Psalm 144:8

 Psalm 144:8

Foreigners or family?

In Verse 7 David asks that the Lord delivers him and rescues him from the hands of foreigners! Sounds a bit racist, doesn’t it? According to this Psalm, foreigners’ mouths are full of lies, and their right hands are deceitful. 

Let’s remember that the Jewish culture was very inclusive (and still is), you were born a Jew and genealogy was a huge part of the exclusiveness of these people. Family history was of utmost importance and Jews took great pride in their heritage and then in the rites and ceremonies of their religion. Well, some did, others chased after the pagan gods of the Canaanites, which turned out to be one of the biggest problems that the nation and its leaders faced and ultimately led to their being overcome by their adversaries. Remember that god-fearing Jews saw themselves as chosen and set part by God and in that sense believed themselves to be a bit above “Foreigners”. It was possible to marry into a Jewish family or even to adopt their faith, but to insist that your pagan ways were equally valid or to enforce them on to others was frowned upon and led to all sorts of idolatries and divisions within the community. When David saw the encroachment of pagan influences amongst his people, he was obviously angry and pleaded for the Lord’s deliverance. 

We do realise, do we not, that the church of Jesus Christ is not all-inclusive? We cannot treat Muslims, Hindus and all the rest as equals with the saints before God, as some “Christians” do. The Christian faith is exclusive to those who accept Jesus Christ as the Son of God and believe that He died to save us from our sins whatever our race, colour or nationality. Those who believe this are family. That does not mean that the Gospel should not be shared with every human being, whatever their culture or their beliefs.  This is probably a controversial view today in some sections of the church! There is still only one truth, one God, one path to salvation and one arbiter as to where we go when we pass from this world, all alternative views are lies of the devil practiced by those whose right hands are deceitful, these are the “foreigners.”  

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 119:96

Psalm 119:96 Beyond perfection What a curious verse! What does the writer mean when he says,  “To all perfection I see a limit, but Your commands are boundless?”  Perhaps this is better translated, “ Everything I see has its limits, but Your commands have none ”, or “ Even perfection has its limits, but your commands have no limits. ”  It’s a deeply philosophical point isn’t it, that when we consider perfection, we have to admit that it can go no further, it can be improved no more. If something is perfect there is nothing more to add, it cannot be bettered. In that sense, perfection has its boundaries and its limitations. The writer is telling us that God’s commands are limitless, they have no boundaries; the word used here is translated “broad” in some translations. His commands go beyond perfection! It feels like we are standing on a beach somewhere, gazing at the vastness of the ocean before us and pondering its beginning and its end, or gazing at the night sky with i...
Read more