July 29th
C The Leviticus Section Darkness and Dawn (Sanctuary in view)
The Third book – Leviticus
Psalm 73
A Psalm of Asaph
The
Fate of the Wicked
1: Truly God is good to Israel,
even to such as are of a clean heart. 2:
But as for me, my feet were almost gone; my steps had well nigh slipped. 3: For I was envious at the foolish,
when I saw the prosperity of the wicked. 4:
For there are no bands in their death: but their strength is firm. 5: They are not in trouble as other
men; neither are they plagued like other men. 6: Therefore pride compasseth them about as a chain; violence
covereth them as a garment. 7:
Their eyes stand out with fatness: they have more than heart could wish. 8: They are corrupt, and speak
wickedly concerning oppression: they speak loftily. 9: They set their mouth against the heavens, and their tongue
walketh through the earth. 10:
Therefore his people return hither: and waters of a full cup are wrung out to
them. 11: And they say, How
doth God know? and is there knowledge in the most High? 12: Behold, these are the ungodly, who prosper in the world;
they increase in riches. 13:
Verily I have cleansed my heart in vain, and washed my hands in innocency. 14: For all the day long have I been
plagued, and chastened every morning. 15:
If I say, I will speak thus; behold, I should offend against the generation of
thy children. 16: When I
thought to know this, it was too painful for me; 17: Until I went into the sanctuary of God; then understood I
their end. 18: Surely thou
didst set them in slippery places: thou castedst them down into destruction. 19: How are they brought into
desolation, as in a moment! they are utterly consumed with terrors. 20: As a dream when one awaketh; so,
O Lord, when thou awakest, thou shalt despise their image. 21: Thus my heart was grieved, and I
was pricked in my reins. 22: So
foolish was I, and ignorant: I was as a beast before thee. 23: Nevertheless I am continually
with thee: thou hast holden me by my right hand. 24: Thou shalt guide me with thy counsel, and afterward receive
me to glory. 25: Whom have I in
heaven but thee? and there is none upon earth that I desire beside thee. 26: My flesh and my heart faileth:
but God is the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever. 27: For, lo, they that are far from
thee shall perish: thou hast destroyed all them that go a whoring from thee. 28: But it is good for me to draw
near to God: I have put my trust in the Lord GOD, that I may declare all thy
works.
Psalm 74
Maschil of Asaph
An
Appeal to the Lord
1: O God, why hast thou cast us off
for ever? why doth thine anger smoke against the sheep of thy pasture? 2: Remember thy congregation, which
thou hast purchased of old; the rod of thine inheritance, which thou hast
redeemed; this mount Zion,
wherein thou hast dwelt. 3:
Lift up thy feet unto the perpetual desolations; even all that the enemy hath
done wickedly in the sanctuary. 4:
Thine enemies roar in the midst of thy congregations; they set up their ensigns
for signs. 5: A man was famous
according as he had lifted up axes upon the thick trees. 6: But now they break down the carved
work thereof at once with axes and hammers. 7: They have cast fire into thy sanctuary, they have defiled by
casting down the dwelling place of thy name to the ground. 8: They said in their hearts, Let us
destroy them together: they have burned up all the synagogues of God in the
land. 9: We see not our signs:
there is no more any prophet: neither is there among us any that knoweth how long.
10: O God, how long shall the
adversary reproach? shall the enemy blaspheme thy name for ever? 11: Why withdrawest thou thy hand,
even thy right hand? pluck it out of thy bosom. 12: For God is my King of old, working salvation in the midst of
the earth. 13: Thou didst
divide the sea by thy strength: thou brakest the heads of the dragons in the
waters. 14: Thou brakest the
heads of leviathan in pieces, and gavest him to be meat to the people
inhabiting the wilderness. 15:
Thou didst cleave the fountain and the flood: thou driedst up mighty rivers. 16: The day is thine, the night also
is thine: thou hast prepared the light and the sun. 17: Thou hast set all the borders of the earth: thou hast made
summer and winter. 18: Remember
this, that the enemy hath reproached, O LORD, and that the foolish people have
blasphemed thy name. 19: O
deliver not the soul of thy turtledove unto the multitude of the wicked: forget
not the congregation of thy poor for ever. 20: Have respect unto the covenant: for the dark places of the
earth are full of the habitations of cruelty. 21: O let not the oppressed return ashamed: let the poor and
needy praise thy name. 22:
Arise, O God, plead thine own cause: remember how the foolish man reproacheth
thee daily. 23: Forget not the
voice of thine enemies: the tumult of those that rise up against thee
increaseth continually.
