September 28 - October 4 Daily Meditations in the Psalms
September 28
Psalms 95:9-11
9. When your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my work.
10. Forty years long was I grieved with this generation, and said, It is a people that do err in their heart, and they have not known my ways:
11. Unto whom I sware in my wrath that they should not enter into my rest.
Many see His works, but do not know His ways. Israel spied the land, but did not enter. The knowledge they gained, only served to tempt, prove, and finally grieve God. The big step over the flooded Jordan was never taken. We face the same danger with our knowledge of holiness and revival. We need to open the door of our hearts unreservedly, in order that we might truly believe and enter in through faith.
The Psalm is open-ended and leads us to Hebrews 4. There remains a rest for the people of God. He that enters His rest has ceased from his own works and the power of the word of God has become the ruling principle of his life. Prayer (see Hebrews 4:16) is the proof that we no longer look to our possibilities or ourselves, but to the throne of grace for mercy and help in time of need.
September 29
Psalms 96:1-9
1. O sing unto the LORD a new song: sing unto the LORD, all the earth.
2. Sing unto the LORD, bless his name; shew forth his salvation from day to day.
3. Declare his glory among the heathen, his wonders among all people.
4. For the LORD is great, and greatly to be praised: he is to be feared above all gods.
5. For all the gods of the nations are idols: but the LORD made the heavens.
6. Honour and majesty are before him: strength and beauty are in his sanctuary.
7. Give unto the LORD, O ye kindreds of the people, give unto the LORD glory and strength.
8. Give unto the LORD the glory due unto his name: bring an offering, and come into his courts.
9. O worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness: fear before him, all the earth.
……………………………………
They that have entered sing a new song. You cannot sing the Lord’s song in a strange country and you cannot sing a wilderness song in the promised land. Our song must be in harmony with our experience.
When God’s people have entered and have ceased from their own labors, it is a testimony to the whole earth. The Psalms teach us that the entire earth is required to return honor, majesty, strength and beauty with interest to its Creator. It is a debt unpaid. The Maker, who formed and breathed into us the breath of life, should receive the praise due to Him. It is not an option. He is greatly to be praised and feared. Man in his rebellion has turned to gods that have done nothing for him, yet he gives them his life to fear and worship them. In our hearts and minds this must become a totally intolerable situation. We should rise up in holy jealousy for the Lord’s honor, because all the gods of the nations are demonic idols. They are false, deceptive and destructive. Yet they receive the most attention, as people spend their money and spill their blood to feed them.
September 30
Psalms 96
1. O sing unto the LORD a new song: sing unto the LORD, all the earth.
2. Sing unto the LORD, bless his name; shew forth his salvation from day to day.
3. Declare his glory among the heathen, his wonders among all people.
4. For the LORD is great, and greatly to be praised: he is to be feared above all gods.
5. For all the gods of the nations are idols: but the LORD made the heavens.
6. Honour and majesty are before him: strength and beauty are in his sanctuary.
7. Give unto the LORD, O ye kindreds of the people, give unto the LORD glory and strength.
8. Give unto the LORD the glory due unto his name: bring an offering, and come into his courts.
9. O worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness: fear before him, all the earth.
10. Say among the heathen that the LORD reigneth: the world also shall be established that it shall not be moved: he shall judge the people righteously.
11. Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad; let the sea roar, and the fulness thereof.
12. Let the field be joyful, and all that is therein: then shall all the trees of the wood rejoice
13. Before the LORD: for he cometh, for he cometh to judge the earth: he shall judge the world with righteousness, and the people with his truth.
There is no true saint of God, who does not become a missionary at heart. He is determined that the earth learn the “new song” and bless His name. The “new song” is a missionary song. Missionary work is a labor of love and jealousy for the Lord. It is time for a clear demonstration of the glory of God among the heathen. It is no wonder that we must be endued with power from on high for this task. The Holy Spirit alone, working through His people, can manifest his glory and wonders. Salvation means to be born of the Spirit, so it is entirely His work. The gospel that we are to take to the ends of the earth teaches the heathen that the Lord is to be praised and feared. Native gods are to be renounced and torn down. We say to the nations, “The Lord reigneth.” The gospel pronounces Jesus to be King and demands that every knee should bow. It preaches holiness and godly fear.
