Psalm 119:161

Psalm 119:161

Who do we fear most?

The penultimate and 21st letter of the Hebrew alphabet is Sin / Shin. What’s the difference between the two spellings? Well, apparently the sole difference in the Hebrew writing of this letter is the presence, or absence, of a dot! If a dot appears to the upper right of the letter pronounce it as “sh”; if it appears to the left, pronounce “s”. Jewish scholars tend to love this letter for it is the letter of fire and transformation, it literally means tooth, but its shape is 3 branches of flame, a bit like a 3-pronged candelabra. These are the 3 pillars of the tree of life, reaching high like flames, purifying and changing the condition of our lives, teaching us to become aligned with the Whole of Creation. It also represents the right and left extreme opposites and the requirement to balance them by following the central pillar, the middle way. We could go on!

We’ve spoken before about the position that the author of the Psalm may have held and that he regularly found himself in the company of rulers and kings. So, it wasn’t just his everyday companions that persecuted him, the taunts and insults were also directed at him by the great and the powerful. This would normally be enough to send you and I into a panic, but our writer has another source of accountability that gives him even more reason for concern. The rich and powerful can say what they like but his allegiance is to someone even greater, the Lord Himself.

This is a huge challenge for many of us, for whilst we may defer to those who are over us, our true allegiance must be to the Lord alone. I’m sure that the apostles got this, they were threatened by the might of the Roman army and its emperors, but they saw One who was greater still and they dared not defy Him. It is so easy for us to adopt a politically correct and diplomatic way of dealing with those who are over us, very few look beyond and see themselves as accountable firstly and wholly to God. It may lead to trouble, but let’s be like the psalmist whose heart trembled, not because of the attitude of the rulers, but because of God’s Word. 

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 119:135

Psalm 119:135 His shining face In verse 58 0f the Psalm we commented on the apparent impossibility of being able to see the face of God. And yet this intimacy was something that the psalmists, and other writers, craved. The High Priestly blessing, prayed over the people every day, asks that the Lord make His face shine upon them. In verse 58 we discovered that this plea involved more than just being able to see the face of God, which was impossible; I quote,  “ The Hebrew word for face in the Old Testament can be translated “presence.” Now things start to make more sense! Those Israelites who so regularly abandoned the Lord God were being reminded to seek again the presence of God and the psalmist lets it be known that this is his constant quest. When you think about it, a person’s face reveals a great deal about their character and personality even, maybe, their circumstances or lifestyle. The more we seek the face of God and the more we spend time in His presence, the more like H...
Read more
Psalm 1 Spiritual stability The journey begins! It’s exciting isn’t it? Where will the Holy Spirit take us? What adventures await us? What discoveries will we make? One thing is certain, we will not be the same people at the end of this journey as we are at the beginning.  We are about to discover a world of delights but also a world that has a sinister side. This is not a walk in the park, this journey will take us through narrow ravines, up rocky mountain slopes and across desert landscapes. Thank God there will also be occasion to lie by still waters in green pastures and to dance with exhilaration and pure joy on mountain summits. Let’s get going shall we? V1       What an introduction to the adventure!  Most Christians would not dream of associating with the wicked, the sinners and the scornful of v1, would they? Who are these people anyway, are they mass murderers or tabloid celebrities or pagan worshippers? ...
Read more