Psalm 118:12-13

Psalm 118:12-13

Bees and thorns

More of the same here as the psalmist celebrates his victory over his enemies. Firstly, he uses the analogy of a swarm of bees, I have witnessed swarms of bees on a number of occasions and once had to dive in and rescue a young lad from the terrifying attentions of these noisy insects! He was shaking with fear and rooted to the ground as the bees angrily surrounded him in the middle of a field. If the attentions of the psalm-writer’s enemies were anything like this, then we can understand his trepidation at taking them on!

It is thought that these verses of the Psalm were written sometime between 800 - 600 years BC, in other words at least 2,500 years ago. However, they could have been penned yesterday by a modern Israeli leader. As we have already commented, the enemies of the Jews surround them like angry insects and even as I write, the morning news is about warnings to foreign nationals to leave Lebanon as fears of an outright war with Hezbollah increase. 

Burning thorns were a common sight in the wilderness areas of Israel, however twigs from wild thornbushes were also used as fuel for cooking and to provide instant heat. The intensity of the sun in the desert areas meant that any plants that managed to flourish in winter and spring would be completely dried out in the heat of summer and would go up in flames instantly. It seems that the enemies of the psalmist had become the enemies of the Lord God and thus God helped the hapless king to fight back, to consume them and cut them down. Notice that this was done, “In the name of the Lord.” His Name and His Being are synonymous, if we invoke His Name, we are invoking Him, and the psalmists understood this. We should be cautious in using that Name, but also confident that His Name goes with us in our battles with our spiritual protagonists. 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

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 51:4

Psalm 51:4 Deliberate sin In Genesis 20 we read the story of Abimelek and Abraham. The latter had passed off his wife Sarah as his sister and Abimelek had taken her with a view to her becoming his wife. The relationship was not consummated, and the Lord used a dream to reveal to Abimelek just what was going on. The insulted king pleaded innocence,  “I have done this with a clear conscience and clean hands ” he said, to the Lord. And God agreed,  “Yes, I know you did this with a clear conscience, and so I have kept you from sinning against me.”  This is a big subject but there is clearly a difference between sinful intentions and deeds where the participant knows that he/she is doing wrong, and those occasions where an action is carried out in innocence.  David knew all along that every detail of his relationship with Bathsheba was sinful, as were his actions in the cover-up. Therefore, he sinned against the Lord God and broke the commandments which said that  “Y...
Read more

Psalm 84:3

Psalm 84:3 All about sparrows Any visitor to Jerusalem will know that the city is a haven for sparrows. Houses and other buildings in Middle Eastern cities are not built to keep out the cold with double-glazing and UPVC everywhere. There are literally millions of little holes and crevasses and places where birds can hide and build their nests. As a result, the air is filled with the sound of the sparrows at all times, and in the summer months, swallows, swifts and martins swoop across the rooftops. (Along with many other birds that I would love to mention but that would be totally irrelevant). Evidently nothing has changed for centuries, because these sights and sounds greeted visitors to the Temple back in the day when Psalm 84 was composed. And the author is envious. These winged avian residents and visitors can enter where he cannot! They nest and congregate around the Temple Courts, high up and out of the reach of man’s interference and so they occupy a place closer to God than any...
Read more