Sabbath Sanctuary: I AM the Light of the World

 Rest in God this Sabbath; though now it seems dark, the Father of Lights scatters the darkness.

 In His Grace,

Piper

Psalm 7: Sing a Song to Jehovah

A Shiggaion of David, which he sang to the Lord concerning Cush, a Benjamite.

A Shiggaion is a song. This song and Habakkuk 3:1 are the two that bear the description. Most scholarly sources teach that a Shiggaion was set to wild, irregular music, and triumphant music. “Shiggaion is interpreted variously to mean ‘mournful erratic, a song of trouble.’ Shiggaion is interpreted to mean ‘wanderings: according to variable tunes.’ For the Church triumphant there will be times when music is exciting, enthusiastic and triumphant because of the work of the Lord in behalf of His people. The Church has had plenty of plaintive and mournful dirgy songs in her history. But victory is God’s ultimate for the Church.”[1] Whatever battle we are facing, whatever trouble is hunting us down, the Lord is our refuge. David left his prose and poetry—his songs to instruct us in our trials, so that we learn to trust in our God and take refuge in Him.

 

O Lordmy God, in You I have taken refuge; Save me from all those who pursue me, and deliver me, or he will tear my soul like a lion, Dragging me away, while there is none to deliver. O Lordmy God, if I have done this, If there is injustice in my hands, If I have rewarded evil to my friend, Or have plundered him who without cause was my adversary, Let the enemy pursue my soul and overtake it; And let him trample my life down to the ground And lay my glory in the dust. Selah (vs. 1-5).

David calls out to God in mourning and a plaintive song. Mourning for the trouble that he is facing, and plaintive as he establishes his case before the court of heaven. First, he entreats God to search his heart for any sin that resides that allowed this trouble to come to him; then he can confess and be forgiven. Because David has sought refuge in God, he reminds God of his promise to protect him. God promises the righteous that those who run to Him as a refuge will be saved. 

The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, My God, my rock, in whom I take refuge; My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. (Psalm 18:2)

The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous runs into it and is safe. Prov. 18:10

Arise, O Lord, in Your anger; Lift up Yourself against the rage of my adversaries, and arouse Yourself for me; You have appointed judgment. Let the assembly of the peoples encompass You, and over them return on high. The Lord judges the peoples; vindicate me, O Lord, according to my righteousness and my integrity that is in me. O let the evil of the wicked come to an end, but establish the righteous; for the righteous God tries the hearts and minds. (vs. 6-9)

The Hebrew word for Lord here in verse 6 is Jehovah. David calls on Jehovah, the Eternal, Ever-Loving One. “Rabbinical writings have distinguished Jehovah by various names and euphemistic expressions as ‘The Name,’ ‘The Great and Terrible Name,’ ‘The Peculiar Name,’ ‘The Separate Name,’ ‘The Unutterable Name,’ ‘The Ineffable Name,’ ‘The Incommunicate Name,’ ‘The Holy Name,’ ‘The Distinguished Name.’ It was also known as the ‘Name of Four Letters’ because from the Hebrew it spelled YHVH, in English…Such is Jewish reverence for this august name that even today they refrain as much from writing it, or pronouncing it.”[2]The name Jehovah appears in the Old Testament seven-thousand times, and in the Psalms alone, seven-hundred times. The Name must not be underestimated, it is so great. The Name of Jehovah causes the heavens and earth to shake. He is the Ever-Existing One, and His character is unchangeable. David was not calling on just any god, He was calling on the God of the righteous. Jehovah is the covenant God, and made a covenant with Israel, and David reminds God of His covenant with His covenant people to rescue him. God has promised the righteous that He will judge the unrighteous, and David calls out to God to make true on His Word—His covenant. 

My shield is with God, Who saves the upright in heart.  God is a righteous judge, And a God who has indignation every day.  If a man does not repent, He will sharpen His sword; He has bent His bow and made it ready. He has also prepared for Himself deadly weapons; He makes His arrows fiery shafts.  Behold, he travails with wickedness, and he conceives mischief and brings forth falsehood.  He has dug a pit and hollowed it out, and has fallen into the hole which he made.  His mischief will return upon his own head, and his violence will descend upon his own pate.  I will give thanks to the Lordaccording to His righteousness and will sing praise to the name of the Lord Most High. (vs. 10-17)

David has prayed, poured out his heart to God; reminded Him of His covenant with the righteous and plead his case before heaven. Now he makes a declaration of faith; My shield is with God who saves…God is a righteous judge…he pleads his innocence before God and declares what God will do to the unrighteous, and if they do not repent, their evil ways will come back onto their own head. 

David then sets the pattern for us….he has prayed his pray of faith and trusts in Jehovah, the Ever-Existing God, reminding Him of His Word. Once his declaration of faith is settled in his heart, he begins to thank God for performing His Word. David’s pattern—his habit—was to offer thanksgiving to God, knowing that what God promised to perform, is accomplished. The word praise here in verse 17 is the word zamar in Strong’s, and it carries the idea of giving praise; to sing praises forth while touching or playing an instrument. Thanksgiving is the key into God’s presence. Enter His gates with thanksgiving And His courts with praise. Give thanks to Him, bless His name, Psalm 100 instructs; this is the way into His presence. This is why the Lord said of David, He is a man after My Heart (See 1 Sam. 13:14). 

