Bible Reading Reflection from Psalms 73-77

 [Originally posted in a WhatsApp group (MPG) as a reading update (reflection) from one chapter of the Bible a day]

ℙ𝕊𝔸𝕃𝕄 𝟟𝟛:𝟙𝟠

"Surely You set them in ᏕᏝᎨᏢᏢᎬᏒᎽ ᏢᏝᎯᏨᎬᏕ;

You cause them to fall to destruction."

Asaph the Psalmist was like me. He wasn't able to swallow the prosperity and ease of the wicked; because of that he nearly slipped. However, when he sought to know God, he realized that actually it was [is] them who will slip at the end.

Notice the play of words — slipped and slippery.

Envy will let us slip, will let us fall into sin, will let us live a miserable life. When actually, it's the design of God to let the wicked slip; no, no, not those who cleanse their hearts and wash their hands in innocence (v13).

In the first and last verse, he affirms that God is surely good. Therefore, why not look at Him in trust than to look at the wicked in envy!?

Yesterday I was watching good food on YouTube and I was saying to a friend, "Even if I live a thousand years, I don't think I can be that luxurious to eat those foods!"

Let's continue to enjoy Ngari and Akhuni, anyway, BTW! 😎

 

ℙ𝕊𝔸𝕃𝕄 𝟟𝟜:𝟙                   

"Why, O God? Have You rejected us forever?

Why does Your anger smoke against the sheep of Your pasture?"

Ps 74 complements Ps 73 very well.

There's no mention of personal or national sin in this Psalm. Rather the atrocities and wickedness of the enemies, the godless people. However, the psalmist and his people had felt the abandonment of God. Notice the word "forever", it's not a temporary depression, it had been like forever. God's anger was felt as not relenting, but gathering more smoke to be a mighty furnace. Yet all these were not against those godless people but against His Own people.

I am no more righteous than anyone else, but there were times I feel like the Psalmist. Like God has cast me off forever though I couldn't figure out any particular sins in my life that I should repent of.

Well, the Psalmist pled with God to remember them 3 times (v2, 18, 22). And as He pled with God, he also recalled the faithfulness of God and the power of God. And we remember Apostle Paul pleading with Christ 3 times, and Jesus's answer was "the sufficiency of His Grace."

And the psalmist didn’t waver in his faith, nor did Apostle Paul. Neither should we. Hold on!

 

ℙ𝕊𝔸𝕃𝕄 𝟟𝟝:𝟞-𝟟

"For one’s rising up does not come from the east, nor from the west,

And not from the south;

But God is the Judge;

He puts down one and raises up another."

Wow! Simple. If you want success, popularity, fame, and promotion, live in the North! For it says, those didn't come from East, West, or South! Even North America is doing better than South America. 😬😂 Just kidding! That's a bad exegesis! Now to the meat part.

𝚃𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚒𝚜 𝚜𝚝𝚒𝚕𝚕 𝙶𝚘𝚍'𝚜 𝚠𝚘𝚛𝚕𝚍 𝚝𝚑𝚘𝚞𝚐𝚑 𝚂𝚊𝚝𝚊𝚗 𝚒𝚜 𝚊𝚌𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚐 as if 𝚑𝚎 𝚘𝚠𝚗𝚜 𝚒𝚝. 𝙷𝚎 𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚗 𝚍𝚊𝚛𝚎𝚍 𝚝𝚘 𝚘𝚏𝚏𝚎𝚛 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚠𝚘𝚛𝚕𝚍 𝚝𝚘 𝙲𝚑𝚛𝚒𝚜𝚝!

