June 4 – June 14 Daily Meditations in the Psalms
June 4
Psalms 47:5-9
5.
God is gone up with a shout, the LORD with the sound of a trumpet.
6.
Sing praises to God, sing praises: sing praises unto our King, sing
praises.
7.
For God is the King of all the earth: sing ye praises with
understanding.
8.
God reigneth over the heathen: God sitteth upon the throne of his
holiness.
9.
The princes of the people are gathered together, even the people of the
God of Abraham: for the shields of the earth belong unto God: he is greatly
exalted.
We are coming close to the
day, when we will see the clear manifestation of His sovereign reign. From
resurrection to judgment, He must rule until all enemies are subdued under His
feet. Jesus has ascended up on high to the shouts and trumpets of angels. His
resurrection victory marks the pivotal point of history, though it was settled
in the mind of God before the foundation of the earth. Let us join with the
angels, as the revelation, which they have long known, becomes clear to us.
Jesus is victor! “His right hand and His
glorious arm have gotten Him the victory!” Shout and sing! He is the King
of all the earth. He reigns over the heathen upon the throne of holiness. All
the nations are as a drop in a bucket in comparison to His eternal kingdom. All
power is given unto Him in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore and proclaim in
the Holy Spirit that He is ruler over hearts. Observe a holy people snatched
from the heathen, as He gathers them from among the inhabitants of the earth.
They are made princes, who were conquered by His throne and inducted into His
kingdom. He calls them together now, the people of the God of Abraham, the
father of nations. The formation of that kingdom, which shall have no end, is
in progress. He owns the cattle on a thousand hills. The silver and gold are
His and He possesses the shields of the earth. He has the resources to work all
things after the counsels of His will.
June 5
Psalms 48:1-3
1.
Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised in the city of our God, in
the mountain of his holiness.
2.
Beautiful for situation, the joy of the whole earth, is mount Zion, on
the sides of the north, the city of the great King.
3.
God is known in her palaces for a refuge.
This is a continuation of chapter 47. It
is a Psalm of Zion in relation to herself, those around about her, and God. It
is only upon Mt. Zion that we can delve into the business of the Lord of
heaven. From there, He is exalted. Of all the habitations on earth, this is the
one that brings joy to the King of Kings.
The whole world lies in spiritual darkness
and its people are blinded by the prince of the power of the air, but from Mt.
Zion come light and revelation to bring the truth of God to the human heart.
Its peak reaches above earth’s clouds of deception and worldly wisdom. It
pierces the floor of heaven and lets man see the great King upon His
everlasting throne. In Mt. Zion the Lord is great and greatly to be praised. It
is a holy mountain and only those with clean hands and a pure heart attain its
summit.
The
mountain is blessed with heavenly atmosphere, endowed with its beauty and
properties. It is the place on earth to be desired above all else. The natural
beauty, power and glory of cities and man’s wonders upon the earth are not to
be compared to the sides of the north, upon which God has set up his kingdom.
Here God reveals Himself and faith causes us to see that He is and that He is
the rewarder of those who seek Him.
June 6
Psalms 48:4-7
4.
For, lo, the kings were assembled, they passed by together.
5.
They saw it, and so they marvelled; they were troubled, and hasted away.
6.
Fear took hold upon them there, and pain, as of a woman in travail.
7.
Thou breakest the ships of Tarshish with an east wind.
When
the kings of the earth assemble near the sides of the north and heaven allows a
view beyond the world’s great cities into the eternal and infinite habitation
of God, it causes them consternation. They are troubled and hasten to escape in
painful fear. Nothing in their education or experience prepared them for what
they are seeing. They filled their arsenals against natural enemies and their
defenses were sure, but there is nothing in their weaponry to do battle against
the city of God. The first glimpse troubles them and they would like to close
their eyes, pretending it does not exist. Awe turns to panic, comparable to
labor pains, which, once they begin, there is no way to avoid. The leaders of
men instinctively know that God is the greatest enemy of their self-made plans
and rebellious enterprises. Their hopes and future will one day be inevitably
dashed against the rocks by the gale of judgment. The only permanent place on
earth is Mt. Zion. It will continue to be, after heaven and earth pass away.
June 7
Psalms 48:8-11
8.
As we have heard, so have we seen in the city of the LORD of hosts, in
the city of our God: God will establish it for ever. Selah.
9.
We have thought of thy lovingkindness, O God, in the midst of thy
temple.
10.
