Singing with the King (49) – 24/7 Integrity

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You have tested my thoughts and examined my heart in the night. You have scrutinized me and found nothing wrong. (Psalm 17:3)

staring at the computerDo you wish you could say that? That the LORD God has come to you in the night and found in you nothing wrong? What is it about the night?

They lie awake at night, hatching sinful plots. Their actions are never good. They make no attempt to turn from evil. (Psalm 36:4)

For, behold, the wicked bend the bow, They make ready their arrow upon the string To shoot in darkness at the upright in heart. (Psalm 11:2)

Violent enemies are hiding in every dark corner of the earth. (Psalm 74:20)

There’s just a few of the things we do in the dark, and because it is dark, we begin to think that: “The Lord isn’t looking,” they say, “and besides, the God of Israel doesn’t care.” (Psalm 94:7)

Sometimes we get stuck in the darkness: Some of you were prisoners suffering in deepest darkness and bound by chains. (Psalm 107:10)

Admit it or not, we intuitively know: If I say, “Surely the darkness will overwhelm me, and the light around me will be night,” Even the darkness is not dark to You, and the night is as bright as the day. Darkness and light are alike to You. (Psalm 139:11,12)

But then something wondrous happens: “Awake, sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.” (Ephesians 5:14)

broken chainsFor once you were full of darkness, but now you have light from the Lord. So live as people of light! For this light within you produces only what is good and right and true. Carefully determine what pleases the Lord. Take no part in the worthless deeds of evil and darkness; instead, expose them. (Ephesians 5:8-11)

What do your thoughts turn to at night? What do your actions betray? Whether gossip or greed, pride or porn, deception or destruction, don’t be what you were, be who you are in Christ—day and night.

Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. (1 Corinthians 6:9-11)

Singing with the King (48) – Lifted Up

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And now my head will be lifted up above my enemies around me, and I will offer in His tent sacrifices with shouts of joy; I will sing, yes, I will sing praises to the LORD. (Psalm 27:6)

Alone on mountain7We now see the result of being lifted up—in plain sight—on a rock. It’s not a matter of sight; rather it is a matter of power. He has been exalted, set on high, over his enemies. Yes they do indeed surround David, but it is of no consequence, because He is the one with power and authority, not they. And David knows full well where that power and authority come from.

So here’s David, being set upon a rock by the Most High, given power and authority over his enemies. And what does he do? Worship. This is huge.

There were at least two distractions here, but David fixes his eyes upon the LORD.

He could have been caught up in his position.

He could have been caught up in being surrounded.

But his enemies we not an issue, not a concern. Rather he worshiped the LORD.

So he turned his back upon the circumstances and turned his attention upon the LORD.

There were three things David did in worship:

Offer sacrifices.

This is the literal act of offering sacrifices. I suppose these sacrifices could have been either the Burnt Offering or the Peace Offering. The former for commemoration or celebration; the latter as a means of thanksgiving.

Shouts of joy.

These shouts could actually be a cry for help, or a battle cry, a trumpet blast. And it is quite likely the surrounding enemies could have confused these cries. But only at the outset, not at the outcome. David wasn’t signaling his troops, he was offering sacrifices. He wasn’t pointing his troops for attack, he was looking unto his God. There were no war cries, and if they listened carefully, even his enemies would have heard the joy.

Sing praises.

This could be translated as to make music. Did David pull out his harp? Did he compose a new song on the spot? Maybe this Psalm? Did some of his warriors join in a male chorus? Or was he alone, singing a solo song of worship to the LORD? I suspect it was simpler rather than more elaborate. Just the king worshiping the King of kings.

Imagine the impact this should have had on his observers.

They had lost their advantage, had lost their power.

They see they are of no concern for David.

They see worship of the One True God.

They see the relationship that David had with the LORD.

They see the power of God.

What do you think their response might be? How many would understand, and how many would walk away in frustration?

