Archives for July 2019

OVERVIEW:

Exhortation to praise God; the psalmist’s profession of uprightness; the prayer of an afflicted man for mercy upon himself and Zion; praise for the Lord’s mercies; praise for the Lord’s majesty; the wonderful works of the Lord in behalf of Israel.

HIGHLIGHTS & INSIGHTS:

The first verse in today’s reading is a call to “make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all ye lands.” (100:1) It is a reminder that God’s passion is, and has always been, the world-wide worship of His Son from every kindred, tongue, people, and nation! We must never lose sight of the scope of our commission! We are to make disciples of all nations, or as verse one says, in “all lands.” In light of God’s passion to reach the whole world, perhaps we would all do well to ask ourselves a few pertinent questions:

• What are the things I am actively seeking to allow the Lord to do through me that would give evidence that I share His passion to see His Son glorified in all lands?
• Am I presently “discipling” someone, or stated differently, am I presently “reproducing a reproducer of reproducers?”
• When was the last time I actually opened my mouth to present the gospel to someone who is lost?
• Am I participating in any way to financially support the cause of missions in the world through my local church?

Note also in 100:2, we are to carry out our commission with “gladness”, not out of “guilt” or “obligation”.

In a world that absolutely caters to the “lust of the eyes,” Psalm 101:3 is a doozie! The psalmist says, “I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes.” Evidently, some “more mature believers” in the 21^st century must feel that in the name of their “liberty in Christ”, they’ve “graduated” past obeying the extreme measures the psalmist clearly states under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit in this verse! Unbelievably, in many places in the 21^st century, when you suggest that “setting no wicked thing before our eyes” might include many (most?) movies, TV shows, commercials, magazines, advertisements, and websites, there’s a strong chance you’re going to get labeled “legalistic!” Maybe the question we should consider asking is, “What part of ‘NO’ in ‘set NO wicked thing before your eyes’ is even remotely difficult to understand?” We must be very careful, as Peter talked about, that our “liberty” doesn’t become a “cloke of maliciousness” (1^st Peter 2:16); or as Paul said in Galatians 5:13, that we “use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh.” Yes, we are gloriously free in the Lord Jesus Christ, and yet, even in our “liberty” and “freedom”, we have still been commanded to “cleanse ourselves from ALL filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting HOLINESS in the fear of God.” (2^nd Corinthians 7:1) Obviously, then, there are still some things the Spirit of God fully identifies as “filthy” or “wicked” (Psalm 101:3), and from which He fully intends that we will willfully and aggressively separate ourselves!

Whereas verse 3 of Psalm 101 is a warning about HOW we spend our time, verse 4 warns us about with WHOM we spend it! We have been called to reach the lost, but we must recognize the reality of verses like 1^st Corinthians 15:33: “Be not deceived: evil communications (also translated “company”) corrupt good manners (or morals).” Our most intimate associations must be with brothers and sisters in Christ, who have likewise (along with us!) surrendered themselves to Christ’s Lordship. Note the continuation of the thought in 101:7: “He that worketh deceit shall not dwell within my house: he that telleth lies shall not tarry in my sight.”

At the times in our lives when we find ourselves “really going through it,” Psalm 102 is a great place to find refuge. Notice the title (listed in most Bibles): “A prayer of the afflicted when he is overwhelmed, and poureth out his complaint before the Lord.” Of course, prophetically, this psalm points, once again, to the nation of Israel at the end of the Great Tribulation when the Lord Jesus Christ will “arise and have mercy upon Zion: for the time to favour her, yea, the set time, is come!” (102:13) Note also, the definite Second Coming references in 102:16 and 102:21–22. But devotionally, allow this psalm to minister to you in your affliction today!

Considering the admonition in Psalm 103:1, I know I’ve sought to bless the holy name of the Lord from “my soul”; I’m just not certain I’ve ever actually done it with “all that is within me.” But, I’m absolutely certain that’s what the worship of heaven will be (Revelation 4), the difficulty is in bringing the worship of heaven to earth, and to our lives, now!

Note that Psalm 103 begins and ends the same way: “Bless the Lord, O my soul.” This psalm is about God’s MERCY. The nature of mercy (vs. 4), the measure of mercy (vs. 8), the scope of mercy (vs. 11), and the duration of mercy (vs. 17). Perhaps the more we learn about and grow to appreciate the incredible mercy the Lord has extended to us, the more apt we will be to genuinely “bless the Lord” both from our “souls”, and “with all that is within in us”! (103:1)

The first and last verse of Psalm 104, likewise, includes the exhortation to “Bless the Lord, O my soul.”  Whereas Psalm 103 addresses God’s MERCY, Psalm 104 is all about God’s MAJESTY, and focuses on the wonder of creation.

