Daily Living or Living Daily

That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God. 1 Corinthians 2:5

There is a way in which we must daily live. The fundamentals of such living are summarized in the Ten Commandments, taught by Y’shuaJesus as given in the Gospels, taught by the Apostles, and taught in churches throughout the world. These are rules that we apply to our daily lives. I have observed that a pastor may speak to the congregation about tithing, and use the “Old Testament” references to augment a call to add greatly to the collection plate. On the other hand, I’ve not heard a pastor preach about a baby’s circumcision being performed on the eighth day after birth, though. It seems to me, there is an arbitrary nature to which scriptures to apply. It seems we are able to pick and choose which rules to follow. Now, as far as circumcision is concerned, Paul brought that before a council of Jewish Believers in Y’shuaJesus while on a trip to Jerusalem. The result: Gentile Believers became exempt to circumcision. They don’t have to follow the Law, as given by Moses, and the Jewish traditions are not theirs. In other words, there is a certain amount of pick and choose going on here.

Now for the observant Jew there are the 613 Divine commandments inscribed in the holy Torah. These are Mitzvoth. Daily living could appear as somewhat mechanical, basic, fundamental. Just understand all the commandments, and follow each one with heart’s intent. Actually, following the Mitzvoth is not so mechanical after all. It has been ruled “that unless one performs a Torah-ordained mitzvah with conscious intent, he has not fulfilled his duty and must perform it a second time with the proper intent.” So daily living must be intentional, performing Divine commands, or not performing negative commands, or restrictions. You have to do this and this, not do that or that, and if you miss doing one, you need atonement. And even if you did a particular Mitzvah, but without the proper intent, then do it again. Get Atonement! Over and Over and Over.

For both Gentile and Jewish Believers, Y’shuaJesus fulfilled the Law by becoming a one-time-is-all-that-is-needed ATONEMENT. We are now one Chosen People, Gentiles, once wild, now grafted into G-d’s cultivated olive tree along with those Jews who are now complete in Y’shuaJesus.

Now, all Believers, have a requirement, an obligation, that is perhaps more strict, more difficult to adhere to than moral codes and traditions. We are called to live daily. This is living deeper. It is more intense. There is a call to both Jewish and Gentile Believers living out daily the faith. It’s not about picking and choosing rules to follow or things to stay away from each day. It’s not about whether or not we’ve followed with intent 613 Divine ordinances. It is living each day in that particular day, with intent. It is life daily with the Spirit of G-d as our compass, directing us in our walk with Y’shuaJesus.

The Apostle Paul talked about putting on the armor of G-d. We put on this armor daily. Each day is today. Yesterday is remembered, but not dwelt upon. We put aside the “I could have. . .” and the “I should have. . .” We offer tomorrow to G-d in our prayer each day, and focus on today. We live in this one lone day, living our faith. It is living daily in the power of G-d, our Creator, our Savior.

Living Daily is being aware each and every moment of Today, as long as it is Today. Aware of G-d’s presence in the world, in our hearts, in the activities in which we partake. Which is the greatest commandment, Y’shuaJesus was asked. With intent, we live daily loving G-d and loving our neighbors in the manner we love ourselves. We are like the disciples walking the road to Amaoz. We may not recognize Y’shuaJesus as He walks alongside, but we do feel our hearts burn. We talk to Y’shuaJesus as we walk. We pray, as the Apostle Paul spoke of, in the Spirit more than anyone else. We are aware in the Spirit when a brother or sister needs prayer. We are conscientious, thoughtful, focused, yet aware always of what is around us and before us. And the Word of G-d is a lamp to show us where we stand, and a light to illuminate the path ahead. We know when to go right, when to go left. We know!

Lord, enable us to live daily with You. Amen.

Lord Bless, Keep, Shine. . .

Post-Holiday Blues

Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, into a mountain where Jesus had appointed them. And when they saw him, they worshipped him. . . (Matthew 28:16,17)

Today, the day after Resurrection Day 2012, school buses on their way to collect children, compete with cars driven by people headed off to work. I suppose, if things are similar in other homes as mine, the kitchen floor could use a good cleaning and there are lots of clothes to be washed as well as a few dishes missed yesterday. Dinner tonight is left overs from yesterday’s meal. So many things to occupy our thoughts each day, I suppose there is little time left for some sort of Holiday Blues to set in.

