David The Prophet – Psalm 16:10-11

“For You will not leave my soul in Sheol, nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption.  You will show me the path of life; in Your presence is fullness of joy; at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.”

“This psalm is entitled Michtam, which some translate a golden psalm, a very precious one, more to be valued by us than gold, yea, than much fine gold, because it speaks so plainly of Christ and his resurrection, who is the true treasure hidden in the field of the Old Testament.  David speaks of himself as a member of Christ, and so he speaks the language of all good Christians, professing his confidence in God (v. 1), his consent to him (v. 2), his affection to the people of God (v. 3), his adherence to the true worship of God (v. 4), and his entire complacency and satisfaction in God and the interest he had in him (v. 5-7).” (Matthew Henry)

If there is any question whether the latter part of this psalm is about the resurrection of Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit put that to rest by explaining it to us.  On the Day of Pentecost, after being filled with the Holy Spirit (see Acts 2:1-4), Peter preached to the devout Jews of every nation.  His sermon included the reference and explanation of this psalm.   “Men and brethren, let me speak freely to you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his tomb is with us to this day.  Therefore, being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that of the fruit of his body, according to the flesh, He would raise up the Christ to sit on his throne, he, foreseeing this, spoke concerning the resurrection of the Christ, that His soul was not left in Hades, nor did His flesh see corruption.  This Jesus God has raised up, of which we are all witnesses.  Therefore being exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He poured out this which you now see and hear.” (Acts 2:29-33)

In the event we still some help understanding the prophetic nature of this psalm, the Apostle Paul also makes reference to it in his discussion of the resurrection of Jesus Christ.  “And we declare to you glad tidings – that promise which was made to the fathers. God has fulfilled this for us their children, in that He has raised up Jesus. As it is also written in the second Psalm: ‘You are My Son, today I have begotten You.’ And that He raised Him from the dead, no more to return to corruption, He has spoken thus: ‘I will give you the sure mercies of David.’ Therefore He also says in another Psalm ‘You will not allow Your Holy One to see corruption.’ For David, after he had served his own generation by the will of God, fell asleep, was buried with his fathers, and saw corruption; but He whom God raised up saw no corruption.”  (Acts 13:32-37) 

There have been doctrines and beliefs in immortality.  It is not limited to Christianity.  However, Jesus Christ is the only one who has ever resurrected from the dead.  And this resurrection is well documented, it was witnessed by hundreds and could not be refuted by the Pharisees.  God the Father gave this prophecy to David that was fulfilled by the resurrection of Jesus Christ.  When God says He is going to do something, it will happen.  This consistent faithfulness by God to His own Word is what helps strengthen our faith.  It turns our faith into more than a belief.  For those of us who have experienced fulfillment of our Mighty God’s promises, and who have seen His Hand in action, our faith and belief turns into knowledge.  We do not just think God exists, we know God exists and we know that He loves us, because we have experienced it. 

Death does not end us.  The resurrection of Jesus Christ led the way for his heirs.  Someday, those of us who have surrendered to our Lord Jesus will be raised incorruptible, to live with Jesus for eternity.  “Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed – in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.” (1 Corinthians 15:51-52)  

I understand that our spirit will be with Jesus immediately upon the death of our body.  “For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain.  But if I live on in the flesh, this will mean fruit from my labor; yet what I shall choose I cannot tell.  For I am hard-pressed between the two, having a desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better.” (Philippians 1:21-23)

How it is that our bodies shall be raised is a question I cannot answer.  The Apostle John did not attempt to describe such a thing.  “Beloved now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.” (1 John 3:2)

Every trial we go through with Jesus should strengthen our faith and turn our belief in God to a knowledge of God.  Friends, I pray your faith is strengthened, because this world is going to give us trials.  It is not a matter of if the trials come, but rather of when.  As we live through these ‘latter days,’ have faith, or better yet know, that God will never leave you nor forsake you.  He says what He does and does what He says.  In the midst of David’s prayer, this golden psalm, he writes of the resurrection of the coming Messiah.  What a gracious God we have that, in the middle of our prayers of praise to Him, He will bring us to remembrance of this precious hope.  Jesus Christ is coming and soon there will no longer be a need for faith, for we shall see Him face to face.

