SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 10/21/2012
8:56:46 AM
My Worship Time Focus: Psalm 129
PT-1
Bible Reading & Meditation Reference: Psalm 129:1-2
Message of
the verses: We will look at several introductions to
Psalm 129 by different Bible Commentators in today’s SD in order to help us
better understand what this “ascent” psalm has to say, and how it will benefit
us in our walk with the Lord.
“This psalm relates to the
public concerns of God’s Israel. It is not certain when it was penned, probably
when they were in captivity in Babylon, or about the time of their return.
“I. They look back with thankfulness for the
former deliverances God had wrought for them and their fathers out of the many
distresses they had been in from time to time, #Ps 129:1-4.
“II. They look forward with a believing
prayer for and a prospect of the destruction of all the enemies of Zion, #Ps
129:5-8. In singing this psalm we may apply it both ways to the Gospel-Israel,
which, like the Old-testament Israel, has weathered many a storm and is still
threatened by many enemies.” (Matthew
Henry)
“Title: A Song of Degrees. I fail to see how this is a
step beyond the previous Psalm; and yet it is clearly the song of an older and
more tried individual, who looks back upon a life of affliction in which he
suffered all along, even from his youth. Inasmuch as patience is a higher, or
at least more difficult, grace than domestic love, the ascent or progress may
perhaps be seen in that direction. Probably if we knew more of the stations on
the road to the Temple we should see a reason for the order of these Psalms;
but as that information cannot be obtained, we must take the songs as we find
them, and remember that, as we do not now go on pilgrimages to Zion, it is our
curiosity and not oar necessity which is a loser by our not knowing the cause
of the arrangement of the songs in this Pilgrim Psalter.
“AUTHOR, ETC. — It does not seem to us at
all needful to ascribe this Psalm to a period subsequent to the captivity …
indeed, it is more suitable to a time when as yet the enemy bad not so far
prevailed as to have carried the people into a distant land. It is a mingled
hymn of sorrow and of strong resolve. Though sorely smitten, the afflicted one
is heart whole, and scorns to yield in the least degree to the enemy. The poet
sings the trials of Israel, #Ps 129:1-3; the interposition of the Lord, #Ps
129:4; and the unblessed condition of Israel’s foes, #Ps 129:5-8. It is a
rustic song, full of allusions to husbandry.
It reminds us of the books of Ruth and Amos.”
(Charles H. Spurgeon)
“The destruction of
Jerusalem by the Babylonians was described by the prophets as ‘plowing’ (vv.
3-4; Isa. 51:23; Mic. 3:12; Jer. 26:17-18), so this psalm was probably written
after the exiles returned to the land.
There they were surrounded by enemy peoples who hated them, so the theme
was appropriate. The psalmist speaks for
the nation and states that , no matter how severe the persecution, nothing can
destroy the people of Israel. But God’s
church has also suffered severe persecution throughout the centuries, and
faithful individual Christians face personal hostility. ‘Yes, and all who desire to live godly in
Christ Jesus will suffer persecution’ (2Tim. 3:12, NKJV). The psalm gives three instructions that we
should follow when we find ourselves suffering for Jesus Christ.” (Dr. Warren Wiersbe)
Accept It (vv. 1-2)
“ 1 ¶ «A
Song of Ascents.» "Many times they have persecuted me from my youth
up," Let Israel now say, 2
"Many times they have persecuted me from my youth up; Yet they have
not prevailed against me.”
I am reminded of Genesis
12:1-3 where God says to Abram, “1 ¶ Now
the LORD said to Abram, "Go forth from your country, And from your
relatives And from your father’s house, To the land which I will show you;
2 And I will make you a great nation,
And I will bless you, And make your name great; And so you shall be a blessing;
3 And I will bless those who bless you, And the one who
curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth will be
blessed.’” The psalmist is reaffirming
this promise that God made to Abraham, and thus to the house of Israel. When God states that through Abraham that all
the nations of the earth will be blessed, He is speaking of the coming of the
Messiah, Jesus Christ, who came from the line of Abraham. Israel has been persecuted more than any other
nation in the history of mankind, and yet Israel still stands today and as of
May 14, 1948, Israel is not back in their land, and they are still surrounded
by their enemies, who are still trying to destroy her. God’s Word makes it plain that this will not
happen and Paul writes to the Romans that there will come a day when “all
Israel will be saved.”
The persecution that Israel
faced has also been in the Church as even today we read from the “Voice of the
Martyrs” whose website is http://www.persecution.com/ that there are close to
1000 people who die every day for the cause of Christ.
Spiritual meaning
for my life today: I am so thankful
for the Word of God, especially because I do not have to worry about what is
going to happen to this world, for we can find out what will happen in His
Word, especially books like Daniel, Ezekiel, Revelations and many other books
of the Bible. We can read in Revelations
chapters six through nineteen what will happen in the last days of planet earth
before the return of Jesus Christ physically to the earth, and later on in that
book we can read what will happen to this world and see how God will make a new
heaven and a new earth for His children to live on.
We may yet go through
persecution in this country, but we have the great hope that the Lord will
return to take us to be with Him and we will be with Him forever.
My Steps of Faith for Today: Continue to learn contentment from reading
the Word of God and trusting the Lord of Glory.
Memory verses for the week: 1Cor 13:8-13
8 Love never fails; but if there are gifts of prophecy,
they will be done away; if there are tongues, they will cease; if there is
knowledge, it will be done away. 9 For
we know in part, and we prophecy in part, 10 but when the perfect comes the
partial will be done away. 11 When I was
a child I use to speak like a child, think like a child, reason like a child,
when I became a man I did away with childish things. 12 For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then
face to face; now I know in part, but then I will know fully just as I also
have been fully known. 13 But now faith, hope, love, abide these three, but the
greatest of these is love.
10/21/2012 9:39:33 AM
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