ancient heavens;
    behold, he sends out his voice, his mighty voice.
34 Ascribe power to God,
    whose majesty is over Israel,
    and whose power is in the skies.
35 Awesome is God from his sanctuary;
    the God of Israel—he is the one who gives power and strength to his people.
Blessed be God! – Psalm 68:1-35 ESV

You’re in good hands with Allstate. That famous slogan has been in continuous use since the 1950s and has become one of the most easily recognized company taglines in marketing history. Yet, its confident promise of unwavering care could more readily be said of God.

In this rather lengthy psalm, David reminds us that our God is the only trustworthy source of protection and provision.  He portrays God as a shepherd carrying a sheep in his arms, protecting it, providing for it, and ensuring it gets where it needs to go.

Praise the Lord; praise God our savior!
    For each day he carries us in his arms. Interlude
Our God is a God who saves!
    The Sovereign Lord rescues us from death. – Psalm 68:9-10 NLT

Our great God carries us. It is a vivid picture of intimacy and love, and a much-needed reminder of God’s matchless power. In this psalm, David repeatedly addresses the matchless power of God that freed the Israelites from Egypt, led them to the promised land, and conquered the enemies living there.

O God, when you led your people out from Egypt,
    when you marched through the dry wasteland, Interlude
the earth trembled, and the heavens poured down rain
    before you, the God of Sinai,
    before God, the God of Israel.
You sent abundant rain, O God,
    to refresh the weary land.
There your people finally settled,
    and with a bountiful harvest, O God,
    you provided for your needy people. – Psalm 68:9-10 NLT

This great, majestic, all-powerful God is also “Father to the fatherless, defender of widows,” who “places the lonely in families; he sets the prisoner free and gives them joy” (Psalm 68:5-6 NLT). He is not a distant deity who reigns from some unseen place and dispenses justice and judgment like some invisible judge. He is with us and for us.

From the moment He chose Abram to be the father of the Hebrew nation, God has lived in and among chosen people. Throughout the years they wandered in the wilderness, God traveled with the people of Israel, leading the way and taking the form of a pillar of smoke by day and a pillar of fire by night. They always knew He was with them. When He instructed Moses to construct the tabernacle in the wilderness, He promised to dwell within the Holy of Holies, as a constant reminder of His presence and power. Later, God’s presence filled the Holy of Holies of the new Temple constructed by Solomon.

Now the Lord will live among us there. – Psalm 68:18 NLT

God chose to dwell among men. He made His presence known and displayed His power among them.

God is awesome in his sanctuary.
    The God of Israel gives power and strength to his people. – Psalm 68:35 NLT

But for David, this divine power was not some relic from Israel’s ancient past; it was an everyday reality for God’s chosen people. The LORD could be counted on to show up when needed, exhibiting His might in tangible ways and delivering His children from every conceivable difficulty. No problem was insurmountable, and no enemy was too great. God’s people could call on Him in their time of need, and He would deliver.

Rise up, O God, and scatter your enemies.
    Let those who hate God run for their lives.
Blow them away like smoke.
    Melt them like wax in a fire.
    Let the wicked perish in the presence of God. – Psalm 68:1-2 NLT

This confident assurance in God’s irrepressible power should produce a sense of peace that shows up in joyful praise.

…let the godly rejoice.
    Let them be glad in God’s presence.
    Let them be filled with joy. – Psalm 68:3 NLT

David encourages his fellow Israelites to “rejoice in his presence” (Psalm 68:4 NLT) and to “praise God our savior” (Psalm 68:19 NLT). The LORD has a long and irrefutable track record of success. His past victories over Israel’s enemies should serve as a powerful reminder that He can be trusted. He is a God who has proven His capacity to protect and provide, having repeatedly revealed Himself as “a God who saves” (Psalm 68:20 NLT). And if He did it then, He can do it now.

We are in good hands with God. He is powerful, but also gentle. He is majestic, but also intimate. He delivers judgment with a firm hand but also metes out justice with tender mercy. He has the power to destroy our enemies and the compassion to forgive us of our sins. He can rain down judgment and deliver rain to restore a dry land. Our God is great, but the more significant news is that our great God cares for us. That thought should blow us away and cause us to respond in praise, prayer, gratitude, joy, hope, and worship.

Praise the Lord; praise God our savior!
    For each day he carries us in his arms.  – Psalms 68:19 NLT

Father, thank You for this much-needed reminder. I am in Your arms, therefore I am safe. You are taking me where I need to go. You are protecting me at all times. You are healing me, holding me and helping me. I have nothing to fear, but much to be grateful for. Amen

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

The LORD of Hosts Is With Us

/ kdmiller55 / Leave a comment

To the choirmaster. Of the Sons of Korah. According to Alamoth. A Song.

1 God is our refuge and strength,
    a very present help in trouble.
2 Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way,
    though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea,
3 though its waters roar and foam,
    though the mountains tremble at its swelling. Selah

4 There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,
    the holy habitation of the Most High.
5 God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved;
    God will help her when morning dawns.
6 The nations rage, the kingdoms totter;
    he utters his voice, the earth melts.
7 The LORD of hosts is with us;
    the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah

8 Come, behold the works of the LORD,
    how he has brought desolations on the earth.
9 He makes wars cease to the end of the earth;
    he breaks the bow and shatters the spear;
    he burns the chariots with fire.
10 “Be still, and know that I am God.
    I will be exalted among the nations,
    I will be exalted in the earth!”
11 The LORD of hosts is with us;
    the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah – Psalm 46:1-11 ESV

The title of this psalm reveals that it was written by one of the sons of Korah and “according to Alamoth.” The meaning of this description is somewhat obscure, but the Hebrew word ʿălāmôṯ refers to maidens or young women. Some conjecture that this psalm was to be sung by men but in falsetto voices “according to the alamoth style” (NET Bible). This musical notation was intended to dictate the vocal style of the song when performed. 

But while the title’s exact meaning remains undetermined, the psalm’s message is clear. The opening line establishes the theme.

God is our refuge and strength,
    always ready to help in times of trouble. – Psalm 46:1 NLT

Inspired by this psalm, the great reformer Martin Luther penned the opening lines of his hymn, “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God.”

A mighty Fortress is our GodA Bulwark never failingOur Helper He amid the floodOf mortal ills prevailing

Isaac Watts also found inspiration from this psalm when writing “O God Our Help In Ages Past.”

O God, our help in ages past,
Our hope for years to come,
Our shelter from the stormy blast,
And our eternal home.

Both Luther and Watts found the message of Psalm 46 hopeful and inspirational. Its declaration of God’s greatness even in the face of calamity struck a chord with them, and they echoed its message in their own words and for a more contemporary audience.

The psalm contrasts the eternality and power of God with the temporal chaos of the fallen world in which men live. Earthquakes, natural disasters, storms, and man-made wars may rock our world, but God remains firmly established on His heavenly throne and in complete control of all things. Chaos may abound around us, but there is no reason to fear because “The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress” (Psalm 46:7 ESV).

Under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, the psalmist painted a beautiful picture that portrays the past, present, and future plans of God. Isaac Watts seemed to grasp this point when he penned the opening line of his hymn. He mentioned God’s help in the past ages as the source of our hope for years to come. God is constant and consistent. He is eternal and unchanging.

So we will not fear when earthquakes come
    and the mountains crumble into the sea.
Let the oceans roar and foam.
    Let the mountains tremble as the waters surge! – Psalm 46:3 NLT

The God who created the world can maintain and sustain it, even in the face of earth-shattering disasters. His presence is a source of power that assures His people of protection and peace even amid the storms of life. The psalmist describes the assuring nature of God’s presence.

A river brings joy to the city of our God,
    the sacred home of the Most High.
God dwells in that city; it cannot be destroyed.
    From the very break of day, God will protect it. – Psalm 46:4-5 NLT

The city of God refers to Jerusalem, but there was no river flowing in or out of the capital city. Yet, the apostle John was given a glimpse of the New Jerusalem, the city which will be the home of God’s people where they will dwell with Him for eternity. That city will feature a river flowing from the throne of God.

Then the angel showed me a river with the water of life, clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb. It flowed down the center of the main street. On each side of the river grew a tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, with a fresh crop each month. The leaves were used for medicine to heal the nations. – Revelation 22:1-2 NLT

In that city, the permanent presence of God will provide protection from pain, sorrow, suffering, storms, and wars.

“Look, God’s home is now among his people! He will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them. He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.” – Revelation 21:3-4 NLT

But until that day comes and the holy city descends from heaven to earth, the world will be marked by continuing chaos and confusion.

