"Will the Lord reject forever?
And will He never be favorable again?
Has His lovingkindness ceased forever?
Has His promise come to an end forever?"
These words expressed despair of the author of Psalm 77 at a dark time in Israel's history.
This psalmist made a decision in verse 11 to turn his focus on who God is: His promises to us, the kind of God He revealed Himself to be and His past acts of faithfulness to us. He made a decision: "I will remember the deeds of the Lord...What god is great like our God?"
As some of you know, I have been studying, teaching and writing about "remembering the Lord" for a year or two. I can't seem to get enough of searching for and finding all the wonderful things that God tells us in the Bible to "remember" about Him! Those things we are to think on, meditate on and base our faith on. The entire Bible is about God revealing Himself to mankind. The answer to every hurt, problem or fear is always found in the character of God! Who He really is! What kind of God He is!
Today it is the time for me to make a choice, as the old cliche' says, to "put my money where my mouth is." Yes, I am disappointed. It really hurts to have hope crushed. As Christians, it was not about our 401k's or even our healthcare, but about making a least one step back toward the values upon which this country was established. Yet, today, I choose to "remember the Lord!"
Has God changed? No, because, He said in Malachi 3:6 "I, the Lord, do not change."
Has God left us? No, because He said in Hebrews 13:5 "I will never leave you nor forsake you."
"For we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, and to those who are called according to His purpose." Romans 8:28
Today: REMEMBER THE LORD!
Wednesday, November 7, 2012
Sunday, October 28, 2012
What Does It Mean To "Remember"?
The word "remember" is important in the Old Testament - used 148 times. In the Hebrew language it implies a note of compassion. It is much more than a brain function - more than remembering where my keys are. The Hebrew word translated "remember" in the Old Testament means:
- to express concern for
- to act with loving care for
- to remember with favor
- to think again
- to recall
- to be careful not to forget
The word was often used in connection with God remembering His covenant promises.
Remembering was not passive - unlike something simply "popping" into your head. When God remembered, He acted! His remembering was followed by an action to fulfill His covenant promises.
The first mention of the word "remember" is in Genesis 8:1 The "first mention" of a word in the Bible is significant in Bible study. It usually determines how that Hebrew word will be translated and what its meaning is throughout scripture.
Genesis 8:1 "And God remembered Noah and every living thing and all the cattle that was with him in the ark, and God made a wind to pass over the earth and the waters asswaged."
It is almost comical to think of God suddenly remembering that Noah is floating around in the ark with all those animals. Of course God had not actually forgotten Noah was there, but He uses the word "remember" to express the loving care and favor with which He acts to rescue Noah and family.
Another illustration of the meaning of the word is in Genesis 30:22, "God remembered Rachel and opened her womb." Of course, God had not forgotten that Rachel was barren or that He had promised Abraham that through his seed the whole earth would be blessed. Of course, Jacob's wife must have a child in order for Abraham's line of descendants to continue. God had not forgotten. It had not slipped His mind, but here, He expresses the loving care with which He acts to fulfill His covenant with Abraham.
Again, in Exodus 2:24, after the Hebrew people had been slaves in Egypt for 400 years, they cried out to God and "God heard their groanings and remembered His covenant with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob."
When God remembered, He acted! In the Old Testament, when the people remembered God, they worshipped Him. Remembering was a part of their worship. Remembering is not a passive activity.
Friday, August 17, 2012
Asaph, the author of Psalm 77
As we saw in the previous post, the author of Psalm 77 was in a dark place. In verses 7-9 he expresses his deep despair.
What was the writer of Psalm 77 going through that caused such despair? The author of Psalm 77 is believed to be a man named Asaph. He was the director of music as King David's Tent of Meeting and at Solomon's temple. He probably wrote much of the music that accompanied David's Psalms. He held that position at least until the dedication of Solomon's temple, probably for about 40 years. He lived during the reigns of David, Solomon and Solomon's son Rehoboam.
I remember feeling just like Asaph expressed above after 9/11. It seemed that life in our country would never be secure or happy again. We have lived an incredibly blessed life here and enjoyed the American dream. I thought, "is all that over?" "Will my family love a secure life, or is all hope now gone?