David had spent a long time in the pasture guarding sheep, and he learned how to be in the presence of God and knew Him intimately. This served David well through his life, as he drew near to God in every circumstance he faced, even in the face of his sin, David repented and worshiped God. It all comes back to thankfulness; God wants to cultivate in us a heart of thanksgiving, so that we can trust in Him no matter what trials we face. He is Jehovah the Eternal, Ever-Loving One, and He bids us come and cry out to Him, have faith in Him, and praise His Name forever—that He be magnified in the earth.

In His Grace, 

---

[1] Kevin J. Connor, The Tabernacle of David, (Portland: City Bible Publishing, 1976), 191.

[2]Herbert Lockyer, All The Divine Names and Titles in The Bible,(Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1979), 17.

Witnessing The Divine: Sabbath Sanctuary

Witnessing The Divine: Sabbath Sanctuary: Rest in God this Sabbath; rest in His faithfulness to accomplish His promises in your life....It is accomplished....Rest in the victory tha...

Witnessing The Divine: Psalm 6: God hears the cry of the broken

Witnessing The Divine: Psalm 6: God hears the cry of the broken: For the choir director; with stringed instruments, upon an eight-string lyre. A Psalm of David. O Lord , do not reb...

Psalm 6: God hears the cry of the broken

For the choir director; with stringed instruments, upon an eight-string lyre. A Psalm of David.

O Lord, do not rebuke me in Your anger, Nor chasten me in Your wrath. Be gracious to me, O Lord, for I am pining away; Heal me, O Lord, for my bones are dismayed.  And my soul is greatly dismayed; But You, O Lord—how long?

In the midst of our pit; the storm swirling around us as we cling to life in the bow of a sinking ship, it can feel like God is angry and has turned away. The devil attempts to set up a stronghold in our mind, one that would cause us to doubt God; convince us that the circumstance is our just punishment, and leaves us to wonder when God’s anger will be satiated, and come to our rescue. God wants you to know He is not angry with you. The circumstances you are facing are not to destroy you, but strengthen you—you will persevere. 

Return, O Lord, rescue my soul; Save me because of Your lovingkindness. For there is no mention of You in death; In Sheol who will give You thanks?  I am weary with my sighing;
Every night I make my bed swim, I dissolve my couch with my tears. My eye has wasted away with grief; It has become old because of all my adversaries.

Come and rescue me God from this turmoil; from those that hate me; save me from those who wish for my demise—and plot to destroy me. I know that I am not perfect, but I endeavor to live righteously before you. Come and rescue me from those that will betray me; those that speak ill against me; those that taunt me. I cry myself to sleep at night, and cannot find any comfort—I have cried every tear possible, in fact I am all cried out. I wake with my eyes swollen; red; tired. God don’t save me because of who I am, but because of who You are. 

 Depart from me, all you who do iniquity, For the Lordhas heard the voice of my weeping. The Lord has heard my supplication, The Lord receives my prayer. All my enemies will be ashamed and greatly dismayed; They shall turn back, they will suddenly be ashamed

If you want to destroy me, then leave me. If you wish me evil, then depart from me. If you plan to manipulate me and betray me, go. I have cried unto God and He has heard me. He hears the cry of the broken. He hears the cry of the broken. Toxic people will poison you. They will drain the life from you. It is okay to cut off any influence they may over you. Pray and ask God to bless them, but it is okay to leave them at the foot of the cross, and walk away. 

Breaking relationship can hurt. Soul ties are not easily detached. It is hard to break free from the familiar. But there are things—or people—that we must lay down as Abraham laid down Isaac. If they are a part of the promise, God will resurrect it. It is time to send Ishmael away if he is only going to taunt the promise. 

God hears the cry of the broken; God hears the cry of the broken. 

This Psalm was to be played with stringed instruments, upon an eight-string lyre. For us this means that worship is vital to our walk with God. The lyre is like a harp, and many musicians in the Tabernacle of David were said to have prophesied on the lyre. As we worship, truly worship God, in Spirit and Truth, He will move in our lives. 

I will incline my ear to a proverb; I will solve my riddle to the music of the lyre. Psalm 49:4 ESV

God will give the answer from heaven when we worship Him. The answer we need, He will drop it into our spirit in worship as we spend precious time in His presence. A.W. Tozer said that worship for him begins on bended knee with Bible wide open. It is all about His presence.

You will make known to me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; In Your right hand there are pleasures forever. Psalm 16:11 NASB

 In His presence, peace will flood like a river, chains will break, yokes will be destroyed. Real worship—bathing in the presence of God—will grant you strength, to weather any storm. 

In His Grace,

 

Sabbath Sanctuary

Rest in God this Sabbath; rest in His faithfulness to accomplish His promises in your life....It is accomplished....Rest in the victory that Jesus won on our behalf....

 

Rest in His Grace,