There was a different sort of activity set before the disciples on the day after the first Resurrection Day. Imagine the surprise, the delight, when Mary announces that the Lord is in fact alive. Not only that, He will meet them all in Galilee. Imagine the clamor as the disciples pack up and head out. It’s not a short way to go, either. No car to drive, no bus or train to take. Walk or ride are two options available. The only two. With somewhere around 80 to 100 miles to cover, the disciples would have been eager to begin their journey. How long did it take them? What did they think about during the journey?

Three days or four, dusty roads, threatened with bandits, plagued by thirst and hunger, anxious to I suppose and certainly tired—even exhausted. Finally they arrive at the mountain where they’d been appointed Apostles of the Lord Y’shuaJesus. “And when they saw him, they worshipped him: but some doubted.”

Some doubted? What did Y’shuaJesus look like to them? The two disciples on the road to amaoz didn’t recognize Him until they broke bread with Him. Was that true of some at the reunion on the mountain in Galilee? Can we blame them for doubting? Where they doubting Him or themselves?

Will we know Y’shuaJesus, will we recognize Him when we see Him face to face? I pray so!

Lord Bless, Keep, Shine. . .

Resurrection Day

Matthew 28 — KJV
1 In the end of the sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulchre.
2 And, behold, there was a great earthquake: for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it.
3 His countenance was like lightning, and his raiment white as snow:
4 And for fear of him the keepers did shake, and became as dead men.
5 And the angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified.
6 He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay.
7 And go quickly, and tell his disciples that he is risen from the dead; and, behold, he goeth before you into Galilee; there shall ye see him: lo, I have told you.
8 And they departed quickly from the sepulchre with fear and great joy; and did run to bring his disciples word.
9 And as they went to tell his disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying, All hail. And they came and held him by the feet, and worshiped him.

This is the Day The Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it. We remember not the bunnies, the eggs, that have nothing to do with the Messiah. Rather we remember the Lord is Risen. Praise the Lord. We remember that Adam disobeyed G-d, and that death is the punishment. We remember the Cross upon which Y’shuaJesus, fully G-d, fully man, took our place in death. We remember that death could not hold our Lord. We remember that Y’shuaJesus is risen. He is Lord.

Lord Bless, Keep, Shine, today and everyday. . .

Passover Tonight

Today, mis-named “Good Friday,” was always called “Black Friday” by my mother. No, not the black friday shopping days that seem to follow so many of the Christian Holy Days. Black Friday because it is the day in which we mourn our sins and that a Holy Innocent took them upon Himself, for us.

The Ten Plagues in a Nutshell
from Chabad.org
Moses and Aaron repeatedly come before Pharaoh to demand in the name of G-d, “Let My people go, so that they may serve Me in the wilderness.” Pharaoh repeatedly refuses. Aaron’s staff turns into a snake and swallows the magic sticks of the Egyptian sorcerers.

Pharaoh still refuses to let the Jews go. Moses warns him that G-d will smite Egypt. Pharaoh remains impervious. G-d begins to send a series of plagues upon the Egyptians. In the throes of each plague, Pharaoh promises to let the Children of Israel go; but he reneges the moment the affliction is removed.

1) Aaron strikes the Nile, the waters turn to blood;
2) Swarms of frogs overrun the land;
3) Lice infest all men and beasts. Still, Pharaoh remains stubborn;
4) Hordes of wild animals invade the cities,
5) a pestilence kills the domestic animals,
6) painful boils afflict the Egyptians.
7) Fire and ice combine to descend from the skies as a devastating hail. Still, “the heart of Pharaoh was hardened and he would not let the children of Israel go; as G-d had said to Moses.”

The people of Egypt have suffered too much. They beg Pharaoh to let the Jews go. When Moses comes to warn Pharaoh of the eighth plague, Pharaoh says: You say that you want to go serve your G-d? I’ll let the men go, as long as the women and children stay behind. No, says Moses, we must all go, men women and children, cattle and herds. Pharaoh once again refuses.

The next plagues descends upon Egypt.
8) a swarm of locusts devours all the crops and greenery;
9) a thick, palpable darkness envelops the land.

The Israelites are instructed to bring a “Passover offering” to G-d: a lamb or kid is to be slaughtered and its blood sprinkled on the doorposts and lintel of every Israelite home, so that G-d should pass over these homes when He comes to kill the Egyptian firstborn. The roasted meat of the offering is to be eaten that night together with matzah (unleavened bread) and bitter herbs.

Then G-d brings the tenth plague upon Egypt, all the firstborn of Egypt are killed at the stroke of midnight of the 15th of the month of Nissan.