Psalm 105 is the first in a series of five Psalms that feature the phrase, “O give thanks unto the Lord.” (See Psalm 106, 107, 118, and 136) This psalm, along with Psalm 106, highlights Israel’s history much like we observed in Psalm 78. The first five verses contain nine (9 is the number of fruit-bearing in the Bible) exhortations that should be carried out by every child of God in any dispensation:

1. “Give thanks.” (105:1a)
2. “Call upon his name.” (105:1b)
3. “Make known his deeds.” (105:1c)
4. “Sing unto him.” (105:2a)
5. “Talk ye of all his wondrous works.” (105:2b)
6. “Glory ye in his name.” (105:3a)
7. “Rejoice.” (105:3b)
8. “Seek his face.” (105:4)
9. “Remember his marvelous works.” (105:5)

CHRIST IS REVEALED:

• As the CREATOR (“It is He that hath made us”) — Psalm 100:3 (John 1:3; Ephesians 3:9; Colossians 1:16; Revelation 4:11)
• As the ONE WHO FORGIVES ALL OUR INIQUITIES — Psalm 103:3 (Matthew 9:6)

OVERVIEW:

God’s eternality and man’s transitoriness; the security of the one who trusts in the Lord; praise for God’s goodness; the majesty of the Lord; the vengeance of the Lord; a call to sing, worship, and praise the Lord; the Lord’s power and dominion; praise for the Lord’s righteousness; the exaltation of the Lord as our holy King.

HIGHLIGHTS & INSIGHTS:

Psalm 90 is unique for several reasons: First, it’s unique because it was the first psalm ever written, obviously then, also making it the oldest psalm! Secondly, it’s unique because of its unsuspecting author: it was written by Moses! (Note that the very next psalm, Psalm 91, was also written by Moses.) Be sure to notice the prophetic application of Psalm 90:4: “For a thousand years in thy sight are but as yesterday when it is past, and as a watch in the night.” In the Old Testament, there were three watches to a Jewish night. (Judges 7:19) In the New Testament, there are four watches of the night. (Mark 6:48) Note that Christ was born (i.e. His first coming) in the “first watch of the night,” and He will return (i.e. His second coming) in the “fourth watch of the night” (Matthew 14:25) which is the “morning watch” (Mark 13:35), and hence the title, “the Day of the Lord”, when the “SUN (!!!) of Righteousness will arise…” (Malachi 4:1–2)

Note also in Psalm 90:10 that the normal lifespan for a typical man until the Second Coming of Christ is 70 years (i.e. average age at death). The Lord will “take that up a few notches” for those born during the Millennium (Isaiah 65:20), as men will live to be several hundred years of age, just as they did in some Old Testament times. (Genesis 5)

In terms of “numbering our days” (90:12), the point is, “redeem the time” (Colossians 4:5; Ephesians 5:16), or make the absolute most of each day! Consider, if we were to take “numbering our days” literally:

• If you are age 20, you have 18,250 days to live.
• If you are age 25, you have 16,425 days to live.
• If you are age 30, you have 14,600 days to live.
• If you are age 35, you have 12,775 days to live.
• If you are age 40, you have 10,950 days to live.
• If you are age 45, you have 9,125 days to live.
• If you are age 50, you have 7,300 days to live.
• If you are age 55, you have 5,475 days to live.
• If you are age 60, you have 3,650 days to live.
• If you are age 65, you have 1,825 days to live.
• If you are age 70, you are now on “borrowed” time!

But also keep Proverbs 27:1 in mind! “Boast not thyself of tomorrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth.” Remember, none of us are guaranteed 70 years, that’s just the average lifespan! We must approach each day as if it will be our very last. Remember, also, what time it is on God’s clock! We are the generation whose days will, no doubt, be shortened by the rapture, so once again, it just emphasizes the main point of Psalm 90:12: Live each day as if it were your last because it just might be!

