Psalm 107:32

Psalm 107:32

Time to praise the Lord

The tradition of “eldership” first comes to our attention with Moses at the burning bush. After God had revealed His Name, the I AM WHO I AM, the God whom the Israelites would name as YAHWEH, Moses was told, “Go, assemble the elders of Israel and say to them, “The Lord, the God of your fathers – the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob – appeared to me and said…..” Exodus 3:14-17.

The Hebrew word for elders literally means “bearded ones” which may be why Orthodox Jews all sport long beards! Commentators suggest that this reflects the age, wisdom, influence and experience that a man needed to function as an elder amongst the people. It’s interesting to note that even whilst they were slaves, the Hebrews had organised themselves and had men who were appointed to look after the peoples needs. By the way, there is no reason to believe that all church elders have to sport beards!

This Psalm is encouraging worshippers to exalt the Lord, presumably in music and song, when they joined the throngs of fellow believers at the Tabernacle or the Temple. They were also being prompted to praise the Lord whenever they met with the elders so that everyone would know the greatness of His protective love and care.

If our God has delivered us and saved us from the kinds of distress that this Psalm has spoken about, of course we should let our leaders know so that they may also give thanks for answered prayer and for the evidence that the Lord is working amongst His people. Everyone should know when we experience the unfailing love of our God and His wonderful deeds for mankind. 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Psalm1:5       Our earthly journey will allow us, at times, to stand with the redeemed in holy awe and worship exhilarated by the presence of our Father.  In the Psalmists’ day these “assemblies of the righteous” would have been joyful times of worship at God’s sanctuary where music played, choirs sang and the people joined in the excitement and corporate wonder of being together in God’s presence. If our own church worship is anything, it should be a prelude to the time when we will join with a numberless throng and sing the praises of the Lamb and the One who sits upon the throne of heaven. Many go to events like Spring Harvest, Keswick Convention, New Day and the rest, primarily for this experience of joy and exhilaration.  Our earthly, joyful experiences are but a foretaste of what is to come and we are promised that we will join with heavenly choirs and our song will be “Worthy is the Lamb.”   Such music and exalta...
Read more

Psalm 106:13

Psalm 106:13 Do not forget We need to remember that Israel’s relationship with the Lord God was based on His laws and their obedience. It was possible for them to live lives that were highly blessed, that incorporated the provision of God in every tiny detail of their national and individual existence. God was prepared to give them everything they needed, He would provide food and water for them and their flocks. He would guide them on their journey. He would protect them from their enemies. He would inspire and direct their leaders. He would keep them from the heat of the sun and the terrors of the desert night. He would take them to the land that He had promised, in double quick time. There was no reason why they could not be in situ in just a few months. Everything they could possibly need was His to provide and He was willing to sacrifice anything to see them gratefully settled in Canaan.  There was just one snag, it all depended upon their obedience and faithfulness. God insis...
Read more

Psalm 119:83

Psalm 119:83 Wineskins in the smoke Well, this verse has caught us by surprise! What does it mean? As we will be aware, in ancient times, wine was not stored in purpose-made glass bottles but in animal skins. In order to keep the skin pliable and soft it must not be allowed to dry out for it would soon shrivel and crack. It follows that the last thing you would do with your treasured wineskins is to hang them up over a smoky fire, not only would they quickly wither but the smoke would clearly ruin the flavour and texture of the wine!  What does the author mean when he says that he is like such a wineskin?  It denotes the uncomfortable condition he was in or at least thought himself to be in; being caught in the midst of smoke is very uncomfortable, and he considered himself to be in darkness with sin and afflictions, like a wineskin in smoke, black and sooty. He felt like an empty wineskin with nothing in him. Maybe he was worn out with cares and old age and had become pale an...
Read more