Let us remember Y’shuaJesus and look forward to Sunday, the Day of Resurrection! Lord Bless, Keep, Shine. . .

Passover 2012

And thus shall ye eat it; with your loins girded, your shoes on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and ye shall eat it in haste: it is the LORD’S passover. For I will pass through the land of Egypt this night, and will smite all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the LORD. And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt. And this day shall be unto you for a memorial; and ye shall keep it a feast to the LORD throughout your generations; ye shall keep it a feast by an ordinance for ever. Exodus 12:11-14

Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us. 1 Corinthians 5:7

This Friday, at sunset, begins passover. It is known as פֶּסַח pesach, which comes from “pretermission, that is, exemption; used. . .of the Jewish Passover (the festival of the victim), passover (offering).”

The weeks preceding pesach are spent in much house cleaning in search for bread crumbs. It is quite an activity in which all members of each household are involved—young to old. I hadn’t realized Christians from some denominations also follow this part of the Law, too.

What does leaven symbolize? It has long been thought of as a metaphor for sin. Just as we’ve spoken of, before communion, we search ourselves looking for any sin in our lives. Passover and Resurrection Day are forever linked to communion. Y’shuaJesus is the Lamb of G-d—the Lamb slain whose blood covers us, keeping us from the Angel of Death. We celebrate communion to remember Y’shuaJesus, that His body and blood were given for us. It seems appropriate that we should, before Resurrection Day, which also called by the pagen name of Easter, search for bread crumbs containing leaven, not only in our lives but throughout our homes.

While this is all good, I wonder if there is a deeper meaning to leaven than that of sin only. In Luke 13:21 Y’shuaJesus says of the Kingdom of Heaven: “It is like leaven that a woman took and hid in three measures of flour, until it was all leavened.” I read that many reconcile this as being the one time in a hundred where leaven isn’t a metaphor for sin. Yet it just doesn’t seem reasonable to me. Matthew Henry comments on Luke 13:21: “You expect [the Kingdom of Heaven] will make its way by external means, by subduing nations and vanquishing armies, though it shall work like leaven, silently and insensibly, and without any force or violence. A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump; so the doctrine of Christ will strangely diffuse its relish into the world of mankind: in this it triumphs, that the savour of the knowledge of it is unaccountably made manifest in every place, beyond what one could have expected, 2Co_2:14. But you must give it time, wait for the issue of the preaching of the gospel to the world, and you will find it does wonders, and alters the property of the souls of men. By degrees the whole will be leavened, even as many as are, like the meal to the leaven, prepared to receive the savour of it.”

So to speak of leaven, one is speaking of something that is silent, working almost mysteriously within—sin does that, doesn’t it? Y’shuaJesus warned of the leaven of the Pharisees. Their doctrines, traditions, interpretations of the Law, and even their hypocris, that would all work within those that adhere to their leadership. Leaven. Y’shuaJesus said to seek first the Kingdom of G-d. It will also work within us, slowly, silently, mysteriously. The Word of G-d, made flesh in Y’shua, made flesh in us.

Yet go back to the woman hiding the leaven in three measures of flour. There’s a view that even here leaven is sin hidden within the ingredients that the loaf is made from. There is a belief that the loaf is symbolic of the church, which is G-d’s Kingdom on Earth, and that the leaven is false beliefs and false doctrine hidden withing the ingredients so that these deceptions are passed on to all who partake of the loaf. An extreme example of the way an entire nation can become captive to a bizzare notion is the propaganda machine developed by Hitler prior to World War II. The leaven of his deception grew slowly, silently, until it permeated most all in the nation of Germany. The German people were mentally poisoned to hate the Jewish people, gypsies, virtually anyone that did not adhere to their Aryan cultural view of themselves. Extreme nationalism gave rise to the Hitler youth movement. No one questioned the authority of the Third Reich, of Hitler, of his agents, until too late. When they did, they were eliminated. The world, it seemed, went crazy. Sixty million people died as a result of Hitler’s leaven. Two atomic explosions rocked Japan.

Could the church of the twenty-first Century become permeated by false beliefs? The Apostle Paul said: “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.” (Ephesians 6:12) It’s not that there may be evil lurking in heavenly places, it’s that THERE IS evil lurking. It is leaven in the church. Sin!

Proceeding pesach, we rid the leaven within our homes. We celebrate the feast of passover with the knowledge of Y’shuaJesus as the pesach lamb. On Sunday we celebrate the empty tomb, the resurrected Lord. And we rejoice!