To the chief musician Al-taschith
Today we begin the third section of the book of Psalms which
relate to the third book of the Pentateuch, Leviticus. We are reading Psalm 73
& 74. This is a Psalm of Asaph. In this Psalm Asaph describes a long and
difficult lesson that he had to learn. He says, The Lord is good to Israel,
to those who have a clean mind, but he says, I nearly slipped. It happened like
this – as I looked around at the ungodly I noticed that they were wealthy and I
was jealous of them. I had envy at those who foolishly lived as if God did not
exist. They were healthy and strong and I was weak and poor. They didn’t seem
to have any troubles like other men and they seemed to be immune from the
plagues which come to all men. They seemed to be entangled in the chains of
pride and they were covered with violence. They seemed to have everything that
the eye and heart could desire. Yet they are corrupt and say wicked things and
they rip off the poor and speak of them as dross. They speak against the Lord
and they seem to have something to say about the whole earth. They say what
does God know? And does the Lord know anything? They are ungodly and they
increase in riches. I thought to myself, have I cleansed my mind for no profit?
Have I washed my hands in ignorance, because I am plagued all day long and the
Lord disciplines me every morning. When I thought about these things they were
painful for me to think about. Then I went into the Tabernacle of God and I
understood what future the ungodly have. You Lord, put them in places were they
can slip and you throw them down into destruction. How can they be destroyed in
a moment of time? And their destruction is with terrifying effect. You woke up
like a man from sleep and saw what they were like. And I was pricked in my
conscience. How foolish I had been. How ignorant! I was like an animal that
knows nothing. Yet you were with me and held me up. You will guide me with your
advice and later take me up to glory. Who have I got but You O Lord? There is
none that I want like you in all the earth. My body and mind fails but you will
be the strength of my mind forever. Those that are far from you will perish and
you have destroyed all those who forsake you. But It will be good for me says
Asaph, to draw near to God. I have put my trust in the Lord GOD so that I will
be able to tell everyone about Gods wonderful works. Psalm 74 is a Psalm that
teaches important lessons. He begins saying, why have you cast us off forever?
And why are you angry at your people? – we are like dumb sheep! Remember us -
who you redeemed in olden times. Lord, your enemies shout against us when we
are gathered together and they lift up their battle flags against us. Once upon
a time men were famous for cutting down huge trees but now they cut down the
tabernacle of the Lord. They destroy all the houses of prayer in the land and
there is no prophet in the land nor anyone that knows how long these days have
been. O Lord, how long will you allow our enemy to speak to us like this? Will
you allow them to blaspheme forever? Why do you withdraw your hand in judgment?
You are the King of Old you bring deliverance to your people. You divide the
sea by your almighty power and you destroy the sea monsters. You cut the
dinosaurs into pieces and give them as meat to those who live in the desert.
You divide the mountain and the flood and you dry up the rivers. Both the day
and night are yours. You have put the lights and the sun in the sky. You have
put borders around the earth. You make summer and winter. So, remember that
these enemies have spoken against you and blasphemed your name. Do not allow
your dove (Israel)
to be overcome by the hordes of the wicked. Do not forget your people forever.
Keep the covenant that you have made with your people, because the uncivilised
nations are full of darkness and cruelty. Rise up O God stand on the side of
the righteous and remember how foolish men spoke against you. Do not forget the
curses of those who are against you because they rise up against you
continually. This Psalm is addressed to the chief choir master Al-taschith,
‘Destroy-not’.
God bless you. Steve
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