The Holy Spirit came to convict the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment. The last verses of this missionary Psalm speak of His coming judgment and righteous reign upon the earth. It is not a negative message. His judgment brings rejoicing and nature itself responds with holy glee. His kingdom on earth begins now in holy, worshipful hearts.
Fourth Quarter
In this year’s final quarter, we survey the shortest and the longest Psalms. The length of the 119th chapter may keep the less diligent from some of the most precious treasures in the storehouse of God’s word. The Holy Spirit is behind such tactics to ward off those, who seek with less than the whole heart. It contains some of the most quoted and famous promises and truth. The Psalm is broken up in sections by the letters of the Hebrew alphabet, so as not to be overtaxing. Take them one at a time and be enriched. They concern the law of the Lord, the full counsel of God, the worth of the statutes and testimonies that the Lord has placed at our disposal.
Don’t hurry through the short 117th Psalm. Meditate upon it. Jesus counseled His disciples, “Take heed how you hear.” We are to go beyond the realm of the intellect and dig deeper than the emotions, in order to hear with the ears of the heart.
Praise seems to become increasingly exuberant as we near the end of the Psalms. The prayers and problems are similar to the ones that the Psalmist has expressed throughout the chapters. However, it is evident that he has arrived at a level, upon which, having proved the faithfulness of the Lord over the years, his soul rises above the circumstances. He has come to trust Him fully. The Psalms portray much more than poetry and song. They write the biography of the man, who is blessed of God. He has not walked in the counsel of the ungodly, stood in the way of sinners, or sat with the scornful, but has delighted and meditated in the words of the Eternal One. He has learned to pray well and has reached a high level of spiritual maturity.
Let us see if we can catch a breath of the rarified breeze that blows from Mt. Zion’s peak and echo the refrain of Johnson Oatman Jr.:
I want to live above the world,
Tho Satan’s darts at me are hurled;
For faith has caught the joyful sound,
The song of saints on higher ground.
October 1
Psalms 97:1-2, 12
1. The LORD reigneth; let the earth rejoice; let the multitude of isles be glad thereof.
2. Clouds and darkness are round about him: righteousness and judgment are the habitation of his throne.
12. Rejoice in the LORD, ye righteous; and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness.
There is a perimeter of clouds and darkness that surrounds the glory of the Lord. It hides Him from the non-penetrating eye, but never doubt – the Lord reigns! All people belong to Him and will eventually experience the full effect of His reign. That day will be cause for great rejoicing upon the seven continents and the isles of the sea. In this day, there is already a remnant scattered throughout the earth, who can see through the clouds and rejoice. They recognize now the full authority and sovereignty of the Lord Jesus. His total despotism is not a problem to them. They gladly yield their crowns. Recognition of the ruling authority of Christ is the first step into sainthood.
October 2
Psalms 97:2-9
2. Clouds and darkness are round about him: righteousness and judgment are the habitation of his throne.
3. A fire goeth before him, and burneth up his enemies round about.
4. His lightnings enlightened the world: the earth saw, and trembled.
5. The hills melted like wax at the presence of the LORD, at the presence of the Lord of the whole earth.
6. The heavens declare his righteousness, and all the people see his glory.
7. Confounded be all they that serve graven images, that boast themselves of idols: worship him, all ye gods.
8. Zion heard, and was glad; and the daughters of Judah rejoiced because of thy judgments, O LORD.
9. For thou, LORD, art high above all the earth: thou art exalted far above all gods.
Yesterday, we mentioned the first step into sainthood. The second is an appreciation for God’s righteousness and judgment. Righteousness is the absolute standard by which God rules His kingdom. Judgment is the measure He takes to see that His standard is upheld. Rebellious men balk at these words, considering them harsh and cold. They are boastful, little gods, who rise up in pseudo challenge to the King of Righteousness. The Lord’s love for righteousness is an insurmountable obstacle to the unfolding of their sinful purposes. If they refuse to submit to it, His judgment will consume their efforts and their very lives. In contrast, the people of God rejoice at the judgment that melts mountains, dismantles idols and causes trembling. The divine nature within them rules their lives and they would have it no other way. They long for the manifestation of His glory, which confounds humanistic worship and undermines its products. Zion is glad, when heavenly fire consumes the life-long plans and efforts of unrighteousness.