According to thy name, O God, so is thy praise unto the ends of the
earth: thy right hand is full of righteousness.
11.
Let mount Zion rejoice, let the daughters of Judah be glad, because of
thy judgments.
In the city of God, hearing
begets faith and faith begets experience. In chapter 45, it states, “Instead
of the fathers, will be the children.” The earnest attention of spiritual
ancestors to tell of the Lord’s wonders in their day produces a longing to
experience the same reality in subsequent generations. May the Lord grant that
what we have heard, we will see. His Word is forever settled in heaven. Jesus
Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever. What was, is and always will
be. The inheritance remains for the children of an unchangeable God. His
intentions for us are good and he will not withhold any good thing from those
who walk uprightly.
What we desire above all is for something
to happen that is worthy of God’s name and will evoke praise in the most remote
corners of the earth. All that God is, His glorious attributes, should be
manifested and experienced in our generation. We have heard of His name, now
let us see His lovingkindness and righteousness. Those who are citizens of
Zion, born within her walls, rejoice at the righteous judgments of God.
Righteousness is one of the foundation stones of his kingdom, along with peace
and joy. Through it, God is exalted upon the earth.
June 8
Psalms 48:12-14
12.
Walk about Zion, and go round about her: tell the towers thereof.
13.
Mark ye well her bulwarks, consider her palaces; that ye may tell it to
the generation following.
14.
For this God is our God for ever and ever: he will be our guide even
unto death.
The Psalmist counsels the people, who have
heard of God’s faithfulness to Zion and now have seen it for themselves, that
they should look long and hard. They are never to forget, but rather to
preserve what they have seen for the next generation, that they also may see
and desire the workings of God among them. Jesus certainly taught His disciples
to preserve the things they had heard and seen, as they made and baptized
disciples, “teaching them
to observe all things”. What the disciples
experienced, they recorded and so we have at our disposal today the Book of Acts. In it, we observe the
unfolding of that great city, born from above in the hearts of faithful,
obedient followers of Christ. Spiritual Zion was inaugurated by the wind of the
Holy Ghost, fanning tongues of fire that spread throughout the known world.
Luke carefully walked through the streets and circled the walls in 28 chapters.
He counted the towers, her high and lofty spires that radiated the glory of God
to places afar. He marked the bulwarks well and outlined her palaces that we
might have a pattern of that which pleases and glorifies God on the earth. God
has willed that we should hear of her, as many have before us. Shall we see
whether the Lord, who has brought it to our ears, will show it to our eyes? Let
us read well, then, and long, pray and meditate until our eyes feast upon the
actual towers, our fingers run along its bulwarks and our feet walk through its
streets. May our longings become experience and may we enter our inheritance.
May Mt. Zion become our home, a city set on a hill, which cannot be hid; the
light of the world, which earth’s kings cannot ignore.
Her God is our God. He is not a God confined to a glorious history, but he is
our guide today, who will lead us into the gates of Zion and from there to the
portals of glory.
June 9
Psalms 49:1-9
1.
Hear this, all ye people; give ear, all ye inhabitants of the world:
2.
Both low and high, rich and poor, together.
3.
My mouth shall speak of wisdom; and the meditation of my heart shall be
of understanding.
4.
I will incline mine ear to a parable: I will open my dark saying upon the
harp.
5.
Wherefore should I fear in the days of evil, when the iniquity of my
heels shall compass me about?
6.
They that trust in their wealth, and boast themselves in the multitude
of their riches;
7.
None of them can by any means redeem his brother, nor give to God a
ransom for him:
8.
(For the redemption of their soul is precious, and it ceaseth for ever:)
9.
That he should still live for ever, and not see corruption.
The Psalms are evangelistic. Believers
declare their messages and sing their songs. The inhabitants of the earth
overhear the singing of Zion and witness the attributes and teachings of the
people of God. It is the desire in His heart, which He conveys to His
followers, that all of mankind, irrespective of race or social status, should
hear.
The Psalm foretells the parables of Jesus.
They were His way of hiding spiritual truths from the wise and prudent and
revealing them to babes. Only those who came close with their whole hearts
could hear and understand.
The message
of this Psalm is similar to that of the Book of Ecclesiastes. It teaches the
vanity of the riches and wisdom of evil doers. In evangelist work, we must
first emphasize that all earth’s glory, power and accomplishments are vanity.
Man-made walls must be torn down, before the Lord’s architecture can be
constructed.