Without understanding Asaph's life and times, we can't fully comprehend Psalm 77. Serving under David, he knew of the great promise that God gave David that his descendant would reign over the throne in Jerusalem forever. He had to have been very close to David. He lived through seeing David fall in to sin with Bathsheba. He experienced David's grief and observed the grace of God on David's life. He grieved over David's death, and rejoiced with all of Israel as David's son Solomon built the glorious temple. Like many, he probably assumed that Solomon was the messiah and that the Millennial Kingdom was beginning. He rejoiced over the wisdom and glory of Solomon's reign, only to be devastated when Solomon turned his back on God and pursued power, wealth, women and human wisdom, as well as worship of other gods. There is good reason to believe that Asaph's brother, Zechariah (not the prophet) was assassinated by Solomon's agents for not keeping silent about Solomon's wickedness. Asaph saw Israel torn in two and then the temple stripped by an invasion of Egyptians. No wonder he was depressed! Asaph's times were much more dire and dangerous than even the beginning of our War on Terror.
It is amazing to see though, that, in his deep despair, Asaph knew God! He knew God's character--his mercy, lovingkindness, compassion. Because he knew God, he could not understand God's seeming silence. He assumed that, since he could not see God working in his situation, that something must be wrong! He expected God's presence to be with him and did not understand why it seemed that God was no where to be found! How did Asaph know that he could pour out his heart like that to God? Remember this man worshipped with David. He had witnessed David's heart-wrenching repentance as expressed in Psalm 51. Because Asaph knew God, the mood of the psalm changes dramatically in verse 11 when Asaph made a decision to REMEMBER God.
"Will the Lord reject forever?
And will He never be favorable again?
Has His lovingkindness ceased forever?
Has His promise come to an end forever?
Has God forgotten to be gracious
Or has He in anger withdrawn His compassion?
Then I said, 'It is my grief
That the right hand of the Most High had changed.'"
I remember feeling just like Asaph expressed above after 9/11. It seemed that life in our country would never be secure or happy again. We have lived an incredibly blessed life here and enjoyed the American dream. I thought, "is all that over?" "Will my family love a secure life, or is all hope now gone?
Without understanding Asaph's life and times, we can't fully comprehend Psalm 77. Serving under David, he knew of the great promise that God gave David that his descendant would reign over the throne in Jerusalem forever. He had to have been very close to David. He lived through seeing David fall in to sin with Bathsheba. He experienced David's grief and observed the grace of God on David's life. He grieved over David's death, and rejoiced with all of Israel as David's son Solomon built the glorious temple. Like many, he probably assumed that Solomon was the messiah and that the Millennial Kingdom was beginning. He rejoiced over the wisdom and glory of Solomon's reign, only to be devastated when Solomon turned his back on God and pursued power, wealth, women and human wisdom, as well as worship of other gods. There is good reason to believe that Asaph's brother, Zechariah (not the prophet) was assassinated by Solomon's agents for not keeping silent about Solomon's wickedness. Asaph saw Israel torn in two and then the temple stripped by an invasion of Egyptians. No wonder he was depressed! Asaph's times were much more dire and dangerous than even the beginning of our War on Terror.
It is amazing to see though, that, in his deep despair, Asaph knew God! He knew God's character--his mercy, lovingkindness, compassion. Because he knew God, he could not understand God's seeming silence. He assumed that, since he could not see God working in his situation, that something must be wrong! He expected God's presence to be with him and did not understand why it seemed that God was no where to be found! How did Asaph know that he could pour out his heart like that to God? Remember this man worshipped with David. He had witnessed David's heart-wrenching repentance as expressed in Psalm 51. Because Asaph knew God, the mood of the psalm changes dramatically in verse 11 when Asaph made a decision to REMEMBER God.
Wednesday, July 25, 2012
Remembering the Lord
Have you ever been puzzled by trials? Discouraged by unanswered prayer? Wondered if God is still interested in your problems? Asked God “are you still there?
If so, you are not unlike the author of Psalm 77. Many of the Psalms were written by King David, but this one is thought to be written by David's Chief Musician, Asaph. Asaph lived in a horrendous time in Israel's history. There is no doubt that he was in great distress. He did not understand why God was not responding to his prayers. He wrote in verses 7- 9
“Will the Lord cast off forever? And will he be favourable no more? Is His mercy clean gone forever? Doth His promise fail for evermore? Hath God forgotten to be gracious? Hath he in anger shut up his tender mercies?”
Each one of us has been in a place like this, probably many times. A time when we ask, "What happened, Lord? Where are you?” A trial that we think we cannot bear. We remember God's faithfulness to us in the past and wonder if we will never know that again. Is it all over for me? Will I ever know joy again?
The death of a loved one. A serious diagnosis. A deep disappointment. Even the gradual wearing down of our spirits as we deal with the problems of this world--yet another day. There have been times in my life that I understood why the writer of Psalm 77 asked if God had forgotten to be gracious! But as I read verse 10, he seemed to gain new strength, declaring “BUT I WILL REMEMBER the works of the Lord: surely I will remember thy wonders of old.”