The nations rage, the kingdoms totter;
he utters his voice, the earth melts. – Psalm 46:6 ESV

But God will be with us. He will not leave us or forsake us.

The LORD of hosts is with us;
    the God of Jacob is our fortress. – Psalm 46:7 ESV

In the present, storms will come, wars will rage, chaos will persist, and fears will assail us. But we can rest in the hope of God’s pervasive presence and power. The psalmist fills his song with words of comfort and encouragement, speaking of God’s sovereignty over the nations of the world.

Come, see the glorious works of the Lord:
    See how he brings destruction upon the world.
He causes wars to end throughout the earth.
    He breaks the bow and snaps the spear;
    he burns the shields with fire. – Psalm 46:8-9 NLT

But this image of God defeating the armies of the world is prophetic, foreshadowing an event that remains unfulfilled but clearly predicted in the Book of Revelation.

Then I saw heaven opened, and a white horse was standing there. Its rider was named Faithful and True, for he judges fairly and wages a righteous war. His eyes were like flames of fire, and on his head were many crowns. A name was written on him that no one understood except himself. He wore a robe dipped in blood, and his title was the Word of God. The armies of heaven, dressed in the finest of pure white linen, followed him on white horses. From his mouth came a sharp sword to strike down the nations. He will rule them with an iron rod. He will release the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty, like juice flowing from a winepress. On his robe at his thigh was written this title: King of all kings and Lord of all lords. – Revelation 19:11-16 NLT

In a vision, John was given a preview of coming attractions. He was allowed to witness the second coming of Christ when, as the King of kings and Lord of lords, Jesus will defeat the armies of this world and set up His Millennial Kingdom on earth.

Then I saw an angel standing in the sun, shouting to the vultures flying high in the sky: “Come! Gather together for the great banquet God has prepared. Come and eat the flesh of kings, generals, and strong warriors; of horses and their riders; and of all humanity, both free and slave, small and great.”

Then I saw the beast and the kings of the world and their armies gathered together to fight against the one sitting on the horse and his army. And the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who did mighty miracles on behalf of the beast—miracles that deceived all who had accepted the mark of the beast and who worshiped his statue. Both the beast and his false prophet were thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning sulfur. Their entire army was killed by the sharp sword that came from the mouth of the one riding the white horse. And the vultures all gorged themselves on the dead bodies. – Revelation 19:17-21 NLT

We still live in a world marked by wars and marred by natural disasters. But there is a day coming when God will bring an end to all the chaos and confusion. He will send His Son to earth a second time to finish the redemptive plan He began on the cross. It is our hope in God’s promise of these future events that allows us to experience peace in the present world in which we live. God is reminding us that He is in charge and will one day make all things new.

“Be still, and know that I am God!
    I will be honored by every nation.
    I will be honored throughout the world.” – Psalm 46:10 NLT

In his vision of the end times, John was allowed to hear the words of another song entitled “the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb” (Revelation 15:3 NLT). Sung by a choir of men and women who had been martyred by the Antichrist, this song echoes the words of Psalm 46.

“Great and marvelous are your works,
    O Lord God, the Almighty.
Just and true are your ways,
    O King of the nations.
Who will not fear you, Lord,
    and glorify your name?
    For you alone are holy.
All nations will come and worship before you,
    for your righteous deeds have been revealed.” – Revelation 15:3-4 NLT

The God who will bring about the restoration of all things is near — even as the chaos and confusion seem to reign over us. He is not distant or disinterested in the current condition of this world. He is not powerless or impotent. No, the psalmist would have us remember “The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress” (Psalm 46:11 ESV). But there is a day coming when God will send His Son again, and the New Jerusalem will descend. The end will come just as He promised and the eternal state will begin — never to end. And, once again, John was given a glimpse of that new city that should produce faith and hope in the heart of every believer.

I saw no temple in the city, for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. And the city has no need of sun or moon, for the glory of God illuminates the city, and the Lamb is its light. The nations will walk in its light, and the kings of the world will enter the city in all their glory. Its gates will never be closed at the end of day because there is no night there. And all the nations will bring their glory and honor into the city. Nothing evil will be allowed to enter, nor anyone who practices shameful idolatry and dishonesty—but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life. – Revelation 22:22-27 NLT

Father, the world is a place of chaos and confusion, and it can feel as if You are nowhere to be found. But this psalm reminds me that You are always with us. You never leave us or forsake us. You never forget about us. In fact, You are working a plan that includes the here and now and the hereafter. As You told the people of Israel, “I know the plans I have for you, They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope” (Jeremiah 29:11 NLT). That promise holds true for us as well. Help me to rest in Your eternal plan. Restore my hope so that I can resist the urge to doubt and fear when the storms of life come and wars rage all around me. You are with me and You have great plans for me. Amen

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Getting Right With God

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To the choirmaster: to Jeduthun. A Psalm of David.

1 I said, “I will guard my ways,
    that I may not sin with my tongue;
I will guard my mouth with a muzzle,
    so long as the wicked are in my presence.”
2 I was mute and silent;
    I held my peace to no avail,
and my distress grew worse.
3     My heart became hot within me.
As I mused, the fire burned;
    then I spoke with my tongue:

4 “O LORD, make me know my end
    and what is the measure of my days;
    let me know how fleeting I am!
5 Behold, you have made my days a few handbreadths,
    and my lifetime is as nothing before you.
Surely all mankind stands as a mere breath! Selah
6     Surely a man goes about as a shadow!
Surely for nothing they are in turmoil;
    man heaps up wealth and does not know who will gather!

7 “And now, O LORD, for what do I wait?
    My hope is in you.
8 Deliver me from all my transgressions.
    Do not make me the scorn of the fool!
9 I am mute; I do not open my mouth,
    for it is you who have done it.
10 Remove your stroke from me;
    I am spent by the hostility of your hand.
11 When you discipline a man
    with rebukes for sin,
you consume like a moth what is dear to him;
    surely all mankind is a mere breath! Selah

12 “Hear my prayer, O LORD,
    and give ear to my cry;
    hold not your peace at my tears!
For I am a sojourner with you,
    a guest, like all my fathers.
13 Look away from me, that I may smile again,
    before I depart and am no more!” – Psalm 39:1-13 ESV

The title of this psalm mentions a choirmaster named Jeduthun. His role and identity are not explained, but according to 1 Chronicles, Jeduthun was an appointee of David who served as a musician in his royal court.

David also appointed Heman, Jeduthun, and the others chosen by name to give thanks to the LORD, for “his faithful love endures forever.” They used their trumpets, cymbals, and other instruments to accompany their songs of praise to God. And the sons of Jeduthun were appointed as gatekeepers. – 1 Chronicles 16:41-42 NLT

As choirmaster, Jeduthun was responsible for turning David’s psalms into musical tributes to God designed to express gratitude for His faithful and never-ending love. But this psalm doesn’t seem to give Jeduthun much to work with because it is more of a lament than an expression of thanksgiving. In it, David freely voices his frustration over a less-than-pleasant circumstance he was going through. Some have suggested that David was experiencing serious health issues that threatened his life. Evidently, David believed his condition was tied to a sin he had committed, and his suffering was the result of God’s discipline.

I am silent before you; I won’t say a word,
for my punishment is from you.
But please stop striking me!
I am exhausted by the blows from your hand.
When you discipline us for our sins,
you consume like a moth what is precious to us.
Each of us is but a breath. – Psalm 39:9-11 NLT

David was clearly frustrated by the lingering effects of his condition and wondered out loud how long God would delay providing deliverance. In a sense, David saw his life passing before his eyes, reminding him of its brevity. He acknowledged God as the life-giver and sustainer, and begged to know how long his suffering would continue. For David, death would be preferable to a lingering illness and a life under the disciplining hand of God.

“Lord, remind me how brief my time on earth will be.
    Remind me that my days are numbered—
    how fleeting my life is.
You have made my life no longer than the width of my hand.
    My entire lifetime is just a moment to you;
    at best, each of us is but a breath.” – Psalm 39:4-5 NLT

Despite his difficulty, David had chosen not to complain about his circumstances in the hearing of men — especially the ungodly. He knew that to do so would cast dispersions upon God’s grace and goodness, so he remained silent. But that didn’t eleviate the emotional turmoil inside his head and heart.

But as I stood there in silence—
    not even speaking of good things—
    the turmoil within me grew worse.
The more I thought about it,
    the hotter I got,
    igniting a fire of words… – Psalm 39:2-3 NLT

When David finally spoke up, he took his grievance to the Lord, expressing his thoughts to the one who could do something about it. But instead of complaining, David asked God for perspective. His questions concerning the length of his life were meant to seek clarity. While he felt like his current condition would never end, he knew his life was nothing but a breath to God. It was here one moment and gone the next. This is less an expression of pessimism than an acknowledgement of God’s eternality and man’s temporal state.