The Psalm
brings the value of man’s soul into consideration. Can money enrich the soul or
guarantee its future? Can it buy freedom from its slavery to sin? Can it pay
the debt owed to God, because of which the soul is imprisoned? No, the
redemption of the soul is beyond price. Man cannot purchase life or save
himself from corruption.
June 10
Psalms 49:10-13
10.
For he seeth that wise men die, likewise the fool and the brutish person
perish, and leave their wealth to others.
11.
Their inward thought is, that their houses shall continue for ever, and
their dwelling places to all generations; they call their lands after their own
names.
12.
Nevertheless man being in honour abideth not: he is like the beasts that
perish.
13.
This their way is their folly: yet their posterity approve their
sayings. Selah.
We all are witnesses to the shortness of life and the
inevitableness of death. The wise man and the fool leave their possessions
behind for others to hold, while worms quickly consume their physical
beings. Yet, by some strange mentality,
man passes through his 70 or 80 years, as though he were a permanent fixture on
this planet and as though there were no end to his earthly existence. He tries
to find immortality by accumulating possessions. He names his property after
himself and builds houses that will stand for succeeding generations. The more
powerful the man is, the more formidable are his works.
Nevertheless, the gospel warns, he and his possession will not endure.
As the beast, which is not preoccupied with gain, he will die and his body will
decay. His role in life was folly. Yet, the generation that follows does not
learn the lesson. It says, “Consider this great man. He prepared, disciplined
himself, planned, built and prospered. Let us follow his example.” No one seems
to consider that he now lies decomposing in the earth and no one dares to
question, “Where is this man’s soul?”
June 11
Psalms 49:14-20
14.
Like sheep they are laid in the grave; death shall feed on them; and the
upright shall have dominion over them in the morning; and their beauty shall
consume in the grave from their dwelling.
15.
But God will redeem my soul from the power of the grave: for he shall
receive me. Selah.
16.
Be not thou afraid when one is made rich, when the glory of his house is
increased;
17.
For when he dieth he shall carry nothing away: his glory shall not
descend after him.
18.
Though while he lived he blessed his soul: and men will praise thee,
when thou doest well to thyself.
19.
He shall go to the generation of his fathers; they shall never see
light.
20.
Man that is in honour, and understandeth not, is like the beasts that
perish.
On the dawn of God’s new day, the upright
will be honored, though they be in this life beggars as Lazarus, while the
unrighteous perish. Man can do nothing to redeem himself or to make himself
righteous. However, let the entire world hear an amazing word of hope. God has
performed a work of redemption for souls! Christ died and rose again, blotting
out sin and paving the way to eternal life. A mass of humanity puts their trust
in Him, is made righteous and follows Him into glory.
Do not be impressed by the ways of the
prosperous and the pragmatic. Ignore their sales pitches and fear tactics. Turn
away from their successes. They cannot redeem their own soul. Though multitudes
praise their wisdom and take notes at their seminars, their eternal future is
as dark as their spiritual understanding. Their emphasis is on the temporal and
like temporal beasts, though they are prizewinners, they perish. The first
lesson of evangelism is to teach the vanity of temporal success. Pay attention
to those who open their mouths to speak spiritual wisdom and understanding, the
teachers of parables and hidden sayings of the spiritual realm.
June 12
Psalms 50:1-6
1.
The mighty God, even the LORD, hath spoken, and called the earth from
the rising of the sun unto the going down thereof.
2.
Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God hath shined.
3.
Our God shall come, and shall not keep silence: a fire shall devour
before him, and it shall be very tempestuous round about him.
4.
He shall call to the heavens from above, and to the earth, that he may
judge his people.
5.
Gather my saints together unto me; those that have made a covenant with
me by sacrifice.
6.
And the heavens shall declare his righteousness: for God is judge
himself. Selah.
We not only need to be
reminded of what God has said, but also of the Person and capabilities of the
One, who has spoken. He is the God who has called creation into being and
governs its movements. He is Lord over all and mighty beyond comprehension. He
is the One who speaks and this is what He says:
He will
surely visit us. He will walk through the gates of Zion, that city prepared on
earth to be a reflection of heaven. Zion is not a large city, because God is
looking for quality, more than quantity. He wants it to shine with His glory.