𝙸𝚝'𝚜 𝙶𝚘𝚍 𝚠𝚑𝚘 𝚛𝚊𝚒𝚜𝚎𝚜 𝚞𝚙 𝚜𝚘𝚖𝚎 𝚙𝚎𝚘𝚙𝚕𝚎 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚋𝚛𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚜 𝚍𝚘𝚠𝚗 𝚜𝚘𝚖𝚎. 𝚈𝚎𝚜, 𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚗 𝚙𝚘𝚙𝚞𝚕𝚊𝚛𝚒𝚝𝚢 o𝚗 𝙸𝚗𝚜𝚝𝚊𝚐𝚛𝚊𝚖, 𝚈𝚘𝚞𝚃𝚞𝚋𝚎, 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚃𝚒𝚔𝚃𝚘𝚔. 𝚈𝚎𝚜, 𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚗 𝚒𝚗 𝚄𝙿𝚂𝙲 𝚎𝚡𝚊𝚖 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝙿𝚘𝚕𝚒𝚝𝚒𝚌𝚊𝚕 𝙴𝚕𝚎𝚌𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗. 𝙰𝚗𝚍 𝙷𝚎 𝚛𝚊𝚒𝚜𝚎𝚜 𝚞𝚙 𝚜𝚘𝚖𝚎 𝚙𝚎𝚘𝚙𝚕𝚎 𝚏𝚘𝚛 𝚙𝚛𝚎𝚜𝚎𝚛𝚟𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚘𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚛 𝚏𝚘𝚛 𝚍𝚎𝚜𝚝𝚛𝚞𝚌𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗, 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚜𝚝𝚒𝚕𝚕 𝚘𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚛𝚜 𝚏𝚘𝚛 𝚌𝚘𝚗𝚏𝚞𝚜𝚒𝚘𝚗, 𝚋𝚞𝚝 𝙷𝚎 𝚒𝚜 𝚒𝚗 𝚌𝚘𝚖𝚙𝚕𝚎𝚝𝚎 𝚌𝚘𝚗𝚝𝚛𝚘𝚕!

𝚂𝚘, 𝚟4-5, “𝚍𝚘 𝚗𝚘𝚝 𝚋𝚘𝚊𝚜𝚝, 𝚍𝚘 𝚗𝚘𝚝 𝚛𝚎𝚋𝚎𝚕.”

𝚃𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚖𝚘𝚛𝚗𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝙸 𝚠𝚊𝚜 𝚠𝚊𝚝𝚌𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚊 𝚃𝚒𝚔𝚃𝚘𝚔 𝚟𝚒𝚍𝚎𝚘 𝚘𝚏 𝙰𝚋𝚛𝚊𝚑𝚊𝚖 𝙿𝚒𝚙𝚎𝚛. 𝙷𝚎 𝚒𝚜 𝚊𝚕𝚖𝚘𝚜𝚝 𝚊𝚜 𝚏𝚊𝚖𝚘𝚞𝚜 𝚊𝚜 𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚍𝚊𝚍, 𝙹𝚘𝚑𝚗 𝙿𝚒𝚙𝚎𝚛, 𝚋𝚞𝚝 𝚏𝚘𝚛 𝚊 𝚝𝚘𝚝𝚊𝚕𝚕𝚢 𝚘𝚙𝚙𝚘𝚜𝚒𝚝𝚎 𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚜𝚘𝚗— 𝚝𝚘 𝚖𝚘𝚌𝚔 𝙲𝚑𝚛𝚒𝚜𝚝𝚒𝚊𝚗𝚒𝚝𝚢. 𝙱𝚘𝚝𝚑 𝚘𝚏 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚖 𝚑𝚊𝚟𝚎 𝚖𝚒𝚕𝚕𝚒𝚘𝚗 𝚏𝚘𝚕𝚕𝚘𝚠𝚎𝚛𝚜.

𝙷𝚒𝚜 𝚙𝚘𝚙𝚞𝚕𝚊𝚛𝚒𝚝𝚢 𝚌𝚘𝚖𝚎𝚜 𝚟𝚎𝚛𝚢 𝚏𝚊𝚜𝚝 𝚠𝚑𝚒𝚕𝚎 𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚍𝚊𝚍 𝚑𝚊𝚜 𝚝𝚘 𝚕𝚊𝚋𝚘𝚛 𝚏𝚘𝚛 𝚢𝚎𝚊𝚛𝚜 𝚒𝚗 𝚏𝚊𝚒𝚝𝚑𝚏𝚞𝚕𝚗𝚎𝚜𝚜.

