Psalm 60:2

Psalm 60:2

The land, the people and their God

We should always keep in mind that Israel was, and is, all about a people and their land. The people began through a promise given by God to Abraham. Jacob and his successors were nurtured in Egypt for 400 years until the time came to inherit the land. Moses led the people to the land and gave them all of God’s laws and commands that they would need to live there successfully. Joshua conquered the land and established the nation. David, with others, expanded the boundaries, appointed the capital city and laid the foundations for a permanent Temple to the Lord. The people – the land. The land – the people. Both are called Israel and both are inseparable by definition. When the people prosper, the land prospers. When the land prospers, the people prosper. If the people disobey and dishonour their God, they lose their land. If they obey and honour the Lord God, then the land is enriched. So, it is people, land and God, a sacred trinity that has ebbed and flowed for 4,000 years. In modern days the people and the land have been reunited after being parted for half of that time. Today the land is prospering, the people are prospering, and it is time for them to return by faith to the Lord God who has always watched over them. Once again, He has guided, guarded and provided for the land and the people, they would be foolish to ignore Him. The Scriptures clearly state that in the last days, Israel will believe and will be saved. The Apostle Paul puts it like this; “Israel has experienced a hardening in part until the full number of the Gentiles has come in, and in this way all Israel will be saved….” Read Romans 11:25-27

Thus, when the land suffered an earthquake, as described here in this verse, it is the Lord God who is held responsible. In the eyes of these people, He is the author of good and bad and He is the One who mends and heals as well as the One who shakes and tears their land. These things are all meant to be examples for us. Isn’t it amazing that for nearly 2,000 years, the sacred people – the church, and the sacred land – the kingdom of heaven, and the Lord our God are all One? If only we were taught it and believed it and lived it!

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Psalm 4:1 Smear campaigns

Psalm 4:1    Smear campaigns   The background to this Psalm is so familiar; David is being slandered and maligned by his detractors.  It seems that some calamity has befallen the nation and the king is getting the blame! Lies are being told, a smear campaign has begun, and the reputation of the Sovereign is under threat.  As usual, if something goes wrong, culpability is laid at the feet of the one in charge.  David, quite rightly, turns to the Lord his God and prays for relief and for mercy. The Satan is a master of such campaigns and his emissaries gleefully turn on Christians in leadership positions although the whispering campaign can affect all of us. The whispering starts in our own heads, but it can also come from the lips of our detractors. It goes something like this: - You’re the reason it went wrong You messed up again You should have seen it coming Surely you know better You are not worthy You don’t know what you’re doing Someone else ought to be in c
Read more

Psalm 74:16

Psalm 74:16 God established the sun and the moon “ In  the beginning   God created   the heavens   and the earth.   2  Now the earth was formless   and empty,   darkness was over the surface of the deep,   and the Spirit of God   was hovering over the waters. 3  And God said,   “Let there be light,” and there was light.   4  God saw that the light was good,   and he separated the light from the darkness.   5  God called   the light “day,” and the darkness he called “night.”   And there was evening, and there was morning—the first day.” These, so familiar, words from Genesis 1 remind us of who is in charge! There would be no light without God. There would be no day or night without God. There would be no earth without God. And there would have been no living things unless God had created order out of chaos. The sun, moon and stars would not be fixed in their orbits without God and you and I would not exist unless He ordered our conception. It is because we see God as glorious, righteous
Read more

Psalm 71:17

Psalm 71:17 Since my youth ..... You have taught me I am reminded here of Paul’s words to Timothy.  “But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, and how from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.”  2 Timothy 3:14-15.  “I am reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, lives in you also.”  2 Timothy 1:5. Timothy and David may well have enjoyed a similar upbringing. We know that Timothy’s mother was a Jewish Christian although his father was an unbelieving Greek. (Acts 16:1) It appears that the boy had a Christian grandmother also and, as Jewish boys began to study the Hebrew Scriptures at the age of five, Timothy would certainly have been taught by his mother and grandmother from infancy. Wouldn’t it be great if all our children were able to say,
Read more