He will manifest Himself clearly when He
comes. Whenever God came on the scene in Old Testament times, His prophets
thunderously heralded His presence. After 400 years of silence between Old and
New Testaments, a mighty and clear word was proclaimed, first by John the
Baptist, then by the Word of God Himself, followed by His disciples. Holy
Spirit fire called attention to the word, burned it into hearts and consumed
all that stood in the way to oppose. Spiritually speaking, it was a violent,
stormy time and heaven and earth were shaken. There are times when judgment
must begin in the house of God. It purifies and separates the chaff from the
wheat, but it also unites and gathers. It is not principally a gathering of
people to one another, but a gathering unto Him. That is a true unity movement.
They who enter do so through the blood of the New Testament. They find
themselves together with all those, who have entered into covenant with God.
June 13
Psalms 50:7-15
7.
Hear, O my people, and I will speak; O Israel, and I will testify
against thee: I am God, even thy God.
8.
I will not reprove thee for thy sacrifices or thy burnt offerings, to
have been continually before me.
9.
I will take no bullock out of thy house, nor he goats out of thy folds.
10.
For every beast of the forest is mine, and the cattle upon a thousand
hills.
11.
I know all the fowls of the mountains: and the wild beasts of the field
are mine.
12.
If I were hungry, I would not tell thee: for the world is mine, and the
fulness thereof.
13.
Will I eat the flesh of bulls, or drink the blood of goats?
14.
Offer unto God thanksgiving; and pay thy vows unto the most High:
15.
And call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou
shalt glorify me.
God does not stand in need of anything. He
is not poor or dependent upon His creation. He refused Cain’s offering. He
asks, “What house will you build me,
seeing heaven is my throne and earth is my footstool?” What task can you
perform to help Him? Jesus said, “This is
the work of God, that you believe on Him whom He has sent.” Emmanuel came
to us and performed the sacrifice that pleased God, when we were helpless. The
high priest of our salvation took the bread and the cup, blessed it and said, “Take eat and…take drink.” He gave the
supply and the disciples simply partook of it.
Do not plan and scheme saying, “What can
we do to work the works of God?” Is there something that God requires from us?
We are commanded to believe, to trust in Him. We are urged to call: “Call upon
me in the day of trouble, and I will deliver thee and thou shalt glorify me.”
That is what we are to do in order that the work of God might be performed. The
trouble is that men do the work, so they can be glorified, but they do not
pray. We ought to pray and believe, because there is nothing else we can do.
However, our prayers are not to be considered duties done to impress God, but
heartfelt desperation and dependence, because of our helplessness. God is the
deliverer, so look to Him and call. That is the way to glorify Him.
June 14
Psalms 50:16-23
16.
But unto the wicked God saith, What hast thou to do to declare my
statutes, or that thou shouldest take my covenant in thy mouth?
17.
Seeing thou hatest instruction, and castest my words behind thee.
18.
When thou sawest a thief, then thou consentedst with him, and hast been
partaker with adulterers.
19.
Thou givest thy mouth to evil, and thy tongue frameth deceit.
20.
Thou sittest and speakest against thy brother; thou slanderest thine own
mother's son.
21.
These things hast thou done, and I kept silence; thou thoughtest that I
was altogether such an one as thyself: but I will reprove thee, and set them in
order before thine eyes.
22.
Now consider this, ye that forget God, lest I tear you in pieces, and
there be none to deliver.
23.
Whoso offereth praise glorifieth me: and to him that ordereth his
conversation aright will I shew the salvation of God.
God speaks out of Zion to the wicked,
specifically to the hypocrites. They talk of His statutes and discuss His
covenant, but in works they deny Him. He is addressing preachers, who speak
with fiery zeal, put whose life produces corrupt fruit. They rob God of His
glory and join thieves to rob people. They commit adultery. They are deceivers
and slanderers, who are worse then the ones, against whom they speak. The Psalm
is very applicable to many public preachers of our day.
Their concept of God is taken from their
own imagination. As they are, so they think God to be. In this way, they can justify
their ungodly actions. God understands, they think. Oh no, the true God will
not keep silent for long, but will reprove and set things in order. This is a
severe warning, but it carries a potential for repentance. If no repentance
comes, he will tear in pieces and like Humpty-Dumpty, all the king’s horses and
men, will not be able to repair the damage.
Learn this
lesson, if you will take His statutes and covenant into your mouth. The praise
belongs to God. His salvation and deliverance belong to the one who is willing
to make adjustments in his life. The amplified translates verse 23, “…to him
who prepares the way that I will show him…”. In other words, he adjusts his
way, so that it lines up with God’s. Too many think they can serve Him in their
own way.
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