Psalm 7 A model for us while in distress (part five)

Arise, O LORD, in your anger; lift yourself up against the fury of my enemies; awake for me; you have appointed a judgment. Arise, O LORD, in your anger; lift yourself up against the fury of my enemies; awake for me; you have appointed a judgment. Let the assembly of the peoples be gathered about you; over it return on high. The LORD judges the peoples; judge me, O LORD, according to my righteousness and according to the integrity that is in me. Oh, let the evil of the wicked come to an end, and may you establish the righteous– you who test the minds and hearts, O righteous God! My shield is with God, who saves the upright in heart. God is a righteous judge, and a God who feels indignation every day. If a man does not repent, God will whet his sword; he has bent and readied his bow; he has prepared for him his deadly weapons, making his arrows fiery shafts. Behold, the wicked man conceives evil and is pregnant with mischief and gives birth to lies. He makes a pit, digging it out, and falls into the hole that he has made. His mischief returns upon his own head, and on his own skull his violence descends. I will give to the LORD the thanks due to his righteousness, and I will sing praise to the name of the LORD, the Most High. From Psalm 7.

David finishes half his prayer in which he fled to G-d, came to grips with his enemies, and sorted through his lack of guilt for such response against him. Now turns David calls upon G-d to take action. “Arise, O LORD, in your anger; lift yourself up against the fury of my enemies; awake for me; you have appointed a judgment.” Without another breath, David declares his knowledge of G-d as judge, jury, and executioner.

David shows us that he knows G-d wants confession and repentance from the guilty. David also declares that those who do wrong, perish by their own doing, at their own hands. In the end those who do evil perish. Those who bow their knees to Y’shuaJesus will be with Him for eternity.

Psalm 7 provides a model for us in our prayers. It presupposes that, like David, we know G-d through Y’shuaJesus. That means that we understand our lives are to be as peaceful as possible, living like lambs. It also means that the one to whom we turn in times of distress, whether physical, mental, emotional, or spiritual, is the same One to Whom David turned. We must be innocent, and we understand our righteousness comes from Y’shuaJesus. Finally, we call upon G-d to go forth in His anger as He deems necessary.

Lord Bless, Keep, Shine. . .

Psalm 7 A model for us while in distress (part four)

Save me from all my pursuers and deliver me, lest like a lion they tear my soul apart, rending it in pieces, with none to deliver. O LORD my God, if I have done this, if there is wrong in my hands, if I have repaid my friend with evil or plundered my enemy without cause, let the enemy pursue my soul and overtake it, and let him trample my life to the ground and lay my glory in the dust. from Psalm 7

In the first post on this topic, I stated that David makes several points in his prayer (Psalm 7): We introduced the Psalm and spoke of the first point, that David declares that he takes refuge in G-d—he flees to G-d. Now lets take a look at the next three points in which David implores G-d to save him and points out from whom he should be saved. Then David declares his innocence from wrong doing. Without a breath, he continues with “Okay, IF I did something wrong, then let the enemy take my soul and my life.”

David states that he needs saving from all his pursuers, that he’ll be torn apart by them, and there is none to deliver. No one is available, so G-d must do it? Is that what he means? I think many are available, but David knows that only G-d CAN save, can deliver. In Psalm 7, David cried out to the LORD after someone spoke lies to the king, to destroy David’s relationship with the king. It was false witness, and now king Saul was after David. But David doesn’t specify a particular enemy, only saying “save me from all my pursuers.” His pursuers are defaming him, destroying his reputation. Others may be physically pursuing David to actually destroy his physical life. There is mention by David of the need to be saved, least his soul be torn apart. Spiritual warfare against David by evil in the spiritual realms? It sounds like it to me.

The title to these pages states that Psalm 7 is a model prayer for us while in distress. Many other psalms provide models for us, too. Many of the Psalms are songs of David. They are also our songs. We make them ours. They are the words for our mouthes that fit what we feel in our hearts, but can’t bring to our tongue. We don’t have to be hiding in a cave, along the Salt Sea (also know as the Dead Sea). We don’t have to be pursued by people with clubs and swords or perhaps rifles, either. We can be under a dark blanket of emotional torment that clouds our vision and tears at our inner person, our soul. We must allow ourselves to be like David, fleeing to Y’shuaJesus, taking refuge in Him. We must understand that He, and He alone, is able to save, to deliver. He has delivered us from the greatest evil of all—our spiritual death—we need faith to walk in that revelation.

