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.
- In what way does the Psalmist express Gods majesty?
- How does the Psalmist describe the Judge of all men?
- What confidence does the Psalmist have in the Judge?
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