David asked God to help him keep his life in proper perspective, never forgetting that eternity is our future, not this temporary condition we call life. In God’s grand scheme, our lives are but a breath, a fleeting moment on the eternal timeline. Yet, we put all our emphasis on the here and now and forget about the hereafter. We spend all our time rushing around, attempting to accomplish things that only end in insignificance. We work hard to accumulate wealth and then end up having to leave it behind when we go.

It’s easy to see where David’s son, Solomon, got the perspective on life he shared in the book of Ecclesiastes.

For who knows what is good for a man during the few days in which he passes through his fleeting life like a shadow? Who can tell a man what will come after him under the sun? – Ecclesiastes 6:12 NLT

I came to hate all my hard work here on earth, for I must leave to others everything I have earned. – Ecclesiastes 2:18 NLT

Solomon also shared David’s perspective on wealth.

Then I observed that most people are motivated to success because they envy their neighbors. But this, too, is meaningless – like chasing the wind. – Ecclesiastes 4:4 NLT

But long before David wrote this psalm, he decided to place his hope and trust in God. He owed his life to God, and without Him, David would have remained a shepherd herding sheep rather than serving as the king of Israel. Whatever David was going through, he knew it had passed through the hands of God. David viewed his condition as God-ordained and, therefore, he took his problem to the source. He believed his punishment was due to sin and knew that only God could forgive him and relieve his suffering.

In verse 8, David asks God to “pluck him out of” his sin, to deliver him from his own transgressions. He knew that only God could bring relief from the pain he was suffering. So he asks God to hear his cries, to restore his joy, and to give him relief so that he might spend whatever days he has left in a right relationship with Him.

Isn’t that what this life is all about? It isn’t the accumulation of toys and the gaining of fame. It isn’t about comfort and ease, earning and spending, competing and winning. It is about the joy of a right relationship with God, something money can’t buy. When we are not right with God, nothing will make sense or satisfy our longing for peace, joy, contentment, and purpose. Nothing can make life right except getting right with God.

Father, what a wonderful reminder that life is all about living for You and with You. The pain and suffering we experience is nothing more than a reminder of our dependence upon and need for You. Keep me focused on You and nothing else. May I desire a right relationship with You more than anything else in the world. Amen

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

The Joy of Forgiveness

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A Maskil of David.

1 Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven,
    whose sin is covered.
2 Blessed is the man against whom the Lord counts no iniquity,
    and in whose spirit there is no deceit.

3 For when I kept silent, my bones wasted away
    through my groaning all day long.
4 For day and night your hand was heavy upon me;
    my strength was dried up as by the heat of summer. Selah

5 I acknowledged my sin to you,
    and I did not cover my iniquity;
I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,”
    and you forgave the iniquity of my sin. Selah

6 Therefore let everyone who is godly
    offer prayer to you at a time when you may be found;
surely in the rush of great waters,
    they shall not reach him.
7 You are a hiding place for me;
    you preserve me from trouble;
    you surround me with shouts of deliverance. Selah

8 I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;
    I will counsel you with my eye upon you.
9 Be not like a horse or a mule, without understanding,
    which must be curbed with bit and bridle,
    or it will not stay near you.

10 Many are the sorrows of the wicked,
    but steadfast love surrounds the one who trusts in the Lord.
11 Be glad in the Lord, and rejoice, O righteous,
    and shout for joy, all you upright in heart! – Psalm 32:1-11 ESV

This is a didactic psalm, one that is intended to share a hard-learned life lesson with others. In this psalm, David uses his personal experience with sin, confession, repentance, and forgiveness to encourage others to follow his example. He describes the joy that comes with living openly and honestly with God.

“…what joy for those
    whose record the LORD has cleared of guilt,
    whose lives are lived in complete honesty! – Psalm 32:2 NLT

At the same time, David shares the far more painful experience of refusing to admit his guilt. Failure to repent results in the easily avoidable discipline of God.

When I refused to confess my sin,
    my body wasted away,
    and I groaned all day long.
Day and night your hand of discipline was heavy on me. – Psalm 32:2-4 NLT

David provides only two alternatives when it comes to dealing with sin: Confess and receive God’s gracious forgiveness or stubbornly refuse God’s conviction and bear the consequences. For David, the choice was a simple one.

Finally, I confessed all my sins to you
    and stopped trying to hide my guilt.
I said to myself, “I will confess my rebellion to the LORD.”
    And you forgave me! All my guilt is gone. – Psalm 32:5 NLT

David used his life experiences as a teaching tool, hoping to spare others the painful lesson of trying to deny their sin and ignore their guilt. That way of life was unproductive and painful. Yet, the unpleasant consequences of unrepentance could be avoided by heeding David’s gracious advice. In a prayerful aside to God, David offers his desire that all men could discover the joy of confession and forgiveness.

…let all the godly pray to you while there is still time,
    that they may not drown in the floodwaters of judgment. – Psalm 32:6 NLT

Turning back to his human audience, David begs them to heed his words.

Do not be like a senseless horse or mule
    that needs a bit and bridle to keep it under control. – Psalm 32:9 NLT

Stubbornness is not a virtue. An unwillingness to admit guilt is not the same thing as innocence. Denying one’s sin does not make it go away. Refusing to accept God’s conviction does nothing to avoid condemnation. David offers the choice between sorrow and joy, suffering and blessing, denial and divine forgiveness.

One of the sad realities of human life is sinfulness. It is unavoidable and inevitable. We have inherited a sin nature, and it shows up uninvited and without warning on a regular basis in all of our lives. Sometimes, our sins are small and appear relatively harmless. Other times, even we are appalled at the extent of our own capability to commit sins that are offensive to most men, let alone God. Our sinful natures are constantly doing battle within us, fighting with the indwelling influence of the Holy Spirit. Paul put it this way:

The sinful nature wants to do evil, which is just the opposite of what the Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are the opposite of what the sinful nature desires. These two forces are constantly fighting each other, so you are not free to carry out your good intentions. – Galatians 5:17 NLT

The battle within us is real, and the presence of our sinful nature is easy to recognize. We see it in the sins we commit daily, both sins of commission and omission. We don’t do the things we should do, and we do those things God has forbidden us to do. But here is the good news: God is fully aware of our sinful nature. He knows that we are sinners, so He sent His Son to serve as our sin substitute.

For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ. – 2 Corinthians 5:21 NLT

God has set us free from slavery to sin. We no longer HAVE to sin, because we have been given a new nature. He has provided His Spirit to indwell us, fill us, and empower us to live a life that is no longer sin-saturated, but Christ-centered. We now have the capacity to NOT sin. We can say no to sin.

We know that our old sinful selves were crucified with Christ so that sin might lose its power in our lives. We are no longer slaves to sin. For when we died with Christ we were set free from the power of sin. – Romans 6:6-7 NLT

But the truth is, we still sin because we still have three things contending against us: Satan, the world, and our own sinful natures. John reminds us, “If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth” (1 John 1:8 NLT). So sin is still inevitable but avoidable. When we do sin, there is hope. We have forgiveness available to us. We need only confess or admit our sin to God, and He offers complete forgiveness. Confession is not telling God something He doesn’t already know about us. He knows everything. He sees all our sins. Confession is agreeing with God on the presence of that sin in our lives and acknowledging our need for His forgiveness. David said, “I confessed all my sins to you and stopped trying to hide my guilt” (Psalms 32:5 NLT). The Hebrew word for “confessed” is yada, and it carries the idea of both knowing something and making it known. As God makes us aware of our sin, we are encouraged to agree with HIs assessment and acknowledge our guilt to Him. That is confession.

Attempting to hide or deny our sin is ridiculous because God already knows all about it. When we refuse to confess, we miss out on His forgiveness. As part of His sanctifying process in our lives, God is always exposing our. He shines the flashlight of His divine omniscience into the dark recesses of our lives to point out the unconfessed sins that reside there. When He reveals our sins to us, all He asks is that we acknowledge or confess their presence to Him and ask for His forgiveness. The good news is that is exactly what we receive. David says, “what joy for those whose record the LORD has cleared of guilt, whose lives are lived in complete honesty!” (Psalms 32:2 NLT).

David loved the forgiveness of God because he knew how much he needed it. He was a sinner just like you and me. He didn’t always do what God wanted him to do, and he sometimes did those things God didn’t want him to do. But David knew the reality and blessing of confession and forgiveness. So, he reminds us to live a life of confession as well.

