Psalm 147:9

Psalm 147:9

All about ravens!

This is a curious statement isn’t it? We can imagine that in a country that depends on livestock and arable crops, the provision of suitable weather for agriculture is paramount for farmers. Of course they need grass for their cattle, who doesn’t! But, it’s a bit of a surprise to find young ravens included in the equation. Ravens are predators and they are also prohibited within Biblical dietary rules (Leviticus 11:15 and Deuteronomy 14:14.) In Scripture they are regarded as detestable, like eagles, vultures, buzzards etc. All these birds are meat-eaters, dining primarily on carrion and therefore not “kosher.” That is another reason to be surprised at the mention of young ravens in this verse, although it was ravens that brought food to Elijah in a time of famine. It was a raven that Noah released firstly from the ark, after the flood, in a bid to find out if dry land had yet appeared. (the raven never returned!)

One key to understanding this reference to the young ravens is that teaching in the Talmud viewed parent birds as being disinterested in their young and barely bothering to feed them! In fact, it was thought that most young ravens were left to feed on the maggots in their parents’ dung! Thus, the verse argues that it is God who steps in to nourish these fledglings to compensate them for the inadequacies of their parents! Though He designated the ravens as unclean for eating for his people, God sustains them, hears their young call out in hunger, and provides them with sustenance. God has not turned away from his world even though it is broken and bent and filled with death and decay. Wow! So, it was believed that young ravens have to learn, from Day 1, that they are dependent on God and He alone watches over them. There is a powerful lesson for us all, in truth we now know that ravens are excellent parents and go to great lengths to keep their young dry and warm. Who taught them to do that? 

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
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 119:6

Psalm 119:6 Shameful or shameless The writer of this Psalm clearly describes the dilemma that we all face from time to time. We love to call ourselves believers in the Living God, we align ourselves with His Word and His people. We take some pride in our spiritual walk and the importance of our faith. That is, until we have a moment of honesty, and we truthfully measure ourselves against the standards of the Lord. It is when we look at the true self in the moral mirror that we see the warts and the deformities that have hindered our journey and have made us fall so far short of God’s standards. The moral mirror is, of course, the commands of the Lord, these are, in Hebrew, the “miswot”, the terms and conditions of God’s contract or covenant, and when we honestly appraise ourselves against His standards, we have to be ashamed!  In the verses of the Psalm being “put to shame” suggests public humiliation, there is nothing worse than when others become aware of our sin and our failings...
Read more