Psalm 135:12

Psalm 135:12

An inheritance to God's people Israel

It might be a good moment to re-read the comments on verse 4 where the Scriptures set out the detail the divine ownership of the land of Israel and the terms and conditions by which the Israelites became occupants of that land. As we noted, the covenant made with them by God was an everlasting covenant; they are the sole leaseholders and all attempts to uproot them have failed, except for a time period from AD 70 to 1948, the time of the Gentiles. This is now drawing to a close, the inheritance will once again be recognised by Israel and the people will, at long last, accept their Messiah. 

The prophet Zechariah describes all of this as well as any other Scripture writer. In Zechariah 12:10-13 we read of a time of national mourning as the Jews “look on Him, the one they have pierced.” In chapter 13, Zechariah describes a time of cleansing in Jerusalem, of judgement against the Jews and a refining of those people until they call of the name of the Lord and accept him completely as their God. Then the nations of the world will gather together against Jerusalem and there will be a heart-in-the-mouth moment that will precede the coming of Messiah in person, to rule over a troubled world. (Zechariah 14).

All of the above is part of the historic deal that God made with the Israelites, it started with Abraham and has continued to this day. The Satan has tried every trick to undermine God’s plans, one of his most productive was to convince all of Israel’s neighbours that the true succession to the land comes through Ishmael, the first-born son of Abraham, and not through Isaac. This is a foundation stone of the Islamic faith, and it has caused much of the friction in the Middle East for centuries. That is why Christians have to stand firm on the Bible and verses like the one before us today. The land is “an inheritance to God’s people Israel," even if we don't like it!

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 119:87

  Psalm 119:87 Almost but not quite If only we knew the circumstances that form the back story to this Psalm! What happened to the psalm-writer to make him feel so vulnerable? Who exactly were these antagonists and persecutors and how did they “almost wipe our friend from the earth”? We’ve already speculated that he must have been a priest or maybe a member of the royal family for his suffering seems to have wide-ranging and public consequences. It seems that there had been a murderous plot on his life and now the author admits that whilst he nearly died, he still clings tenaciously to the precepts of the Lord his God. Precepts are the laws and commands that come from the lips of overseers, in other words, the writer believes that the Lord is watching over him and that he is safeguarded and protected by the words that come from His guardian.  There is a vital lesson here for us, there will be times when, at the very least, our reputations are under threat; for some who believe...
Read more

Psalm 119:82

Psalm 119:82 "When will You comfort me?" In these days of scientific advances, when a visit to an optician or receiving ophthalmic treatment is not such a big deal, it’s hard to imagine a time when spectacles were unheard of and when eye trouble was untreatable. Until relatively recently, if your eyes started to fail, you had to live with it! A number of conditions were associated with deteriorating eyesight; failing physical strength, grief and hope-deferred were deemed to be common causes, as was old age.  It is the idea of hope-deferred that is raised here in this verse, the writer has longed for the Lord to step into his situation and to keep His promise of protection and deliverance but, as yet, nothing has happened. This hope may be on a national level, or it may simply refer to the psalmist’s personal circumstances, the trouble is – nothing is happening, days pass and heaven is silent. The next few verses suggest that the cause of this helplessness continues to be the ...
Read more