David knew that God guides and directs His children on how to live. Part of that process requires the exposure of the sin in our lives so that we might be made aware of it and then confess it to Him. It is for our own good. To refuse to see it, acknowledge it, and admit it would make us like a senseless horse or mule that needs the pain of a bridle and bit to make it do what it is supposed to do. Confession is meant to be comforting because it leads to forgiveness. It frees us from guilt, restores our relationship with the Father, and brings us joy. So why wouldn’t we confess our sins readily and regularly?

Father, I confess to You that I do not confess often enough. I sometimes try to ignore my sins as if they are not that great. But I know that I need to see them and confess them to You. They are a constant reminder to me of my need for You. I cannot cleanse myself. I cannot sanctify myself. I cannot get rid of my sin by myself. Only You can remove the sin that remains within me. Only You can conquer the sin nature that still does battle with me daily. So I want to learn to confess more regularly and readily, so that I might enjoy the blessing of Your forgiveness.. Amen

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

The Joy of Jerusalem

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27 And at the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem they sought the Levites in all their places, to bring them to Jerusalem to celebrate the dedication with gladness, with thanksgivings and with singing, with cymbals, harps, and lyres. 28 And the sons of the singers gathered together from the district surrounding Jerusalem and from the villages of the Netophathites; 29 also from Beth-gilgal and from the region of Geba and Azmaveth, for the singers had built for themselves villages around Jerusalem. 30 And the priests and the Levites purified themselves, and they purified the people and the gates and the wall.

31 Then I brought the leaders of Judah up onto the wall and appointed two great choirs that gave thanks. One went to the south on the wall to the Dung Gate. 32 And after them went Hoshaiah and half of the leaders of Judah, 33 and Azariah, Ezra, Meshullam, 34 Judah, Benjamin, Shemaiah, and Jeremiah, 35 and certain of the priests’ sons with trumpets: Zechariah the son of Jonathan, son of Shemaiah, son of Mattaniah, son of Micaiah, son of Zaccur, son of Asaph; 36 and his relatives, Shemaiah, Azarel, Milalai, Gilalai, Maai, Nethanel, Judah, and Hanani, with the musical instruments of David the man of God. And Ezra the scribe went before them. 37 At the Fountain Gate they went up straight before them by the stairs of the city of David, at the ascent of the wall, above the house of David, to the Water Gate on the east.

38 The other choir of those who gave thanks went to the north, and I followed them with half of the people, on the wall, above the Tower of the Ovens, to the Broad Wall, 39 and above the Gate of Ephraim, and by the Gate of Yeshanah, and by the Fish Gate and the Tower of Hananel and the Tower of the Hundred, to the Sheep Gate; and they came to a halt at the Gate of the Guard. 40 So both choirs of those who gave thanks stood in the house of God, and I and half of the officials with me; 41 and the priests Eliakim, Maaseiah, Miniamin, Micaiah, Elioenai, Zechariah, and Hananiah, with trumpets; 42 and Maaseiah, Shemaiah, Eleazar, Uzzi, Jehohanan, Malchijah, Elam, and Ezer. And the singers sang with Jezrahiah as their leader. 43 And they offered great sacrifices that day and rejoiced, for God had made them rejoice with great joy; the women and children also rejoiced. And the joy of Jerusalem was heard far away.

44 On that day men were appointed over the storerooms, the contributions, the firstfruits, and the tithes, to gather into them the portions required by the Law for the priests and for the Levites according to the fields of the towns, for Judah rejoiced over the priests and the Levites who ministered. 45 And they performed the service of their God and the service of purification, as did the singers and the gatekeepers, according to the command of David and his son Solomon. 46 For long ago in the days of David and Asaph there were directors of the singers, and there were songs of praise and thanksgiving to God. 47 And all Israel in the days of Zerubbabel and in the days of Nehemiah gave the daily portions for the singers and the gatekeepers; and they set apart that which was for the Levites; and the Levites set apart that which was for the sons of Aaron. – Nehemiah 12:27-47 ESV

 The joyous scene portrayed in these verses starkly contrasts the taunts of Sanballat and Tobiah recorded in Chapter 4. These two men were determined to undermine Nehemiah’s efforts to rebuild the walls, even resorting to biting sarcasm to demoralize the workers.

“What does this bunch of poor, feeble Jews think they’re doing? Do they think they can build the wall in a single day by just offering a few sacrifices? Do they actually think they can make something of stones from a rubbish heap—and charred ones at that?” – Nehemiah 4:2 NLT

Not to be outdone by his friend Sanballat, Tobiah added, “That stone wall would collapse if even a fox walked along the top of it!” (Nehemiah 4:3 NLT).

But both men were proven wrong. Not only had the wall been built, but it was sturdy enough to carry the weight of two choirs and a host of joyous celebrants who gathered for its dedication. Despite opposition and setbacks, the work had been completed and the day had come to thank God for making it all possible. This elaborate and meticulously staged ceremony was nothing less than a worship service designed to express gratitude to Yahweh for His goodness and greatness. He had kept His promise to return the people of Judah to their land and had divinely orchestrated the rebuilding of the city, its walls, and the Temple.

Years earlier, when the people were still reconstructing the Temple, God sent a message of hope through His prophet Zechariah.

“This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: My love for Mount Zion is passionate and strong; I am consumed with passion for Jerusalem!

“And now the Lord says: I am returning to Mount Zion, and I will live in Jerusalem. Then Jerusalem will be called the Faithful City; the mountain of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies will be called the Holy Mountain.

“This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: Once again old men and women will walk Jerusalem’s streets with their canes and will sit together in the city squares. And the streets of the city will be filled with boys and girls at play.

“This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: All this may seem impossible to you now, a small remnant of God’s people. But is it impossible for me? says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.

“This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: You can be sure that I will rescue my people from the east and from the west. I will bring them home again to live safely in Jerusalem. They will be my people, and I will be faithful and just toward them as their God.” – Zechariah 8:2-8 NLT

While Jerusalem remained relatively empty and more work needed to be done, this was a day of celebration. God had done the impossible. He had used a small remnant of former captives to complete a massive construction project in record time and against all odds. Nehemiah had provided the plan and oversight of the effort, but he knew God deserved all the glory. So, in preparation for the big day, he arranged for Levites from all over Judah to join him in Jerusalem for the dedication. This was going to be an all-hands-on-deck event requiring the presence of every priest and Levite to pull off. The day would feature music, singing, sacrifices, offerings, and a special dedication service.

It all began with a massive purification ceremony.

The priests and Levites first purified themselves; then they purified the people, the gates, and the wall. – Nehemiah 12:30 NLT

Nothing could be done until the priests and the people had been consecrated. The worship of Yahweh would be useless if the proper cleansing ceremonies were neglected. The sequence of the purification ceremony is vital. First, the priests had to be cleansed so they could enter into God’s presence as mediators. Once purified, they were able to perform the necessary rites to cleanse the people. Finally, they purified the recently completed gates and walls.

For God to show up, the people and the place needed to be cleansed from sin. In essence, this elaborate ceremony was designed to decontaminate Jerusalem so that God could dwell there once more. This entire purification process began in the Temple. Leviticus 4 describes the steps necessary to remove corruption from the priests, people, and places so that God could dwell in their midst.

“If the high priest sins, bringing guilt upon the entire community, he must give a sin offering for the sin he has committed. He must present to the Lord a young bull with no defects. He must bring the bull to the Lord at the entrance of the Tabernacle, lay his hand on the bull’s head, and slaughter it before the Lord. The high priest will then take some of the bull’s blood into the Tabernacle, dip his finger in the blood, and sprinkle it seven times before the Lord in front of the inner curtain of the sanctuary. The priest will then put some of the blood on the horns of the altar for fragrant incense that stands in the Lord’s presence inside the Tabernacle. He will pour out the rest of the bull’s blood at the base of the altar for burnt offerings at the entrance of the Tabernacle. Then the priest must remove all the fat of the bull to be offered as a sin offering. This includes all the fat around the internal organs, the two kidneys and the fat around them near the loins, and the long lobe of the liver. He must remove these along with the kidneys,  just as he does with cattle offered as a peace offering, and burn them on the altar of burnt offerings. But he must take whatever is left of the bull—its hide, meat, head, legs, internal organs, and dung—and carry it away to a place outside the camp that is ceremonially clean, the place where the ashes are dumped. There, on the ash heap, he will burn it on a wood fire.” – Leviticus 4:3-12 NLT

While the Temple is not mentioned in Nehemiah 12, no cleansing ceremony could have taken place without the above-mentioned step occurring first. Sin was a barrier to God’s presence and Nehemiah knew that both he and his people were guilty and in need of cleansing. The past two months had been difficult and filled with every opportunity to violate God’s commands. There is little doubt that some, if not all, of Paul’s list of sins of the flesh happened as they worked on the wall.

…sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these. – Galatians 5:19-21 NLT

Tempers flared. Some escaped the drudgery through acts of sexual sin. Weary workers imbibed a bit too much alcohol at the end of the day to ease the pain and monotony of their labor. A lot can happen in two months. So, if the people wanted to enter into God’s presence and proclaim His goodness and greatness, they had to be cleansed. And because their sins infected anything and everything, the city and its walls also needed to be decontaminated.

Once all had been purified, the processional began. Nehemiah “led the leaders of Judah to the top of the wall and organized two large choirs to give thanks” (Nehemiah 12:31 NLT). These two groups began at the same place but then marched in opposite directions along the wall, singing and worshiping as they went. The plan was to meet again at a spot along the wall nearest the Temple.

The two choirs that were giving thanks then proceeded to the Temple of God, where they took their places. So did I, together with the group of leaders who were with me. We went together with the trumpet-playing priests—Eliakim, Maaseiah, Miniamin, Micaiah, Elioenai, Zechariah, and Hananiah—and the singers—Maaseiah, Shemaiah, Eleazar, Uzzi, Jehohanan, Malkijah, Elam, and Ezer. They played and sang loudly under the direction of Jezrahiah the choir director. – Nehemiah 12:40-42 NLT

What followed was a joyous and boisterous celebration, replete with sacrifices and loud singing. Nehemiah states that “the joy of Jerusalem was heard far away” (Nehemiah 12:43 ESV). Jerusalem was one big party as the people celebrated, sang, danced, and delighted in all Yahweh had done for them. The noise could be heard from miles around, and Sanballat and Tobiah must have been beside themselves with rage as they listened to the din rising from inside the newly constructed walls. Their worst fears had come true. The people of Judah had done the improbable and now they were celebrating their God who had made it all possible.

Inside the walls, the people were ecstatic. They could barely contain their joy as they considered what God had done. But it would have benefited them to consider the words spoken by God through Zechariah.

“For this is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: I was determined to punish you when your ancestors angered me, and I did not change my mind, says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. But now I am determined to bless Jerusalem and the people of Judah. So don’t be afraid. But this is what you must do: Tell the truth to each other. Render verdicts in your courts that are just and that lead to peace. Don’t scheme against each other. Stop your love of telling lies that you swear are the truth. I hate all these things, says the Lord.” – Zechariah 8:14-17 NLT

While the walls had been completed, their work was far from done. Jerusalem was once again a city and it would soon be populated with citizens. But one day of worship and celebration would not be enough. God wanted heart change. He expected His people to live set-apart lives every day of the year. As their ancestors had learned, the Temple, walls, and gates provided no protection from the wrath of God when His people refused to obey His commands. Whether they realized it or not, their most difficult days were ahead of them, not behind them.

English Standard Version (ESV)
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT)
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

When God Seems Silent

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1 When David had passed a little beyond the summit, Ziba the servant of Mephibosheth met him, with a couple of donkeys saddled, bearing two hundred loaves of bread, a hundred bunches of raisins, a hundred of summer fruits, and a skin of wine. 2 And the king said to Ziba, “Why have you brought these?” Ziba answered, “The donkeys are for the king’s household to ride on, the bread and summer fruit for the young men to eat, and the wine for those who faint in the wilderness to drink.” 3 And the king said, “And where is your master’s son?” Ziba said to the king, “Behold, he remains in Jerusalem, for he said, ‘Today the house of Israel will give me back the kingdom of my father.’” 4 Then the king said to Ziba, “Behold, all that belonged to Mephibosheth is now yours.” And Ziba said, “I pay homage; let me ever find favor in your sight, my lord the king.”

5 When King David came to Bahurim, there came out a man of the family of the house of Saul, whose name was Shimei, the son of Gera, and as he came he cursed continually. 6 And he threw stones at David and at all the servants of King David, and all the people and all the mighty men were on his right hand and on his left. 7 And Shimei said as he cursed, “Get out, get out, you man of blood, you worthless man! 8 The Lord has avenged on you all the blood of the house of Saul, in whose place you have reigned, and the Lord has given the kingdom into the hand of your son Absalom. See, your evil is on you, for you are a man of blood.”

9 Then Abishai the son of Zeruiah said to the king, “Why should this dead dog curse my lord the king? Let me go over and take off his head.” 10 But the king said, “What have I to do with you, you sons of Zeruiah? If he is cursing because the Lord has said to him, ‘Curse David,’ who then shall say, ‘Why have you done so?’” 11 And David said to Abishai and to all his servants, “Behold, my own son seeks my life; how much more now may this Benjaminite! Leave him alone, and let him curse, for the Lord has told him to. 12 It may be that the Lord will look on the wrong done to me, and that the Lord will repay me with good for his cursing today.” 13 So David and his men went on the road, while Shimei went along on the hillside opposite him and cursed as he went and threw stones at him and flung dust. 14 And the king, and all the people who were with him, arrived weary at the Jordan. And there he refreshed himself. – 2 Samuel 16:1-14 ESV

It seems that with each step David took, the news got worse. All he was trying to do was leave the city in peace but before he could get past the summit of the Mount of Olives, yet another individual showed up with bad news. Ziba, the servant of Mephibosheth, arrived with a couple of donkeys loaded down with supplies. When David asked Ziba to explain what he was doing, the servant explained that Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan and grandson of Saul, had decided to align himself with Absalom. It appears that Mephibosheth believed that his shift in allegiance would result in the restoration of all that was rightfully his as an heir of the former king. Ziba’s news must have disappointed David deeply, because he had shown great mercy and love to Mephibosheth, allowing him to live in his palace and eat at his table. David had even provided Mephibosheth with the deed to all of Saul’s former land holdings (2 Samuel 9:7). His favorable treatment of Mephibosheth had been in fulfillment of the vow he had made to Jonathan, David’s former friend and the young man’s deceased father.

“May the Lord be with you as he used to be with my father. And may you treat me with the faithful love of the Lord as long as I live. But if I die, treat my family with this faithful love, even when the Lord destroys all your enemies from the face of the earth.” – 1 Samuel 20:13-15 NLT

David had faithfully kept that vow and now, Mephibosheth was returning the favor with betrayal. But later in the story, it becomes apparent that Ziba had been lying. When David eventually returns to Jerusalem, Mephibosheth is one of the first ones to greet him, and he explains to David what really happened that day.

Now Mephibosheth, Saul’s grandson, came down from Jerusalem to meet the king. He had not cared for his feet, trimmed his beard, or washed his clothes since the day the king left Jerusalem. “Why didn’t you come with me, Mephibosheth?” the king asked him.

Mephibosheth replied, “My lord the king, my servant Ziba deceived me. I told him, ‘Saddle my donkey so I can go with the king.’ For as you know I am crippled. Ziba has slandered me by saying that I refused to come. But I know that my lord the king is like an angel of God, so do what you think is best.” – 2 Samuel 19:24-27 NLT

But David was unaware of any of these details when Ziba showed up laden with gifts and yet another dose of bad news. It was impossible for David to know what was really going on and, at that point, even the news of Mephibosheth’s betrayal would not have surprised him. David took the report in stride and promised to reward Ziba for his kindness by giving him all that belonged to Mephibosheth. Of course, this reward would remain unclaimed by Ziba as long as David remained in exile and Absalom sat on the throne of Israel.

As David continued his mournful retreat from Jerusalem, he would be bombarded by further bad news; this time in the form of stones hurled by an angry relative of Saul. Things would get worse before they got better. As he and his retinue passed by the town of Bahurim, a man came out and began to verbally assault David, cursing him, and accusing him of being a man of bloodshed. David’s attempts to ignore the attacks proved fruitless as the man continued to bombard the beleaguered king with hate-filled words and well-aimed stones.

It seems that Shemei had longed for this day. Years of pent-up resentment spilled over as this relative of Saul watched David skulk out of town. For Shemei and his clan, David was little more than a usurper who had stolen the crown from the rightful heirs of Saul. This proud member of the tribe of Benjamin viewed David as an illegitimate king who was only getting what he deserved. Shemei seems to blame David for the deaths of Saul, Jonathan, and Abner. He declared David to be a man of bloodshed, not because of David’s many military exploits but because he believed David was a murderer.