David points out that he is guiltless of fault against those who pursue him. Y’shua pointed out that before we go into the House of the Lord to make sacrifice, if we find we have wronged someone, we need to leave and make amends. The Apostle Paul tells us we must “examine ourselves” so that we are pure before communion. When the Lord Y’shuaJesus died, and rose, our sin was forgiven. I think of Y’shuaJesus telling His followers who would be the chosen Apostles, to wash each other’s feet. Y’shuaJesus died to wash us clean, but occasionally we must examine ourselves and make amends with our brothers and sisters—washing our feet. We help ourselves, and we help each other in this washing.

In times of calamity, distress, we flee to Y’shuaJesus for refuge, because only He can save us. And we can ask if there is any thing we’ve done to bring this all on us. I think it takes courage and great strength, too, to come to the Lord in prayer saying, like David, if I have repaid my friend with evil or plundered my enemy without cause, let the enemy pursue my soul and overtake it, and let him trample my life to the ground and lay my glory in the dust.

Selah. We take a breath to consider these things.

Lord Bless, Keep, Shine. . .

Psalm 7 A model prayer for us while in distress (part three)

O LORD my God, in you do I take refuge; save me from all my pursuers and deliver me, lest like a lion they tear my soul apart, rending it in pieces, with none to deliver.

“In You do I take refuge,” prays David. One commentator said the original meaning of the Hebrew for “take refuge” meant “flee to.” In danger, I’m sorry to say, my first thought is to flee from, to go anywhere that gets me out of danger. Isn’t that what fleeing is all about. Perhaps that is exactly what Elijah did. G-d tracked him down, led him to a mountain cave, and got him to the point He could finally whisper to him.

David’s attitude is much better. “He puts himself under God’s protection and flies to him for succour and shelter,” wrote Matthew Henry. “He pleads, his relation to God. “Thou art my God, and therefore whither else should I go but to thee? Thou art my God, and therefore my shield ([see also] Gen 15:1), my God, and therefore I am one of thy servants, who may expect to be protected.” His confidence in God: “Lord, save me, for I depend upon thee: In thee do I put my trust, and not in any arm of flesh.” Men of honour will not fail those that repose a trust in them, especially if they themselves have encouraged them to do so, which is our case.”

There are those saints today, brothers and sisters in Messiah Y’shuaJesus, that are in eminent physical danger. Pastors, ministers, brothers and sisters living in any of the 51 Gospel-restricted nations of the world are in danger. They are in danger if they assemble, if they speak of the LORD to one another, if the actually share the Gospel with someone. The rest of us may be, but most likely are not, in the line of fire—yet! It is coming, though. In whom will we trust? Is our pattern in times of distress, discord, to turn to a spouse, someone in our family, a close friend, or a paid therapist? Have we trained ourselves to flee from anything that discomforts us? When all else fails us, and no resolution is found, do we then come to G-d and say, “Hey, where are You, where were You?”

For any time of distress, whether or not it is spiritual, emotional, intellectual, physical, there is a way that is better. There is David’s way. Flee to G-d! But to prepare for times that are truly evil, we must train ourselves to look at every moment of every day as an opportune time to flee to the Lord, to offer the sacrifice of praise, the sacrifice of thanksgiving. It is an attitude we do ourselves good to develop. Then, in time that are certain to come upon us, evil times, dangerous times, we will flee first to the Resurrected Messiah.

Praise Y’shuaJesus!

Lord Bless, Keep, Shine. . .

Psalm 7 – A model prayer for us while in distress (part one) (jonahzsong.wordpress.com)
Psalm 7 – A model prayer for us while in distress (part two) (jonahzsong.wordpress.com)

Psalm 7—A model prayer for us while in distress (part two)

O LORD my God, in you do I take refuge; save me from all my pursuers and deliver me, lest like a lion they tear my soul apart, rending it in pieces, with none to deliver.

Let’s back up a bit. It’s only been recently that I began to read the Bible in the “Authorized Version.” You know, the King James Version. I’ve used several versions, including Holman, NIV, NASB, and English Standard Version. When I looked at the introduction of Psalm 7 the word “Shiggaion” that is used in the “Authorized Version” is translated from the Hebrew word sheminith, as meditation in the New King James Version. Without getting into the merits or lack of merit for any particular version, I want to say something about the word meditation.