Now, here’s the application for you and me. When you’re in the midst of a crisis, what do you do? Are you distracted by the disaster? Are you preoccupied by the predicament? Are you overwhelmed by the by the onslaught? Do not be. Intentionally choose to worship. Follow David’s example: turn away from the tribulation, and turn to worship. The following verse reveals that we too have been given the ability to turn away and also shows to Whom we should turn:

But now, thus says the LORD, your Creator, O Jacob, and He who formed you, O Israel, “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name; you are Mine! When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they will not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be scorched, nor will the flame burn you. For I am the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior”. (Isaiah 43:1-3a)

Singing with the King (47) – Out in the Open

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For in the day of trouble He will conceal me in His tabernacle; in the secret place of His tent He will hide me; He will lift me up on a rock.
(Psalm 27:5)

HiddenThe day of trouble. Sounds ominous. And the Hebrew word for trouble has darker translations: calamity, disaster, and wickedness are the three most used. Here are the other occurrences of this specific phrase.

May the LORD answer you in the day of trouble! May the name of the God of Jacob set you securely on high! (Psalm 20:1)

How blessed is he who considers the helpless; The LORD will deliver him in a day of trouble. (Psalm 41:1)

Near is the great day of the LORD, near and coming very quickly; listen, the day of the LORD! In it the warrior cries out bitterly. A day of wrath is that day, a day of trouble and distress, a day of destruction and desolation, a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and thick darkness, a day of trumpet and battle cry against the fortified cities and the high corner towers. ( Zephaniah 1:14-15)

There are two types of the day of trouble. The first is where our enemies seek our lives; man against man, which could escalate into nation against nation. The second day of trouble is God’s Day of Trouble—and it indeed is much more perilous than the other, for none shall escape this one, except for those He has delivered.

He will conceal me in His tabernacle. In the secret place of His tent He will hide me.

The word conceal in Hebrew also means to treasure. So not only are we hidden, but we are treasured. And the word for secret place is not only a place of secrecy and concealment, but of safety, shelter and protection. If the LORD hides you, then you are truly safe.

Treasure Mountain

He will lift me up on a rock.

We have moved from a safe, secure place to being out in the open. What happened?

Since it is the LORD Who is doing the lifting, His protection is the same. Over and over in Scripture we see that exalting oneself is dangerous, but for God to exalt you in quite another thing. And since it is the LORD doing the lifting, then there is nothing that David’s enemies can do to him. He is beyond their reach, he may even be beyond their perception.

The LORD’s ways are not understandable to natural man. They are neither comprehensible in scope nor manner, His ways are beyond us because of their sheer magnitude—they are beyond the capabilities of our senses. His ways are beyond us because of their holiness—they are beyond our fallen and broken moral reasoning.

“For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,” declares the LORD. “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts.” (Isaiah 55:8-9)

So David is lifted up to this high place for all to see; but he is either beyond their reckoning or beyond their reach. Either way, he is safe. And lest there be any concern about one’s security:

Be to me a rock of habitation to which I may continually come; You have given commandment to save me, for You are my rock and my fortress. (Psalm 71:3)

Do not tremble and do not be afraid; have I not long since announced it to you and declared it? And you are My witnesses. Is there any God besides Me, or is there any other Rock? I know of none. (Isaiah 44:8)

Can you trust the LORD to care for you and defend you? Whether He conceals you or lifts you up, you are both safe and treasured.

 

Singing with the King (46) – He Came Down

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He bowed the heavens also, and came down…(Psalm 18:9)

Milky Way3So what’s the context here? Why did God come down? We begin in verse 6:

In my distress I called upon the LORD, and cried to my God for help; He heard my voice out of His temple,  and my cry for help before Him came into His ears.

And that’s why the LORD came down. You may want to read the first 19 verses, which will show you what extent God will go to rescue His child.

We don’t always know the specifics behind God’s actions, but we can always credit His works to His mercy, or His grace, or His glory, or His holiness, etc., etc. But God revealed to David the specifics behind his deliverance: He brought me forth also into a broad place; He rescued me, because He delighted in me. (vs. 19)

What does it means to have the Sovereign Lord of the universe delight in you?