This accusation would have stung David deeply. While he knew he played no part in the deaths of Saul, Jonathan, or Abner, he would have been reminded of his role in the death of Uriah. He likely recalled his refusal to deal with the actions of his own son, Amnon, which eventually led to Amnon’s murder by Absalom. Shemie was right, David was a man of bloodshed. He knew it well and lived with the knowledge of that fact each and every day of his life. While he had been forgiven by God, that did not absolve David from experiencing the discipline of God. David had learned long ago that sin has consequences. Even now, he could not be sure whether his current circumstances were yet another demonstration of God’s displeasure with him.

The words of Shemei must have hit David hard.

“Get out of here, you murderer, you scoundrel!” he shouted at David. “The Lord is paying you back for all the bloodshed in Saul’s clan. You stole his throne, and now the Lord has given it to your son Absalom. At last you will taste some of your own medicine, for you are a murderer!” – 2 Samuel 16:7-8 NLT

David was dazed and confused. He reeled from the rapid-fire series of events that had left him without a throne and on his way into exile yet again. What had happened? How had everything fallen apart so quickly and unexpectedly? What was God doing and what had David done to deserve it?

There are moments in all of our lives when we question what God may be up to. We struggle to understand the nature of the events surrounding our lives. When things take an unexpected turn for the worse, we begin to wonder what we have done to make God angry with us. We tend to view the presence of disorder or disaster of any kind as a sign of God’s displeasure with us. We question what we have done to fall from God’s good graces. We analyze our past actions in an attempt to figure out what we’ve done to turn God against us and what we must do to make things right.

David would have felt the same way. He was unsure of the cause of these events, but it would have been natural for him to assume that he was somehow responsible. He was trying to trust God, but it was difficult. Wave after wave of bad news engulfed him, leaving him reeling and wondering what he had done to deserve this fate. Had God turned on him? Was all of this a form of payback for past sins?

What is amazing is David’s lack of anger or emotional outbursts. Despite all that had happened, he didn’t lash out at those around him. He didn’t shake his fist in the face of God and demand an explanation or some form of resolution. He mourned but he didn’t demand his rights or declare his innocence. He displayed a remarkable willingness to accept his fate as having come from the land of God. But his friends were far less accommodating or acquiescent.

When we find ourselves in difficult circumstances, there will always be well-meaning friends who step in to give us advice. In their effort to ease our pain, they will say things meant to encourage and comfort us, but so often, their words will lack scriptural backing or the authority of God. Out of love for David, Abishai offered to silence Shimei by cutting off his head. While that over-the-top action would have abruptly ended Shemei’s diatribe, it wouldn’t have made things better; it would simply have complicated matters. So David refused, saying, “If the Lord has told him to curse me, who are you to stop him?” (2 Samuel 16:10 NLT).

David was not willing to commit further bloodshed just to avoid further discomfort in his life. If Shemei’s actions were God-ordained, then there was nothing to be done. David went on to explain his view on the latter.

“My own son is trying to kill me. Doesn’t this relative of Saul have even more reason to do so? Leave him alone and let him curse, for the Lord has told him to do it. And perhaps the Lord will see that I am being wronged and will bless me because of these curses today.” – 2 Samuel 16:11-12 NLT

It is so easy to believe that the removal of any discomfort in our lives will solve our problems. We can convince ourselves that the elimination of whatever is bothering us is the key to restoring our joy and contentment. But David knew that his hope was in the Lord. Killing Shimei would not resolve his problem. Silencing the words of an angry man would not make David’s life any better or easier. Only God could bring peace in the chaos and restore David’s joy. He maintained a strong belief that all things, both good and bad, come from the hand of the Lord. He believed in the sovereignty and providence of God. Like Job, David lived by the philosophy, “Should we accept only good things from the hand of God and never anything bad?” (Job 2:10 NLT).

David was dazed and confused, but he was also confident that God was in control. He may not have fully understood the why behind his circumstances, but he was confident that God knew. David was willing to wait, knowing that, in time, God would make His will known and His plan perfectly plain.

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

The Secret of Being Content

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10 I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at length you have revived your concern for me. You were indeed concerned for me, but you had no opportunity. 11 Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. 12 I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. 13 I can do all things through him who strengthens me. – Philippians 4:10-13 ESV

At first glance, verse 10 presents what appears to be a somewhat awkward and misplaced transition. Paul seems to be jumping to a whole new topic – his recent receipt of a gift from the Philippian congregation. Yet, this rather abrupt change in direction is strategically placed; Paul seems to be bringing it up at this point because it has everything to do with what he has been discussing in this section. He is using their gift to make an important point about what it means to “think on these things.”

Paul has just stressed that they were to fix their thoughts on whatever is true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, or commendable. He encouraged them to fill their minds with thoughts of those kings of actions and attitudes that reflect these godly characteristics. Then, almost out of nowhere, Paul brings up their recent gift to him. But notice that is it not the gift itself that Paul turns his attention to; it is what the gift represents to him. He tells them that he “rejoiced in the Lord greatly,” not because of the nature of what they gave, but because of the heart behind the gift – “you have revived your concern for me” (Philippians 4:10 ESV). 

The gift was a tangible expression of their love and concern for him. Paul lets them know that he always knew they cared for him, but they had been hindered in expressing their love in either word or deed because of the barrier of distance and his own unique circumstances in Rome. After all, he was hundreds of miles away, and his house arrest made personal visits difficult.

For Paul, the gift they gave him was not the point. He doesn’t even mention what the gift was. It was simply a timely reminder of their love for him and, as he thought about that, he couldn’t help but rejoice. Their thoughtfulness in sending him the gift was an example of whatever is true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, or commendable.

Too often, we allow conditions and circumstances to determine the degree of our joy. When things go well for us, we react with happiness. When they don’t, we can find ourselves struggling with disappointment and disillusionment, wondering what we did to make God angry with us. But circumstances were never meant to be the metrics for measuring our joy or contentment, and neither were material possessions. But the truth is, far too many of us place excessive importance on stuff and things, expecting them to provide a sense of worth and using them as our primary source for finding satisfaction and significance in life.

The Philippians saw Paul as someone in need. He was under house arrest in Rome, so his circumstances were less than ideal. He had no source of income, so his financial situation was challenging. They may have heard that his housing was inadequate and his food supply was insufficient. From their perspective, it must have appeared that Paul was in dire straights, as he awaited trial before Caesar, so they sent him a gift. And it was only natural that they would do so. They wanted to do something to help alleviate any suffering he may be experiencing as a result of his conditions.

But Paul, while grateful for their graciousness and love, used this as another teaching moment, letting them know that, despite what he was going through, he really had no needs. It wasn’t about the condition of his circumstances or the abundance or lack of material things. Paul makes that point quite clear in what has become one of the most well-known and oft-quoted verses from the Bible.

Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. – Philippians 4:11 ESV

Consider what Paul is saying. His mention of the delay in receiving their gift was not intended to convey that he had been in a state of need before its arrival. He had not been sitting around waiting for someone to do something about his circumstances. He had not been longing for a gift of some kind that would lighten his load or improve his living conditions. No, he said that he had been perfectly content; he was at peace. Their gift was deeply appreciated as an expression of their love, but the gift itself didn’t feel a gaping void in his life. Whatever it was that they sent was not going to make him any more happy or satisfied than he already was.

Over the years, Paul had learned a valuable lesson that he was not attempting to pass on to them.

I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. – Philippians 4:12 NLT

Paul refers to what he has learned as a secret or mystery. The Greek word he used is myeō, and it means “to initiate into the mysteries.” He had been taught something that few people ever get to know on their own, and the lesson he learned was taught to him by Jesus Christ Himself. Remember what Paul stated earlier in this same letter: “You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had” (Philippians 2:5 NLT).  Jesus was humble, obedient, selfless, sacrificial, and obedient to God the Father, even to the point of death.

Paul must have been familiar with the story of when the disciples brought Jesus food and encouraged Him to eat, but Jesus responded, “I have a kind of food you know nothing about” (John 4:32 NLT). As they debated among themselves where this food could have come from, Jesus told them, “My nourishment comes from doing the will of God, who sent me, and from finishing his work” (John 4:34 NLT).

Paul was probably aware of another encounter Jesus had with a would-be disciple, to whom Jesus declared, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head” (Luke 9:58 NLT).

For Paul, contentment had nothing to do with the content of a man’s life. Contentment had little to do with material possessions like clothing, food, or proper living arrangements. These things, while necessary, did not bring Paul joy or satisfaction. The size of his personal portfolio was not a determiner of Paul’s contentment. The condition of his circumstances was not how Paul measured his sense of satisfaction. The ebbs and flows of material prosperity had no little or no impact on Paul. He didn’t allow the ups and downs of life circumstances to dictate his overall sense of peace and joy. And, according to Paul, the key to this rather radical view on life was his relationship with Jesus. It was Jesus who gave him the strength to live as he did.