𝙱𝚞𝚝, 𝚋𝚘𝚝𝚑 𝙿𝚒𝚙𝚎𝚛𝚜 𝚛𝚊𝚒𝚜𝚎 𝚝𝚘 𝚏𝚊𝚖𝚎, 𝚋𝚎𝚌𝚊𝚞𝚜𝚎 𝚘𝚏 𝙶𝚘𝚍. 𝙷𝚎 𝚛𝚊𝚒𝚜𝚎 𝚞𝚙 𝙹𝚘𝚑𝚗 𝙿𝚒𝚙𝚎𝚛 𝚏𝚘𝚛 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝙲𝚑𝚞𝚛𝚌𝚑. 𝙷𝚎 𝚊𝚕𝚕𝚘𝚠𝚜 𝙰𝚋𝚛𝚊𝚑𝚊𝚖 𝙿𝚒𝚙𝚎𝚛 𝚏𝚘𝚛 𝚜𝚘𝚖𝚎 𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚜𝚘𝚗 𝚜𝚝𝚒𝚕𝚕 𝚞𝚗𝚔𝚗𝚘𝚠𝚗 𝚝𝚘 𝚞𝚜. 𝙱𝚞𝚝 𝚜𝚎𝚎𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚜𝚘𝚗 𝚘𝚏 𝙹𝚘𝚑𝚗 𝙿𝚒𝚙𝚎𝚛 𝚊𝚙𝚘𝚜𝚝𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚣𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚒𝚜 𝚜𝚘𝚖𝚎𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚑𝚞𝚖𝚋𝚕𝚒𝚗𝚐 [difficult] 𝚝𝚘 𝚌𝚘𝚖𝚙𝚛𝚎𝚑𝚎𝚗𝚍!

 

ℙ𝕊𝔸𝕃𝕄 𝟟𝟞:𝟟,𝟙𝟙

"But You, You are 𝚏𝚎𝚊𝚛𝚜𝚘𝚖𝚎;

And who can stand in Your presence when once You are 𝚊𝚗𝚐𝚛𝚢?"

Last night, I was watching a football match between Portugal and Hungary in a room of one of my friends. All of them were supporting Portugal. It happened that Portugal didn't score a goal until the 84th minute. Those in the room were upset, angry, and banging the table and anything around them when every opportunity was missed. I was a little bit scared that they might hit me by mistake or take up a shoe and throw it at the screen! Hmm! It's scary to be in the presence of an angry person. 🥶

Hmm! The psalmist Asaph captured for us the majesty of God in His judgment. Who can stand before the God of this Universe when He is angry?

Anger can be appeased mostly by a gift or a sacrifice. Even me, last night I offered the angriest one to come and sit nearby me because they have reserved the best place for me.

That's why v11.

"Make vows to Yahweh your God and pay them;

Let all who are around Him bring gifts to the Fearsome One."

Indeed, Jesus (His gift of sacrifice on the cross) has appeased the wrath of God, and even now in heaven is interceding for us!

 

ℙ𝕊𝔸𝕃𝕄 𝟟𝟟

MacArthur Study Bible Note is interesting, it has this: "This psalm illustrates one cure for depression. The psalmist does not explain the cause of his despair, but he was definitely locked into gloom. When he thought about God, it only caused him to complain bitterly."

I love Asaph, not only David.

In v3, Asaph remembered God. And that, for David and Jeremiah was enough, the solution for any anxiety; but for Asaph, it was more troublesome.

7 years ago, I remember having a theological discussion with my senior in seminary. I was telling him to stop mentioning "God" and be more practical to solve a particular problem. Defaulting to God looked bitter and not comforting. Sometimes, God doesn't seem to work at all. And to say "God" seems so indifferent.

However, this Psalm is wonderful, and I agree with MSB Note. This is a cure for depression. How? Look at the tenses. Asaph moved from Past tense (1-3) to Present tense (4-9) to Future tense (10-12) as he wrote about his beliefs and confessions. And clung to the lovingkindness (7-9) and omnipotence (16-20) of God.

If one finds himself like Asaph in the past tense, his life will be miserable v3: he complained and was overwhelmed.