The word in Hebrew is most often translated as some form of delight, but it is also translated as pleased, pleasure, desire. Do you get the impression that God really does love you? Here are more verses:

Commit yourself to the LORD; let Him deliver him; let Him rescue him, because He delights in him. (Psalm 22:8)

The steps of the men are established by the LORD, and He delights in his way. (Psalm 37:23)

Who is a God like You, who pardons iniquity and passes over the rebellious acts of the remnant of His possession? He does not retain His anger forever, because He delights in unchanging love. (Micah 7:18)

Bethlehem Star 3

So, God came down because He delighted in David. Christ came down because He delighted in you.

And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth. (John 1:14)

Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ. He loved us and offered himself as a sacrifice for us, a pleasing aroma to God. (Ephesians 5:2)

My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. (Galatians 2:20)

Read through the first 19 verses of Psalm 18. God will move heaven and earth to save you. His Only Son went to the grave for you… because He delights in you.

Singing with the King (45) – Glory

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Let the glory of the LORD endure forever; let the LORD be glad in His works. (Psalm 104:31)

Cross and StarsYou ever wonder about the personal pronouns in the Bible? They are there for several reasons (and not just grammatical), and here are a few:

When God uses them, they become a way for us to relate to Him, because they reveal a very personal perspective of a Holy, transcendent God.

They are there because we are largely self-centered and selfish creatures.

They are there to allow us to identify with the authors, so when they say “I”, or “me” or “my” or “mine”, we can find ourselves in “their” shoes, saying or doing the same thing.

But the absence of personal pronouns can be telling. Take Psalm 104. It is a song of God’s glory, and His works, and how all creation declares the same. And we don’t get around to a personal pronoun until verse 33. Why is that?

The psalmist (probably David) is completely caught up in Who God is and What He has done. And when he is finally able to gather himself, what does he do? He worships.

I will sing to the LORD as long as I live; I will sing praise to my God while I have my being. (vs. 33)

Notice the extent of this singing and praising. And justifiably so, if we are considering the glory, the grandeur, and the greatness of The One True God.

There’s a scene in Carl Sagan’s movie Contact, where Ellie Arroway’s father talks about the size of the universe. And when he’s done, he states that if we are the only creatures in the universe, then that’s a lot of wasted space. My friend Dr. Ray Bohlin of Probe Ministries made a great comment when we saw the movie, reminding me, “The heavens declare the glory of God.” So it’s not a matter of wasted space. The universe is just doing what it is supposed to be doing. Declaring the glory of God.

Take some time and read Psalm 104. Get caught up in the LORD; join with David and declare the glory of God. Then do it for a lifetime!

Singing with the King (44) – A Psalm of Extremes (3)

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For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is His lovingkindness toward those who fear Him. As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us. Psalm 103:11-12

The past couple of weeks we’ve considered the extremes illustrated in the Psalm. The Rabbi4distance between heaven and earth as an illustration of how great God’s mercy is. And the distance between east and west, an illustration of how far God has removed our sin from us.

But when I read this Psalm, I think about a story…

Once upon a time…

There was this old rabbi who had been serving his congregation at the synagogue in Cana for nearly 30 years. Every week he conducted worship on the Sabbath. He had started a school to teach the children to read and write, and to learn and obey the Law and the Prophets. And he loved music—he loved to sing (and to teach) the Psalms.

A couple of years back, a young Rabbi came through and spoke—he had such authority, and he even healed some people in his congregation. There had been talk he may have been Messiah, but then he got entangled with the Pharisees and the Romans down in Jerusalem, and a few months ago, He was crucified. Well, life goes on, and so does the Sabbath.

One Sabbath service they were singing Psalm 103, and he decided to teach on part of it. He opened the scroll and read: For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is His lovingkindness toward those who fear Him. And to make the point, He raised his arm, pointing to the Heavens, then slowly lowered it down to the earth. Then he read the next passage: As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us. And to make his point again, he raised him arm, and traced a line from east to west. And then he froze.

empty cross2

For he just realized, he had traced a cross. A cross where heaven’s mercy came down to earth; a cross which removed our sins. The cross of Jesus. And as he stood there frozen, his hand still pointing to the west, he realized Yeshua was Messiah. And so he must teach his congregation.