I can do all things through him who strengthens me. – Philippians 4:13 NLT

Paul could survive house arrest, because of Jesus. He could put up with less-than-satisfactory living conditions, because of Jesus. He could do without comfortable clothes or good food, because of Jesus. But Jesus didn’t just give Paul the strength to survive deprivation and neglect. He could survive and thrive despite all the temptations that come with material wealth – all because of Jesus. He had remained undistracted by the allure of fame and fortune, because of Jesus. He was not prone to envy other ministers who were more popular or prosperous. For Paul, this freedom from jealousy, dissatisfaction, and discontentment was all the result of his relationship with Jesus Christ.

In his first letter to the believers in Corinth, Paul reminded them that when he had first arrived in their city, he had not been out to impress them or gain their approval.

I didn’t use lofty words and impressive wisdom to tell you God’s secret plan. For I decided that while I was with you I would forget everything except Jesus Christ, the one who was crucified. I came to you in weakness—timid and trembling. – 1 Corinthians 2:1-2 NLT

His emphasis had been on Jesus. His strength had come from Jesus. He came to them, filled with fear and trepidation, but he found the power to do what he had been called to do – in Christ. In a second letter to that same congregation, Paul emphasized that the strength he received from Christ allowed him to endure anything so that the gospel might be spread and the church of Jesus Christ might be strengthened.

All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort. He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us. For the more we suffer for Christ, the more God will shower us with his comfort through Christ. Even when we are weighed down with troubles, it is for your comfort and salvation! For when we ourselves are comforted, we will certainly comfort you. Then you can patiently endure the same things we suffer. We are confident that as you share in our sufferings, you will also share in the comfort God gives us. – 2 Corinthians 1:3-7 NLT

For Paul, suffering and troubles came with the territory. They were part of the job description of being a follower of Christ, and he was perfectly content to endure all that came with being a faithful servant of Christ. Life isn’t about ideal circumstances or the presence of material comforts; it’s about contentment in Christ.

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

The Message (MSG) Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene H. Peterson

The Mind and the Mission of Christ

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5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. – Philippians 2:5-11 ESV

So, how are the Philippians believers supposed to live in unity, “being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind”? How will they prevent self-ambition and conceit from destroying their personal relationships and corporate witness? Where will they find the motivation and strength to live humbly, considering others as more important than themselves?

Paul doesn’t leave them on their own to figure out the answers to these pressing questions; he provides them with a succinct and simple answer: “Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus…” (Philippians 2:5 ESV).

He reminds them that Christ was the key to their salvation and He will be the key to their ongoing sanctification – as individuals and as a congregation. The only way they will be able to experience the kind of unity Paul has prescribed is if they learn to think as Christ did. They are to have the mind of Christ. The Greek word Paul used is phroneō and it is actually in its verb form, transforming it into an action. The original word can be translated as “to think.” Paul is telling them to think on Christ and consider His life.  They are to be of the same mind as Christ, considering their circumstances and responding to them as He would. And notice the environment in which the mind of Christ was to be put to use: “Among yourselves.” The task of thinking and reacting like Christ is to be applied within the body of Christ.

Christ-likeness that masquerades as self-preservation or self-satisfaction is not Christ-likeness at all. To claim to have the mind of Christ, but to think only of one’s own self-interest is to be nothing like Christ. To prove that point, Paul ensures that the Philippian believers understand what he means by sharing the mindset and behavior of Christ. And don’t miss the very important point that Paul makes. This mindset is already available to them because of their relationship with Christ Jesus; it is not something they have to seek or produce on their own. It became theirs at the point of their salvation.

But we don’t always live with the mind of Christ. Too often, we see things from our sinful and self-centered vantage point, making even our relationship with Christ all about us. In doing so, we forget that Christ redeemed us from a life of self-destructive narcissism. We have been placed within the body of Christ so that we might display the character of Christ among our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ.

At one point, Paul wrote to the believers in Ephesus and expressed his strong desire for them to fully comprehend the extent of Christ’s love for them. But he suggests that this could only be accomplished within the context of the body of Christ. As they selflessly loved one another, as an expression of their grateful love for God, they would experience Christ’s remarkable love for them.

I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God. – Ephesians 3:16-19 NLT

And just how much did Christ love us? Enough to die for us. But before Christ went to the cross, He had to come to earth, and Paul makes sure his audience understands that as horrific as the cross was, Christ’s incarnation was also an act of humiliation and shame.

Though he was God,
    he did not think of equality with God
    as something to cling to.
Instead, he gave up his divine privileges;
    he took the humble position of a slave
    and was born as a human being. – Philippians 2:6-7 NLT

Christ left the glory of heaven and His rightful place of honor at His Father’s side and willingly came to earth. But He couldn’t come in His glorious, heavenly form; He had to become a human being. Not only that, Jesus didn’t arrive on earth as a fully-formed man, He became a fetus in Mary’s womb and, nine months later, entered the world as a helpless infant. Yet, in doing so, He became Immanuel, God with us. But no one would have recognized Him as God. He no longer exhibited the trappings of deity. Rather than a royal robe, He was wrapped in a swaddling cloth. Instead of angels and cherubim surrounding His throne proclaiming His glory, sheep and cattle stood around His manger in disinterest. Rather than appearing as the all-powerful Son of God, Jesus came in the form of a child, a status that left him with little honor and no rights. Paul goes on to emphasize that Jesus, the Son of God and the very image of God, became in appearance as a man, even a slave. He humbled Himself. But why? So, that He might give His life as a ransom for the sins of mankind. What He did, He did for the good of others. A point that Jesus Himself made very clear.

“For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.” – Mark 10:45 NLT

The truly amazing thing is that Jesus gave up all His heavenly prerogatives so that He might live on this earth as a human being. This does not mean that Jesus became any less God during His time on earth. He remained fully God during the entirety of His incarnation. But He willingly relinquished the independent use of His divine attributes. He became fully dependent upon God the Father during His earthly ministry. He still retained His divine power and all of the characteristics of His deity but He submitted them fully to the will of God. During His incarnation, Jesus operated under the influence of and by virtue of the power of the Holy Spirit.

Stop and think about that. The entire time Jesus walked this earth, He had the power of God residing in Him and the full ability to access that power at any moment. But He refused to do so. Which is Paul’s point. He emphasizes that Jesus “humbled himself in obedience to God” (Philippians 2:8 NLT). He did what the Father wanted, and His obedience was so precise and complete that He was willing to go to the cross where he “died a criminal’s death.” 

This is the attitude that Paul was encouraging the Philippian believers to have. They were to share the same way of thinking as Jesus. He didn’t consider Himself too good to do the will of God. He didn’t think of Himself as too important to sacrifice His life for the good of others. The prospect of humiliation was not off-limits to Jesus. The thought of dying on behalf of those who actually deserved to die was not off-putting to Jesus. He did it willingly and lovingly. All that Jesus did was an expression of His love.

And we are to share that same way of thinking. We are to exhibit that same mindset when it comes to those around us – especially our brothers and sisters in Christ. But we are all prone to seek our own self-exaltation. We are driven by pride and ego. Our sin natures tend to make everything all about us. And, even as believers, we can begin to think that we are somehow better than others because we are in Christ. We are redeemed. We are children of God. We are “a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession” (1 Peter 2:9 ESV). But if we’re not careful, we begin to think too highly of ourselves and end up drowning in our own perceived self-importance. But as Paul told the believers in Rome, “Don’t think you are better than you really are” (Romans 12:3 NLT).

Paul would have us consider Christ. If anyone deserved to be exalted, it was Him. After all, He was God. Yet, Jesus humbled Himself; He even allowed Himself to be humiliated by the very ones He created. He suffered death at the hands of sinful men. But Paul reminds us that God exalted Him.

God elevated him to the place of highest honor
    and gave him the name above all other names… – Philippians 2:9 NLT

But it’s important to note that the exaltation of Jesus came after His humiliation. His resurrection followed His crucifixion. His ascension could not have happened without His death and burial in a borrowed grave.

We can waste all our time seeking to be exalted in this life, or we can share the thinking of Christ and pursue a life of selfless service to others. We can humble ourselves as He did, enduring potential humiliation and the seeming loss of our status as God’s children, or we can make ourselves the center of attention. We can pursue self-exaltation or humbly serve and love one another, allowing God to exalt us according to His timing. The words of Peter are appropriate here.

…all of you, dress yourselves in humility as you relate to one another, for

“God opposes the proud
    but gives grace to the humble.”