October 3
Psalms 97:2-3, 5, 7, 10-12
2. Clouds and darkness are round about him: righteousness and judgment are the habitation of his throne.
3. A fire goeth before him, and burneth up his enemies round about.
5. The hills melted like wax at the presence of the LORD, at the presence of the Lord of the whole earth.
7. Confounded be all they that serve graven images, that boast themselves of idols: worship him, all ye gods.
10. Ye that love the LORD, hate evil: he preserveth the souls of his saints; he delivereth them out of the hand of the wicked.
11. Light is sown for the righteous, and gladness for the upright in heart.
12. Rejoice in the LORD, ye righteous; and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness.
Today, we consider the third step to sainthood - a hatred for evil. Those who are not motivated by His love will not understand the saints’ intolerance for and unwillingness to fellowship with unfruitful works of darkness. Those who truly belong to God, have a passionate
hatred for all forms of evil. They have no appreciation for the mirages of human success. They are looking for future preservation and deliverance, when the fire of God burns in judgment. They penetrate God’s ring of clouds and darkness and step into light and gladness. Saints see and trust, while the ungodly wander in confusion. The righteous rejoice in His holiness, while the world grieves over fiery destruction. When Babylon falls, God’s people rejoice over her. Holiness outlives all else, because He is holy and without holiness no man shall see the Lord. Holiness is the beauty and glory of God.
October 4
Psalms 98
1. O sing unto the LORD a new song; for he hath done marvellous things: his right hand, and his holy arm, hath gotten him the victory.
2. The LORD hath made known his salvation: his righteousness hath he openly shewed in the sight of the heathen.
3. He hath remembered his mercy and his truth toward the house of Israel: all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.
4. Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all the earth: make a loud noise, and rejoice, and sing praise.
5. Sing unto the LORD with the harp; with the harp, and the voice of a psalm.
6. With trumpets and sound of cornet make a joyful noise before the LORD, the King.
7. Let the sea roar, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein.
8. Let the floods clap their hands: let the hills be joyful together
9. Before the LORD; for he cometh to judge the earth: with righteousness shall he judge the world, and the people with equity.
With every new wave of victory, as God moves in special ways, His people create new songs of praise to lift to Him. Theory turns to reality and His marvelous works, the might of His right arm, become more than sermon material. Today, the influence of the world upon the church seems prevalent and insurmountable. Few of this generation know what God can do, but He is planning an open manifestation of righteousness and salvation.
Righteousness must not and need not be compromised in pursuit of salvation. Men compromise, because they need to, in order to fulfill their programs, but the power of God will conquer, when it is His turn to move. Salvation is never a compromise and new birth is a victorious miracle. Possibility religion, that is achievable on human levels, saves no one. Salvation is a demonstration of God Himself that awes the heathen. It publicly strips the enemy of his armor and medals. We do not need the concentrated effort of man. When the Lord remembers His mercy and truth towards the house of any people, who will prevail with God, then all the ends of the earth will sit up and take notice. “This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached for a witness unto all people.” Can this Psalm move us towards one last revival?
In man’s religion, the emphasis is given to methods and programs and praise is weak. When, the Lord lays bear His arm, He receives the glory and shouting and singing ascend from earth to heaven. The voice of people, harp, trumpet, and cornet resound before the King and nature joins the concert. Natural wonders accompany the moving of the Spirit. Earth, sea, and hills roar and clap their hands to welcome righteousness and judgment, as the Victor sets things right side up.
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