 Like I said, this is just an illustration, a little story. But take your hand, and trace the line of lovingkindness from heaven to earth. Then trace the line of sins removed, from east to west. You just traced the cross of Christ.

Singing with the King (43) – A Psalm of Extremes (2)

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As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us.Psalm 103:12

Cross and StarsHere is the next verse which also reveals the scope of His actions.

David uses another distance metaphor not to illustrate a navigational feat, but how measureless His mercy really is. East and west, unlike north and south, and not fixed points—they are headings. They are in opposite directions, and they never meet. They are, in the extreme from one another.

Another way this could be stated is: as far as the sunrise is from the sunset. When using this variation, more analogies come into play.

  • The difference of day and night
  • The extreme opposites of our 24 hour day
  • The hope of a new day
  • Even death and resurrection (darkness and light)

And those extremes are how far our sins, and therefore the associated punishment, are removed from us.

The Hebrew word for removed means to set or put far away, and to be gone. So the verb is consistent with the picture.

The question arises: How forgiven do you feel? How far are you delivered from your past sins? If you feel that they are lurking around the corner, then you have a problem with the extent of God’s forgiveness. May you find strength and comfort that your sins have been removed, put far away, and are gone.

Father, help me to abide in you, and far away from my sins. Amen.

Singing with the King (42) – A Psalm of Extremes (1)

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For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is His lovingkindness toward those who fear Him. Psalm 103:11

Bethlehem Star 2How great is His lovingkindness (mercy)? For as high as the heavens are above the earth. This shows how lofty His nature, and how low He will stoop for us to receive His mercy.

So, how much higher are the heavens—the dwelling place of God—above the earth? Imagine if we were to progress even beyond Star Trek levels, and could travel to the ends of the universe. Still, no amount of time, no traversing of any distance, will get us to the heavenly realms. They are completely beyond our access and capability. And this is the extreme from which His great mercy is measured.

Even though David is using distance as a metaphor, this is not just a matter of navigation. This also reveals the vast and impassable chasm between creation and Creator. Indeed there is nothing we can mount, build or design to cross this great expanse. But His mercy crossed it.

It also illustrates the contrasts in nature—one being the natural, the other being the supernatural. One is God’s dwelling place, the other is ours. And in keeping with the previous point, God is the One Who must cross, if we are to receive His mercy.

There’s not enough room in all of heaven for you, Lord God. How could you possibly live on earth in this temple I have built? But I ask you to answer my prayer. This is the temple where you have chosen to be worshiped. Please watch over it day and night and listen when I turn toward it and pray. (1 Kings 8:27-30)

God has crossed the great divide, for He has chosen a place for to be worshipped.

For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts. The rain and snow come down from the heavens and stay on the ground to water the earth. They cause the grain to grow, producing seed for the farmer and bread for the hungry. It is the same with my word. I send it out, and it always produces fruit. It will accomplish all I want it to, and it will prosper everywhere I send it. (Isaiah 55:9-11)

God did indeed cross the uncrossable. He sent forth His Word. And this does not mean only His Holy Scriptures which He gave to us, but more critically it means He gave us the Incarnate Word, His One and Only Son.

This is how great His mercy, or lovingkindness, is. He gave us His Son. And perhaps this metaphor really isn’t one; for Christ literally dwelt with the Father in Heaven, and He loved us enough to go to the extreme, and come down to us.

Perhaps now we understand how great His lovingkindness is toward us.