So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time he will lift you up in honor. – 1 Peter 5:5-6 NLT

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

The Message (MSG) Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene H. Peterson

The Inevitable Bump in the Road

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He

1 I came to my garden, my sister, my bride,
    I gathered my myrrh with my spice,
    I ate my honeycomb with my honey,
    I drank my wine with my milk.

God

Eat, friends, drink,
    and be drunk with love!

She

2 I slept, but my heart was awake.
A sound! My beloved is knocking.
“Open to me, my sister, my love,
    my dove, my perfect one,
for my head is wet with dew,
    my locks with the drops of the night.”
3 I had put off my garment;
    how could I put it on?
I had bathed my feet;
    how could I soil them?
4 My beloved put his hand to the latch,
    and my heart was thrilled within me.
5 I arose to open to my beloved,
    and my hands dripped with myrrh,
my fingers with liquid myrrh,
    on the handles of the bolt.
6 I opened to my beloved,
    but my beloved had turned and gone.
My soul failed me when he spoke.
I sought him, but found him not;
    I called him, but he gave no answer.
7 The watchmen found me
    as they went about in the city;
they beat me, they bruised me,
    they took away my veil,
    those watchmen of the walls.
8 I adjure you, O daughters of Jerusalem,
    if you find my beloved,
that you tell him
    I am sick with love. – Song of Solomon 5:1-8 ESV

Having completed their wedding night, the groom declares his joy at having experienced the intimacy of the marriage bed with the love of his life. His words, while poetic and metaphorical in nature, are thinly veiled descriptions of this momentous and memorable occasion. He speaks these words of satisfaction to himself as he reflects on the physical pleasures that accompanied the consecration of their God-ordained union. He is not bragging about his sexual exploits but simply expressing his joyful delight and deep appreciation for all that has taken place.

He describes the gift of his bride’s virginity as a gift received with gratitude, and he makes it clear that it belongs solely to himself. Take note of the number of times he uses the first-person possessive suffix: “my.”

“I came to my garden, my sister, my bride, I gathered my myrrh with my spice, I ate my honeycomb with my honey, I drank my wine with my milk.”

He uses that same word nine times in one verse, making it virtually impossible to miss the message he is sending. His bride belongs to him and him alone. She has given him the most valuable item she possesses, the gift of her body and the commitment of her ongoing fidelity and faithfulness – for life. And he does not take this gift lightly.

We live in an age where sex has become a commodity, bought and sold to the highest bidder, and looked upon as nothing more than a biological interchange between two consenting adults. In our world, sex carries no real value other than the pleasure it might bring to one or both of the participants. But from God’s divine perspective, sex was always intended to be an expression of the union between one man and one woman, and it was always linked to the ordinance of marriage. Yes, it is the sole means by which humanity can reproduce more of its kind, but there has always been more to sex than procreation. It is to be viewed as a gift from God and treated with the utmost respect and sanctity.

Solomon was right to view his wife’s body as his own but his statements of possessiveness do not convey ownership or a sense of control. His wife is not his personal property to be used, abused, or forced to satisfy his sexual fantasies or comply with his every command. Solomon is expressing the same sentiment that Adam did when he saw Eve for the first time.

“This one is bone from my bone, and flesh from my flesh! She will be called ‘woman,’ because she was taken from ‘man.’” – Genesis 2:23 NLT

Adam was fully aware that this hand-crafted gift from God was the byproduct of his own flesh and blood. Eve was a literal part of him.

…the LORD God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep. While the man slept, the LORD God took out one of the man’s ribs and closed up the opening. Then the LORD God made a woman from the rib, and he brought her to the man. – Genesis 2:21-22 NLT

The apostle Paul adds another twist to this remarkable physical relationship between a husband and a wife, declaring that the man must view his wife as a permanent expression of his own personhood. She is to be seen as a vital part of himself and treated with love, honor, dignity, and respect at all times.

…husbands ought to love their wives as they love their own bodies. For a man who loves his wife actually shows love for himself. No one hates his own body but feeds and cares for it, just as Christ cares for the church. – Ephesians 5:28-29 NLT

The second half of verse 5 has proven to be a conundrum for biblical scholars over the centuries. There has been much debate concerning the speaker behind the words, with some speculating that they are the words of the wedding guests while others attribute them to Solomon as he rejoins the wedding guests after having consummated his marriage. What makes them difficult to understand is the use of the word, “friends,” which is in the plural form. If these are the words of Solomon, to whom is he speaking? And if the wedding guests are the source of these words, why would they be anywhere near the bedroom of Solomon and his bride?

It makes much more sense to view these as the words of God Himself, as He encourages the couple to enjoy the gift He has provided for them and to do so for years to come.

“Oh, lover and beloved, eat and drink! Yes, drink deeply of your love!” – Song of Solomon 5:1b NLT

Solomon’s rapturous recollection of his wedding night is followed by a far less delightful description of the loss of intimacy between the couple. No timeline is given as to when this event took place, but it is clear that something happened between Solomon and his new wife. The joy of their wedding night was interrupted by their first fight.

Solomon’s wife has yet another dream in which she hears the impassioned pleas of her husband begging for her to open the doors to her chamber.

“Open to me, my treasure, my darling,
    my dove, my perfect one.
My head is drenched with dew,
    my hair with the dampness of the night.” – Song of Solomon 5:2 NLT

But rather than comply with his wishes, she offers up excuses.

“I have taken off my robe.
    Should I get dressed again?
I have washed my feet.
    Should I get them soiled?” – Song of Solomon 5:3 NLT

It would appear that she was already in bed and had no desire to accommodate her husband’s calls to let him in. But her refusal to open the door only made Solomon more aggressive in his approach as made repeated attempts to open the door. His persistence made an impact on his wife, softening her heart and creating in her a desire to change her mind and open the door. But when she finally relented and unlocked the door to her chamber, her husband was nowhere to be found; he had given up and walked away.

“I jumped up to open the door for my love,
    and my hands dripped with perfume.
My fingers dripped with lovely myrrh
    as I pulled back the bolt.
I opened to my lover,
    but he was gone!
    My heart sank.” – Song of Solomon 5:5-6 NLT

She was too late. She had waited too long. Her disinterest had produced disappointment and now she was forced to go on yet another nocturnal search for her missing husband (Song of Solomon 3:1-5). Rebuffed by his wife’s persistent refusal to open her door, Solomon had stalked away, probably in a state of anger and frustration.

This scene is all too familiar to any married couple. How quickly the love and infatuation of the wedding night can turn to disinterest and disappointment. As beautiful and appealing as the sexual aspect of marriage can be, it cannot be the sole source of solidarity. In other words, sex can’t hold a marriage together. There will be times when a couple falls out of love with one another; it is inevitable and unavoidable. Their physical desire will ebb and flow. One will withhold sexual intimacy from the other – sometimes for purely innocent reasons, but other times as a means to cause hurt.

In this case, it appears that the wife was simply tired and “not in the mood.” But rather than lovingly conveying her thoughts, she simply “locked the door” and left her husband to speculate and draw unhealthy conclusions. It is unlikely that he left her chamber that night in a happy state and fully satisfied with her rejection of his advances. All of this could have been avoided by a short and simple conversation, but this young couple had much to learn about marriage.

Her search did not go well. Not only did she fail to find her husband, but she ended up brutally abused by the night watchmen. Fortunately, this was a dream and none of this took place in real life. But this dark aspect of her dream would seem to indicate that she suffered punishment for her refusal to open the door to her husband. In a sense, she blamed herself for his disappearance and suffered the consequences.

In her dream, the young wife calls out to her friends, begging them to assist her in the search for her missing husband.

“Make this promise, O women of Jerusalem—
    If you find my lover,
    tell him I am weak with love.” – Song of Solomon 5:8 NLT

She regrets her earlier decision and longs to be reunited with her lover. She has learned a valuable lesson and only wants a second chance to renew her love and affection for the one she earlier rejected. This entire section paints an all too realistic view of the marriage relationship. it is not always easy and during the course of any marriage, the love between a husband and wife will ebb and flow. Sexual attraction will have its highs and lows. Poor communication will be a constant source of conflict.

Solomon and his bride were going to learn that a good marriage requires hard work. True love requires commitment, sacrifice, selflessness, and a desire to put the needs of others ahead of your own. The apostle Paul put it this way: “Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too” (Philippians 2:3-4 NLT). And while he wasn’t necessarily addressing his words to married couples, they are highly appropriate and applicable.

Solomon and his wife were learning that marriage is a covenant that requires so much more than mere physical attraction. To last a lifetime, a marriage will need the full buy-in and complete commitment of both the husband and the wife. But what makes a successful marriage is not the wholehearted commitment of two dedicated individuals, but the presence of God. He alone can turn a good marriage into a great one and transform two into one.

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.