August 8th
Psalm 93
God’s
majesty
1: The LORD reigneth, he is clothed
with majesty; the LORD is clothed with strength, wherewith he hath girded
himself: the world also is stablished, that it cannot be moved. 2: Thy throne is established of old:
thou art from everlasting. 3:
The floods have lifted up, O LORD, the floods have lifted up their voice; the
floods lift up their waves. 4:
The LORD on high is mightier than the noise of many waters, yea, than the
mighty waves of the sea. 5: Thy
testimonies are very sure: holiness becometh thine house, O LORD, for ever.
Psalm 94
God’s
justice
1: O LORD God, to whom vengeance
belongeth; O God, to whom vengeance belongeth, shew thyself. 2: Lift up thyself, thou judge of the
earth: render a reward to the proud. 3:
LORD, how long shall the wicked, how long shall the wicked triumph? 4: How long shall they utter and
speak hard things? and all the workers of iniquity boast themselves? 5: They break in pieces thy people, O
LORD, and afflict thine heritage. 6:
They slay the widow and the stranger, and murder the fatherless. 7: Yet they say, The LORD shall not
see, neither shall the God of Jacob regard it. 8: Understand, ye brutish among the people: and ye fools, when
will ye be wise? 9: He that
planted the ear, shall he not hear? he that formed the eye, shall he not see? 10: He that chastiseth the heathen,
shall not he correct? he that teacheth man knowledge, shall not he know? 11: The LORD knoweth the thoughts of
man, that they are vanity. 12:
Blessed is the man whom thou chastenest, O LORD, and teachest him out of thy
law; 13: That thou mayest give
him rest from the days of adversity, until the pit be digged for the wicked. 14: For the LORD will not cast off
his people, neither will he forsake his inheritance. 15: But judgment shall return unto righteousness: and all the
upright in heart shall follow it. 16:
Who will rise up for me against the evildoers? or who will stand up for me
against the workers of iniquity? 17:
Unless the LORD had been my help, my soul had almost dwelt in silence. 18: When I said, My foot slippeth;
thy mercy, O LORD, held me up. 19:
In the multitude of my thoughts within me thy comforts delight my soul. 20: Shall the throne of iniquity have
fellowship with thee, which frameth mischief by a law? 21: They gather themselves together against the soul of the
righteous, and condemn the innocent blood. 22: But the LORD is my defence; and my God is the rock of my
refuge. 23: And he shall bring
upon them their own iniquity, and shall cut them off in their own wickedness;
yea, the LORD our God shall cut them off.
Today we are reading Psalm 93 & 94. Psalm 93 is a prayer
for the rest of God. It begins and ends with declarations of the Attributes of
Jehovah and in between describes the floods that rise high, but the Lord,
Jehovah who rises higher. The Psalmist begins describing the Messianic reign of
Christ. He says the LORD reigneth and he is clothed in majesty. He the LORD is
clothed in strength and he has made the world established so that it cannot be
moved. The throne of the LORD is established as it was of old (in David’s day)
and the Lord is from eternity past. The floods have lifted high - in opposition
to Christ. The tide of men have opposed Christ in word but the LORD Christ is
high and stronger that the noise of all the kings of the earth and stronger
than all the waves of the armies of the earth. The testimonies of the Lord are
totally secure. And holiness is the characteristic of the house of the Lord
forever. In Psalm 94 the Psalmist brings to us a song of longing for rest for
the earth. There are three verses which are all addressed to the Lord and they
all make declarations about the Lord. It begins saying, O LORD God to you
belongs vengeance and to you belongs vengeance – show yourself. It is a
characteristic of this psalm that there are double expressions. He calls on the
Lord to judge the earth and the proud in particular. He says twice, how long
will the wicked triumph. How long will they say hard things and boast against
the Lord? They break the Lord’s people and afflict them. They kill the widow,
the stranger and the orphan. They say the Lord will not see nor take any
notice. Understand this you brutes and fools, when will you finally wake up? Is
the God who made ears deaf? And he who created eyes is he blind? God who chases
after the heathen will he do nothing when he catches up with them? The Lord who
teaches men knowledge is he lacking in information about you? The Lord knows
what men think and their thoughts are futile. The blessed man is the man who
the Lord disciplines because he becomes teachable in the Mosaic Law. In this
way the Lord will give him rest from the days of troubles until the time comes
to bury the wicked. The Lord will not cast off his people forever nor will he
desert his land. The judgment of the Lord will bring in righteousness and the
upright in mind will follow the law. Here we have an insight into what it was
like to live under the Mosaic Law. The Lord disciplined his people and sometimes
severely so that they would teachable in the things of the law and in the fear
the Lord they would keep to the Mosaic Law. The Psalmist says who will come
with me to rebel against the evildoers? Again - who will stand with me against
them? He says if the Lord did not help me, then my soul would have been silent.
And when I said I am slipping Lord you in mercy held me up. In all my thinking
the Lord gave me comfort which delighted my soul. Will the rebellious have
fellowship with the LORD? Who seek to make evil the law? They come together
against the righteous and they condemn to death those who are innocent. However
the LORD is my defender and he is my rock and refuge. He will bring on them the
pain that they planned for the righteous. The LORD will destroy them, again –
He will destroy them. So we see that under the law a battle ensues between the
wicked and the righteous and though some innocent people are killed yet the
Lord comes in power and delivers the righteous.
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