See how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we would be called children of God; and such we are. ( 1 John 1:3)

Singing with the King (41) – A Lock on Religion

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He has revealed his words to Jacob, His decrees and regulations to Israel. He has not done this for any other nation; they do not know his regulations. (Psalm 147:19-20)

lock and keyIt’s easy to understand why the Pharisees we so comfortable with their religion—they believed they had a lock on access to the One True God. The also believed they had a lock on the location: For now I have chosen and consecrated this house that My name may be there forever, and My eyes and My heart will be there perpetually. (2 Chronicles 7:16)

In fact, they believed all nations would only come to His mountain (Jerusalem) to worship: Now it will come about that in the last days the mountain of the house of the LORD will be established as the chief of the mountains, and will be raised above the hills; and all the nations will stream to it.  And many peoples will come and say, “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; that He may teach us concerning His ways  and that we may walk in His paths.” For the law will go forth from Zion and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. (Isaiah 2:22-3)

And: All nations whom You have made shall come and worship before You, O Lord, and they shall glorify Your name. (Psalm 86:9)

And they were right…

But then something wondrous happened: Jesus came. And in a rather significant conversation with someone He shouldn’t have had a conversation with (a Samaritan woman), Christ changes all that exclusivity talk: Jesus replied, “Believe me, dear woman, the time is coming when it will no longer matter whether you worship the Father on this mountain or in Jerusalem. You Samaritans know very little about the one you worship, while we Jews know all about him, for salvation comes through the Jews. But the time is coming—indeed it’s here now—when true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth. The Father is looking for those who will worship him that way. For God is Spirit, so those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth.” (John 4:21-24)

lock and key 2We see, as Christ said, that salvation comes through the Jews, it starts with the Jews. But it’s no longer about the Mosaic ritual; rather it’s about worshiping in spirit and truth, for God is spirit. Those who will worship in spirit and truth Lord may do so from any where. This was great news for the Samaritans (see John 4:39-42) and for us Gentiles. This then gives a different interpretation to the above passage from Psalm 86. We can now come and worship before You, O Lord, any where and at any time. This is what Christ has accomplished for us. Why not worship Him now?

Singing with the King (40) – The Right Perspective

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O Lord, my heart is not proud, nor my eyes haughty; nor do I involve myself in great matters, or in things too difficult for me. Psalm 131:1

Daddy and daughter40 years ago I was in a Bible study with the pianist from the Christian band Glad, Bob Kauflin, and occasionally he’d teach us some new songs. One that he taught us was the above Psalm. I can still sing and play it, but I don’t know who wrote the music.

This is another of the “Song of Ascents”, and it is only three verses long:

O Lord, my heart is not proud, nor my eyes haughty; nor do I involve myself in great matters,
or in things too difficult for me. Surely I have composed and quieted my soul; like a weaned child rests against his mother, my soul is like a weaned child within me. O Israel, hope in the Lord from this time forth and forever.

Understand, this is King David, a reasonably (if not wildly) successful king, and of whom it was said that he was a man after God’s own heart. And he’s saying, his heart is not proud, his eyes are not haughty. And he doesn’t get involved in great matters or difficult things.

Now we could consider his battles and victories; his plans for building God a house; and how he set up all the care and maintenance for the temple and its ministries. Great matters? Difficult things? Hmm.

But it really is a matter of having the right perspective–God’s Perspective. Where did David’s skill, strength, and victories come from? The LORD. What about his art and creativity? From the LORD. What about his legacy of worship? From the LORD. And his greatness? Compared to God’s he had none.

Yours, O LORD, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, indeed everything that is in the heavens and the earth; Yours is the dominion, O LORD, and You exalt Yourself as head over all.  Both riches and honor come from You, and You rule over all, and in Your hand is power and might; and it lies in Your hand to make great and to strengthen everyone.  Now therefore, our God, we thank You, and praise Your glorious name. But who am I and who are my people that we should be able to offer as generously as this? For all things come from You, and from Your hand we have given You. (1 Chronicles 29:11-14)

David knew all that he had and all that he was had come from God, and without Him, he was nothing. In this Psalm, David saw himself as a child leaning up against his Heavenly Father. And for all the things he did, and all the victories he had gained, this was where he wanted to be.

May you find that same comfort, leaning up against your Heavenly Father.