First of all, there are several things that David was not doing. First, he was not repeating endlessly a single word or sound. Second, David wasn’t repeating a phrase or series of words, over and over and over. Third, he was absolutely not clearing his mind in order to get in touch with the greater mind of the universe. David didn’t open his mind, clearing it of all thought, so that he could get in touch with some sort of spirit guide (read “demon”). David wasn’t practicing Eastern or New Age mysticism. What he was doing is fighting a spiritual and physical battle; he was waging war by thinking through all that had occurred to him as he spoke to G-d. He was talking things over with G-d.

Another point here. David’s first cry is O L-RD, my G-d. We see this word as L-RD in all capital letters. We occasionally see it written as Yahweh, or Jehovah. I care not for either of those latter two. It is the name G-d spoke to Moshe, Moses, during his commission. Another way to represent the name of G-d is The Name, or H’Shem in Hebrew. My point here is that David spoke in a personal relationship with his Lord. It could be said that David spoke to Y’shuaJesus. The L-RD is G-d, The L-RD is One. One G-d, three persons. H’Shem. Our Creator. Our Lord. Our Savior. David cries out “O L-RD, my G-d, in You do I take refuge.” Also, let me say at this point that a more literal translation of “my G-d,” as David cried out, would be “G-d to me.” Semantics? Perhaps. But I think there is a little difference. David, as in the Hebrew grammatical structure, isn’t saying he possesses G-d. He reaches out to a G-d that he knows, who is a G-d to him. Okay, maybe it’s only semantics, but I find it a way to think about my own relationship with Y’shua. His banner over me. His way in my life. I am his. His way is mine.

Thank You, Lord Y’shuaJesus. You make me whole. I rejoice in You. Amen.

Lord Bless, Keep, Shine. . .

Psalm 7—A model prayer for us while in distress (part one)

David and Saul (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

A Shiggaion of David, which he sang to the LORD concerning the words of Cush, a Benjaminite. O LORD my God, in you do I take refuge; save me from all my pursuers and deliver me, lest like a lion they tear my soul apart, rending it in pieces, with none to deliver. O LORD my God, if I have done this, if there is wrong in my hands, if I have repaid my friend with evil or plundered my enemy without cause, let the enemy pursue my soul and overtake it, and let him trample my life to the ground and lay my glory in the dust. Selah Arise, O LORD, in your anger; lift yourself up against the fury of my enemies; awake for me; you have appointed a judgment. Let the assembly of the peoples be gathered about you; over it return on high. The LORD judges the peoples; judge me, O LORD, according to my righteousness and according to the integrity that is in me. Oh, let the evil of the wicked come to an end, and may you establish the righteous– you who test the minds and hearts, O righteous God! My shield is with God, who saves the upright in heart. God is a righteous judge, and a God who feels indignation every day. If a man does not repent, God will whet his sword; he has bent and readied his bow; he has prepared for him his deadly weapons, making his arrows fiery shafts. Behold, the wicked man conceives evil and is pregnant with mischief and gives birth to lies. He makes a pit, digging it out, and falls into the hole that he has made. His mischief returns upon his own head, and on his own skull his violence descends. I will give to the LORD the thanks due to his righteousness, and I will sing praise to the name of the LORD, the Most High.
Psalm 7—ESV

David penned this song as a prayer to our G-d. According to Matthew Henry, David cried out these words in “a devout religious manner unto the Lord, concerning the words or affairs of Cush the Benjamite, that is, of Saul himself, whose barbarous usage of David bespoke him rather a Cushite, or Ethiopian, than a true-born Israelite. Or, more likely, it was some kinsman of Saul named Cush, who was an inveterate enemy to David, misrepresented him to Saul as a traitor, and (which was very needless) exasperated Saul against him, one of those children of men, children of Belial indeed, whom David complains of (1Sa_26:19), that made mischief between him and Saul.”

David makes several points in his prayer:

David declares that he takes refuge in G-d.
He implores G-d to save him and points out from whom he should be saved.
David then declares his innocence from wrongful doing in this particular instance.
He continues with “Okay, IF I did something wrong, then let the enemy take my soul and my life.”
Selah. David takes a breath. We take a breath to let it all soak in.
David then says “Arise, O LORD, in your anger; lift yourself up against the fury of my enemies; awake for me; you have appointed a judgment.”
Without another breath, David declares his knowledge of G-d as judge, jury, and executioner.
David shows us that he knows G-d awaits confession and repentance from the guilty.
He also declares that those who do wrongfully, perish by their own doing, at their own hands.
Finally, David wraps up his psaltry cry, saying: “I will give to the LORD the thanks due to his righteousness, and I will sing praise to the name of the LORD, the Most High.”

Selah.

Lord Bless, Keep, Shine. . .

Related articles