What did the psalmist REMEMBER about God? The word “remember” is used often in the Bible. Sometimes I complain that I am losing my memory because I lose keys or forget names, but in the Bible the word “remember” means much more than that. It means to recall, to remember with favor, and to meditate on. Remembering was a part of worship. People in the Old Testament often built memorials to help them remember, as Joshua set up twelve memorial stones by the Jordan River to remind the people that God had kept his promise and brought them into the Promised Land. (Joshua 4:7)
If you know me, you remember certain things about me. My name. Am I quiet? Friendly? If you got to know me better, you might begin to observe my character. Am I honest? Am I kind? Am I loyal? Can you depend on me? What is my personality? If I have written you letters, you know what I have said about myself. What would this writer of Psalms know about God to remember?
Well, God chose to reveal Himself to and through the descendants of Abraham, the Israelite people. He brought them out of slavery in Egypt, gave them the law through Moses and brought them into the Promised Land. Through these events and the written accounts of them, God revealed Himself. He told them His many names. In Bible times, a name was more than a name—it represented the person’s character. It told you something about that person.
The psalmist, the writer of Psalm 77, would remember:
If so, you are not unlike the author of Psalm 77. Many of the Psalms were written by King David, but this one is thought to be written by David's Chief Musician, Asaph. Asaph lived in a horrendous time in Israel's history. There is no doubt that he was in great distress. He did not understand why God was not responding to his prayers. He wrote in verses 7- 9
“Will the Lord cast off forever? And will he be favourable no more? Is His mercy clean gone forever? Doth His promise fail for evermore? Hath God forgotten to be gracious? Hath he in anger shut up his tender mercies?”
Each one of us has been in a place like this, probably many times. A time when we ask, "What happened, Lord? Where are you?” A trial that we think we cannot bear. We remember God's faithfulness to us in the past and wonder if we will never know that again. Is it all over for me? Will I ever know joy again?
The death of a loved one. A serious diagnosis. A deep disappointment. Even the gradual wearing down of our spirits as we deal with the problems of this world--yet another day. There have been times in my life that I understood why the writer of Psalm 77 asked if God had forgotten to be gracious! But as I read verse 10, he seemed to gain new strength, declaring “BUT I WILL REMEMBER the works of the Lord: surely I will remember thy wonders of old.”
What did the psalmist REMEMBER about God? The word “remember” is used often in the Bible. Sometimes I complain that I am losing my memory because I lose keys or forget names, but in the Bible the word “remember” means much more than that. It means to recall, to remember with favor, and to meditate on. Remembering was a part of worship. People in the Old Testament often built memorials to help them remember, as Joshua set up twelve memorial stones by the Jordan River to remind the people that God had kept his promise and brought them into the Promised Land. (Joshua 4:7)
If you know me, you remember certain things about me. My name. Am I quiet? Friendly? If you got to know me better, you might begin to observe my character. Am I honest? Am I kind? Am I loyal? Can you depend on me? What is my personality? If I have written you letters, you know what I have said about myself. What would this writer of Psalms know about God to remember?
Well, God chose to reveal Himself to and through the descendants of Abraham, the Israelite people. He brought them out of slavery in Egypt, gave them the law through Moses and brought them into the Promised Land. Through these events and the written accounts of them, God revealed Himself. He told them His many names. In Bible times, a name was more than a name—it represented the person’s character. It told you something about that person.
The psalmist, the writer of Psalm 77, would remember:
- God’s Word: what God said about Himself through the law and the prophets
- God’s character: what God is like: his faithfulness, His love, His mercy…
- God’s name: He is Jehovah, the one true God, the majestic and all powerful God
- God’s ways: Every story in the Bible teaches us about how God acts.
- God's past acts of faithfulness to us.
What do I remember about God when I am beaten down, disappointed and in despair? I remember that God has always been faithful, not only to those in the Bible but to me personally. I remember that God is good and all powerful. I remember that I can trust Jehovah, the majestic and all powerful God. And when I remember, I praise Him for those things!
I am thankful that when I decide to “remember the Lord” I don’t have to rely on my own memory. Yes, I study the Bible and feed my mind and spirit, but it is the Holy Spirit who brings things to my remembrance. Before Jesus went to heaven, He promised in John 14:26 that the Holy Spirit will “teach you all things and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said to you.”
When trials pound you. When pain floods over you. When grief threatens to drown you. When doubt tries to overtake you, REMEMBER THE LORD! Remember: His Word, His character, His name, His ways.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)