Not by Complaining but by Contemplation. One needs to move to the future tense of Asaph!

Bible Reading Reflection from Psalms 58-72

[Originally posted in a WhatsApp group (MPG) as a reading update (reflection) from one chapter of the Bible a day]

ℙ𝕊𝔸𝕃𝕄 𝟝𝟠:𝟞-𝟟

"O God, break the teeth in their mouths;

tear out the fangs of the young lions, O LORD!

Let them vanish like water that runs away;

when he aims his arrows, let them be blunted."

David prayed that the wicked will be destroyed. What happened to "Love your enemies"? God loves the world, but He is going to destroy the world. Do we question God's love, then?

If you love light, you will hate darkness. If you want silence, you will hate noises.

A man is not only known by what he loves but also by what he hates; not only by what he does but also by what he doesn't; not only by where he is but also by where he is not.

Righteous people hate wicked people. God the righteous God has a perfect hatred for the wicked! Well, we won't go and kill them, so it's most right to ask God to do so. David won't kill the bloodthirsty Saul. He just asked God to watch over the situation.

 

ℙ𝕊𝔸𝕃𝕄 𝟝𝟡:𝟙𝟛

"Destroy them in wrath, destroy them that they may be no more;

That men may know that God rules in Jacob

To the ends of the earth. Selah"

From the title we see the enemies of David were the men of Saul, and Saul himself. Look at David’s prayer and desire. And compare that with his action and life! He had the opportunity to kill Saul and his men at least two times. He didn't kill. But the Philistines killed him [Saul].

Those who are critical of David's prayer do not know anything. They are those who pretend to be nice, kind, cool, but serpents in real life. Maybe you should start praying that God would destroy some people, and live a life like David who won't take that opportunity by your doings! 🙂

 

ℙ𝕊𝔸𝕃𝕄 𝟞𝟘:𝟙, 𝟙𝟚

"O God, You have rejected us.

You have broken us;

You have been angry;

O, restore us."

"Through God we shall do valiantly,

And it is He who will tread down our adversaries."

Look at the way how it began and ended. He felt the rejection of God but still committed himself to trusting God. That's what genuine faith does. Like Job, saying, "Though He slay me, yet will I trust in Him." So, let that be our motto in everything we are praying for, hoping for, targeting for, desiring for.

 

ℙ𝕊𝔸𝕃𝕄 𝟞𝟙:𝟜

"Let me dwell in your tent forever!

Let me take refuge under the shelter of your wings! Selah!"

I love David's desire for godliness. He wants to always walk with God. He knows how weak he is. He often disqualifies himself, failing, falling, going astray, transgressing. He sometimes sins deliberately, sometimes unintentionally. However, he longs to be back home. His home is God, his dwelling place, his tent, his refuge, is under the shelter of God!

David is addicted to God's love. Be addicted, not to drugs, not to social media, not to mobile games, but to the joy of God!

 

ℙ𝕊𝔸𝕃𝕄 𝟞𝟚:𝟝

"For God alone,

O my soul,

wait in silence,

for my hope

is from him."

·        God alone.

·        Wait.

·        In silence.

·        Hope.

·        What a confession of trust!

 

ℙ𝕊𝔸𝕃𝕄 𝟞𝟛:𝟙         

"O God, You are my God; I shall seek You earnestly;

My soul thirsts for You, my flesh yearns for You,

In a dry and weary land without water."

Have you ever been on a long journey where you got dehydrated and longed after nothing but water? Have you ever thirsted after God like that?

What's the most dominant desire in your life? And have you ever desired God like that?

He who desires after God will be satisfied. Because that's the only quenchable thirst God has put into our longing hearts!

 

ℙ𝕊𝔸𝕃𝕄 𝟞𝟜:𝟙𝟘

"The righteous man will be glad in the LORD and will take refuge in Him;

And all the upright in heart will glory."

If you are not glad in the LORD, well you aren’t a righteous person. If you're disappointed with God, you aren't glad in Him. If you are angry with God, you aren't disappointed with Him. If you aren't walking with God daily, you aren't glad in Him. If you aren't glad in reading His word and praying regularly, you aren't glad in Him.