Psalm 91 is another favorite however, without understanding the doctrinal/prophetic application of Scripture, you can get more than just a little messed up by claiming promises that are not intended for you, or promises that are not intended for you in THIS life. Though most Bible scholars are unable to identify the prophetic application of this Psalm as it applies to the Lord Jesus Christ Himself; Satan understood it very well! Satan makes this identification in Matthew 4:6 (91:12), and the Holy Spirit records it to reveal (1^st Corinthians 2:10, 13) the real meaning of Psalm 91. (Note also that there is a double prophetic application in Psalm 91 in that the verses also apply to the remnant of Jewish saints in the Great Tribulation. (91:3, 5-6, 10) Any way you slice it, God’s people in the Church Age are not promised protection from “the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day; nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday.” (91:5–6) There are a minimum of 50 million people in the Church Age who sought with everything within them to “dwell in the secret place of the Most High,” who were shot through with arrows; sewn in the skins of animals and thrown to wild beasts; and placed on the rack to have every joint, every ligament, every tendon, and every muscle totally ripped to shreds! They were burned at the stake; crucified; boiled in oil; or had done to them anything and everything the devil could imagine and could prompt people to mete out on God’s precious saints. That’s not to mention a minimum of another 50 million saints who have been struck down in wars, or by some sickness or disease (pestilence). (91:5–6)

There is, however, an incredible devotional/inspirational application of this Psalm for those of us living in the Church Age:

1. There is a “secret place” (91:1) of intimacy with Christ that we can experience in our relationship with Him that others don’t experience. (Isaiah 57:15; 4:6; 32:2; Song of Solomon 2:3, 6)

 

2. Our eyes will one day “behold and see the reward of the wicked” (91:8), as we (Church Age saints) will be the ones who make up the “armies” that follows the Lord out of heaven at His Second Coming when He returns to the earth to unleash His judgment. (Revelation 19:11–16; Isaiah 63:1–4)

 

3. Once we have been raptured and have entered into our physical “secret place” (91:1; John 14:3), then “no evil shall ever befall [us]” (Psalm 91:10a), “neither shall any plague come nigh [our] dwelling.” (91:10b)

 

4. We will be “delivered” at the rapture, at which time He will “set [us] on high.” (91:14)

 

5. The Lord has not promised us, as Church Age saints, the ABSENCE of trouble in this life, but He has promised His PRESENCE “with us” through it! (91:15; Hebrews 13:5; 2^nd Corinthians 12:9)

 

6. The Lord has and will, both “deliver” and “honor” us. (Psalm 91:15; John 5:44; 12:26)

 

7. We will be “satisfied” with “long life” beyond our wildest dreams! Jesus called it “eternal life” and I think you’d agree, that’s a long, long time!

Many other incredible prophetic and devotional truths unfold in the remainder of the psalms in today’s reading (92– 99) that hopefully, you are now beginning to see how to identify and apply for yourself. Enjoy!

CHRIST IS REVEALED:

• As the GOD WHO COVERS WITH HIS FEATHERS — Psalm 91:4 (Matthew 23:37)

 

• As the ROCK OF OUR SALVATION – Psalm 95:1 (1^st Corinthians 10:4)

 

• As the LORD WHO JUDGES THE EARTH IN RIGHTEOUSNESS AND TRUTH — Psalm 96:13 (Revelation 16:5–7)

 

• As the LORD WHO RETURNS IN FLAMING FIRE — Psalm 97:4 (2^nd Thessalonians 1:7–9)

OVERVIEW:

The psalmist’s cry for deliverance for Israel; the blessedness of living in the midst of God’s presence; David’s desire to walk in truth; cry for deliverance from death; praise for God’s covenant and promises.

HIGHLIGHTS & INSIGHTS:

Psalm 83 is another psalm that points us prophetically to the time of the second coming of Christ. Asaph describes this incredible event, as do the other inspired writers of scripture, as a time when all of the nations of the world (83:6–8) will have converged “together with one consent” (83:5a), “confederate against” the nation of Israel (83:5b), to “cut them off from being a nation; that the name of Israel may be no more in remembrance.” (83:4) As we have seen repeatedly, just at the time when Israel’s back will be against the wall at the end of the Tribulation Period, when, from a human standpoint, she is utterly helpless and hopeless, with nowhere to turn, it is at that very moment our Lord Jesus Christ will step out of heaven and answer their prayers! (83:1) The Apostle John reveals that Christ will return with such fury against Israel’s enemies in that day that their blood will literally rise up to the horse’s bridles in the Valley of Megiddo! (Revelation 14:20) Asaph’s prayer in 83:13–18 will, in fact, be answered! “O my God, make them like a wheel; as the stubble before the wind. As the fire burneth a wood, and as the flame setteth the mountains on fire; So persecute them with thy tempest, and make them afraid with thy storm. Fill their faces with shame; that they may seek thy name, O Lord. Let them be confounded and troubled for ever; yea, let them be put to shame, and perish: That men may know that thou, whose name alone is Jehovah, art the most high over all the earth.” Hallelujah!

