SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 8/10/2012 11:16:30 AM
My Worship Time Focus: Psalm 113 PT-1
Bible Reading &
Meditation Reference: Psalm 113:1-3
Message of the verses: In Today’s SD we will begin to look at Psalm
113, and then Lord willing we will continue in the book of Mark chapter nine
after we finish looking at this psalm.
We will begin as we have in the past when beginning a new psalm by
looking at the introductions by several different Bible Commentators.
“This Psalm
is one of pure praise, and contains but little which requires exposition; a
warm heart full of admiring adoration of the Most High will best of all
comprehend this sacred hymn. Its subject is the greatness and condescending
goodness of the God of Israel, as exhibited in lifting up the needy from their
low estate. It may fitly be sung by the church during a period of revival after
it has long been minished and brought low.
With this Psalm begins the Hallel, or Hallelujah of the Jews, which was
sung at their solemn feasts: we will therefore call it THE COMMENCEMENT OF THE
HALLEL. Dr. Edersheim tells us that the Talmud dwells upon the peculiar
suitableness of the Hallel to the Passover, "since it not only recorded
the goodness of God towards Israel, but especially their deliverance from
Egypt, and therefore appropriately opened with Praise ye Jehovah, ye servants
of Jehovah, — and no longer servants of Pharaoh." Its allusions to the
poor in the dust and the needy upon the dunghill are all in keeping with Israel
in Egypt, and so also is the reference to the birth of numerous children where
they were least expected.” (Charles H.
Spurgeon)
“Psalms
113-118 comprise rich 6-psalm praise to God commonly called the ‘Egyptian
Hallel’ (‘Hallel’ meaning praise in Hebrew).
These were sung at Passover, Pentecost, and Tabernacles, but had the
greatest significance at Passover, which celebrated the Jews’ deliverance from
Egypt (cf. Ex. 12-14). Traditionally Pss
112, 114 were sung before the Passover meal and Pss 115-118 afterwards. Psalm 118 would most likely be what Christ
and the disciples sang before they left the Upper Room the night Christ was
betrayed (cf. Mat. 26:30; Mk. 14:26).
There are two other notable sets of praise in the Psalter: 1) The Great
Hallel (Pss 120-136) and 2) The Final
Hallel (Pss 145-150). (The John
MacArthur Study Bible)
“It was
traditional for the Jewish people to sing 113-114 before they ate their
Passover meal, and they closed the meal by singing 115-118 (Matt. 26:30; Mark
14:26). These psalms were also sung in
celebration of Pentecost, Tabernacles, the new moon festivals, and the Feast of
Dedication. Because of the emphasis in
114, this small collection of psalms was called ‘The Egyptian Hallel.’ The psalm opens and closes with ‘hallelujah’
(‘praise Jehovah’) and gives us three wonderful reasons for praising the Lord.” (Warren Wiersbe)
God’s Name Is the Greatest (vv. 1-3): “1 ¶
Praise the LORD! Praise, O servants of the LORD, Praise the name of the
LORD. 2 Blessed be the name of the LORD
From this time forth and forever. 3 From
the rising of the sun to its setting The name of the LORD is to be praised.”
We see the
word “praise” four times in these three verses, but the question arises who are
the servants of the LORD spoken of in verse one. In different parts of God’s Word like Psalms
34:22; 69:36; 136:22; and Isaiah 42:8-9; and 54:17 we see that this term is
used for all of Israel, the entire nation.
Israel had the great responsibility, a responsibility that believers
have today, of spreading the news about God to others who do not know about
Him, the true and living God.
Dr. Wiersbe
points out that the word “name” is used three times in these verses and refers
to the character of God and the revelation of who His is and what He does. We know that God has a good name, and because
of who He is that name should be magnified among those who have never trusted
him. Dr. Wiersbe writes “To ‘glorify God’
means to make God look good to those who do not know Him. This kind of praise pays no attention to time
(‘forever more’) or space (from east to west).
God’s name is attached to His covenant with Israel and both His name and
His covenant can be trusted.” (See Deut.
28:1-14, especially noting verse 10): “10 "So all the peoples of the earth will
see that you are called by the name of the LORD, and they will be afraid of
you.”
Spiritual meaning for my life today: There are several reasons why I spend time in
God’s Word each day, and one of those reasons is because God tells us to do this
in His Word, and by doing this I bring glory to the name of God. There is nothing that I have that has not
been given to me by the Lord, especially the salvation that He provided for me
on the cross by His Son, Jesus Christ, and for this reason alone I owe all that
I have been entrusted to too the Lord.
By doing these Spiritual Diaries and posting them on the WWW I can lift
up the name of God to those who know Him and perhaps to those who will come to
know Him, and this I count as a great privilege. I desire to bring glory to my Lord through
these Spiritual Diaries by the Holy Spirit using them to call some to
salvation, to lift up those who know the Lord by encouraging them in their walk
with the Lord, and to have the Holy Spirit stimulate those who know the Lord to
begin a systematic study of God’s Word.
This psalm provided a good place to bring out these points.
My Steps of Faith for
Today: Continue to abide in the Vine
(John 15) in order to be led by the Holy Spirit of God to do the works that He
has planned for me to do.
Memory verses for the week:
2Peter 1:1-9
1 ¶ Simon Peter, a bond-servant and apostle of
Jesus Christ, To those who have received a faith of the same kind as ours, by
the righteousness of our God and Savior, Jesus Christ: 2 Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the
knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord; 3
seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to
life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own
glory and excellence. 4 For by these He
has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you
may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that
is in the world by lust.
5 ¶ Now for this very reason also, applying all
diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence, and in your moral excellence,
knowledge, 6 and in your knowledge,
self-control, and in your self-control, perseverance, and in your perseverance,
godliness, 7 and in your godliness,
brotherly kindness, and in your brotherly kindness, love. 8 For if these qualities are yours and are
increasing, they render you neither useless nor unfruitful in the true knowledge
of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 For he who
lacks these qualities is blind or short-sighted, having forgotten his purification
from his former sins.
8/10/2012 11:55:19 AM
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