Because when you are happy with someone, you know what you would like to do with that person.

The righteous person is glad in the Lord.

And if you're not a righteous man, you are a wicked man according to the theology of Psalter.

Sing that hymn

🎵 Be glad in the Lord and rejoice🎶

 

ℙ𝕊𝔸𝕃𝕄 𝟞𝟝:𝟚

"O You who hear prayer,

To You all flesh comes."

Is it not wonderful that God is described as one who hears prayers? That's why anyone can and will come to God.

Interestingly, it doesn't use the word, "answer" or "grant" but it implies those meaning as well!

 

ℙ𝕊𝔸𝕃𝕄 𝟞𝟞:𝟝

"Come and see the works of God,

Who is fearsome in His deeds toward the sons of men."

One of the repeated words and ideas in this Psalm is "Come", a call to worship. The psalmist is calling people to know God and worship Him. He made a universal call and a specific call to those who fear God (v16).

Do we call people to know God and worship Him? Do we invite people to come to church?

 

ℙ𝕊𝔸𝕃𝕄 𝟞𝟟:𝟙

"God be gracious to us and bless us,

And cause His face to shine upon us— Selah."

A good Psalm to read today, as you wait for your exam tomorrow🙂

Maybe good to read tomorrow as well! 😉

 

ℙ𝕊𝔸𝕃𝕄 𝟞𝟠:𝟛-𝟜

"But let the righteous be glad; let them exult before God;

And let them rejoice with gladness.

Sing to God, sing praises to His name;

Lift up a song for Him who rides through the deserts,

Whose name is Yah, and exult before Him."

What the believers must be doing:

1. Be glad

2. Exult before God

3. Rejoice

4. Sing praises

5. Sing songs

6. Again rejoice.

 

ℙ𝕊𝔸𝕃𝕄 𝟞𝟡:𝟚-𝟛

"I have sunk in deep clay, and there is no foothold;

I have come into deep waters, and a flood overflows me.

I am weary with my calling out; my throat is parched;

My eyes fail while I wait for my God."

If there's one thing that most of us need in our Christian walk, it's perseverance. Persevering in faith. Never giving up. Exercising patience. Consistency.

David wouldn't have sunk just like that. It must have taken a lot of time. It was a journey of affliction and he wrote this when he was or almost in its climax. He had been praying, crying, needing God's help. It hadn't come yet. But he would keep trusting in God.

And we give up so easily on praying. We give up so easily on others. We want everything quick and available, making it a perfect environment for all miseries in our life!

 

ℙ𝕊𝔸𝕃𝕄 𝟟𝟘:𝟜

"Let all who seek You rejoice and be glad in You;

And let those who love Your salvation say continually, ‘Let God be magnified.’"

One of my chief aims in life is to live for the fame of God's name, especially among the people of God because praise from the upright is comely.

David had this desire too!

 

ℙ𝕊𝔸𝕃𝕄 𝟟𝟙:𝟚𝟙

"May You increase my greatness

And turn to comfort me."

Is a desire to be great bad, sinful, and selfish? No.

The psalmist is praying for that. Most probably written by David. And if it's not written by David, it's better, to take it as a positive example.

So, I better pray: "Lord make me be a great person. And increase my greatness. And comfort my present disappointments. Amen!"

PS: But remember the confession of John the Baptist as well!

 

ℙ𝕊𝔸𝕃𝕄 𝟟𝟚:𝟟

"In his days may the righteous flourish,

And abundance of peace till the moon is no more."

A great Psalm to be used when one of us becomes a public leader. It was a coronation Psalm when Solomon became king—asking God to bless the king, the administration, the people, everything in his reign.

Read this Psalm for your MLA next year when they are elected. For someone who has newly joined the administration as DC or SDO.

[11:37, 15/10/2021] 𝕋𝕙𝕖 𝟚𝕟𝕕 𝔹𝕠𝕠𝕜 𝕠𝕗 ℙ𝕤𝕒𝕝𝕞 𝕚𝕤 𝕠𝕧𝕖𝕣! 

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