May this incredible prayer and prophetic promise serve as a great reminder to us of God’s power and ability, in those times when our backs are against the wall, and from a human standpoint, we find ourselves utterly helpless and hopeless, with nowhere to turn! May this psalm remind us that there is nothing too hard for the Lord! (Jeremiah 32:17) May it remind us that our God hears and answers prayer! (Psalm 65:2) May it flood us with confidence that, in the day of our trouble, He can and will step in to do what could never be done in our own strength or power. (Psalm 86:7) May we also not miss that He has already proven that He can and will answer our prayers in this way, because that is exactly how Ephesians 2:11–17 describes what our Lord did on our behalf when in our lost condition, we cried out to the Lord for our salvation! At that time, not only were our spiritual backs against the wall, but we were totally without help and hope, with nowhere else to turn, and Christ stepped in to do what we could have never done in our own strength or power. Again, hallelujah!

Note that the basis for the psalmist’s requests in the last verse of this Psalm, should be the overarching desire, passion, and prayer of our hearts in and through every aspect and dimension of our entire lives, “That men may know that thou, whose name alone is JEHOVAH (the “self-existing One”), art the most high over all the earth.” (83:18)

Notice that the context for the outpouring of praise that the psalmist offers to the Lord in Psalm 84 is, once again, rooted in the millennium, or “the day of the Lord.” (84:4, 8 “Selah.”) Notice in 84:1, that during the millennium, our Lord Jesus Christ will once again “tabernacle” among us. (Psalm 84:1; John 1:14 — “dwelt” = “tabernacle”) We would do well to ask ourselves today whether the passion of the psalmist’s heart for God and His glory in verse 2 expresses what is in our hearts today! Can we genuinely and honestly say with the psalmist, “My soul longeth, yea, even fainteth for the courts of the Lord: my heart and my flesh crieth out for the living God?” (84:2)

The last part of 84:11 is also a great promise and reminder that “the Lord will give grace and glory: NO GOOD THING WILL HE WITHHOLD FROM THEM THAT WALK UPRIGHTLY.” God most certainly “withholds” certain things, but contrary to Satan’s lies (see Genesis 3:5), it is never because He is “withholding” some “GOOD” thing from us. His restrictions are always to keep us from something He knows will be BAD for us, and ultimately, be harmful to us and/ or destroy us. It is sometimes difficult to get our flesh to really believe that, and the “father of lies” is at every turn more than willing to convince us otherwise. (John 8:44) In light of that, the last verse of Psalm 84 is very fitting, “O Lord of hosts, blessed is the man that trusteth in thee.” (84:12)

The millennial context is also seen in Psalm 85. The description of that time is laid out beautifully in verse 10. It will be that time on this planet when “Mercy and truth are met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other.” (85:10) It is also a beautiful thing when the word pictures in this verse are found in the life of a New Testament believer! “Mercy” with no regard for “truth” makes us wishy-washy, spineless, and way too accommodating of unholy doctrine and unholy living in the church of the Lord Jesus Christ. On the other hand, “truth” with no regard for “mercy” makes us harsh, judgmental, and unloving. God’s intention, is that like His Son (John 1:14c), we have a perfect balance of both! (See Ephesians 4:25, then Ephesians 4:15.)

Psalm 86:5 and 15 are a personal favorite. “For thou, Lord, art good, and ready to forgive; and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon thee…thou, O Lord, art a God full of compassion, and gracious, longsuffering, and plenteous in mercy and truth.” How many times do we need those reminders, especially those of us who are prone toward feeling the need of doing some sort of “penance”, as it were, before we can let go of our spiritual failures and sins? I love the fact that the psalmist reveals to us that before we even come to Him, He is “READY TO FORGIVE”! He made that abundantly clear by the willful offering of His only and beloved Son! (1^st John 4:9)

For those who find themselves in the depths of despair today, find comfort and solace by using the words of the psalmist in Psalm 88 as he lifts his complaint up to the Lord. Then, allow the Lord to bring you up and out of your despair in Psalm 89, as the psalmist expresses his confidence and praise to the Lord!

CHRIST IS REVEALED:

• By the SEED OF DAVID — Psalm 89:3–4 (Christ was made of the seed of David according to the flesh – Matthew 1:1; Luke 3:31–32)