And, Lord, haste the day when my faith shall be sight,
the clouds be rolled back as a scroll;
the trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend,
even so, it is well with my soul.

May you grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. 

Marvelous In My Eyes? – Zechariah 8:6

“Thus says the LORD of hosts: ‘If it is marvelous in the eyes of the remnant of this people in these days, will it also be marvelous in My eyes?’ says the LORD of hosts.”

In the previous chapter of Zechariah, the prophet reproved the people who were disobedient and rejected the truth.  They would, or should, have been left with a deep sense of guilt about the state of their nation and the desolation of their land.  God designs such events, or allows them, to bring people to repentance, but not to despair.  As we see in this chapter, the prophet speaks God’s words of encouragement to the remnant who are willing to be obedient.  He tells them of the restoration of Jerusalem, the richness of the land, that men and women will grow old and children will play in the streets without fear.  He tells them to reform their ways to be ready for these blessings, and he tells them the times of their previously non-ordained fasts will be turned to times mercy when there will be feasts and celebration.  In the midst of this good news, God points out that such a turn of events is marvelous in the eyes of the remnant.

‘Marvelous’ in their eyes (Strong’s 06381) is to “be beyond one's power, be difficult to do, to be difficult to understand, to be wonderful, be extraordinary.”    Well…yes!  For the remnant, ‘these days’ were dark and difficult.  The challenges before them to rebuild the temple, the city walls, and the nation, looked impossible from their perspective of being a small and feeble people.  God described for them a city and society that seemed out of reach.  The news was too good to be true.  How can these things be?  Maybe they marveled as well at the mercy of God.  What had the people done to deserve such blessings? 

God’s ways are not our ways, which is why God shows the contrast: “will it also be marvelous in My eyes?”  With this question, God is pointing out that what He said will transpire is not too difficult for Him, it is not beyond His power.  To consider that something is beyond His ability is a foreign thought to God.  Such a thought must be rejected.  God assures us in His Word of His power over the impossible.  “For with God nothing will be impossible.”  (Luke 1:37)  “But Jesus looked at them and said to them, “With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”  (Matthew 19:26)

Such good news from God is marvelous in their eyes because they cannot see how it can come to be.  Typically, once the remnant experiences the fulfillment of God’s promises, it is no longer marvelous in their eyes, but a blessing worthy of joyful praise.  But because of their current situation, it is at this point marvelous in their eyes.

There are days in everyone’s life that are dark and difficult.  Whether you are plagued with financial troubles, injury or sickness, relationship problems, legal issues, maybe you are suffering persecution because of your stand for Christ, or you are beginning to think it will be impossible for that friend of yours to surrender to Christ.  Remember that with God all things are possible.  So often we cannot see our way through the troubles, or see a way for that loved one to know the joy of a relationship with Jesus.  But God has a way.  His way is not our way, and that is why we marvel.  God can easily get over the difficulties that seem insurmountable to us.  It is not marvelous in God’s eyes that one day the burdens that now have you buried will be forgotten and all the mourning replaced with “joy and gladness and cheerful feasts” (Zechariah 8:19b). 

“I remember when a boy being taken to see the residence of one of our nobility, and the good friend who took me noticed my astonishment at the largeness of the house. I was amazed at it, having never seen anything like it, and so I said, ‘What a house for a man to live in!’ ‘Bless you, boy,’ said he, ‘this is only the kitchen!’ I was only looking at the servants’ apartments, and was astonished at the grandeur thereof; but the mansion itself was a far nobler affair. Oftentimes when you see what the Lord has done, you are ready to cry out, ‘How can all this be? His goodness, his mercy, is it as great as this?’ Rest assured that you have only seen a little of his goodness, as it were the kitchen of his great house: you have not seen the palace of the Most High, where he reveals his full power and splendor.” (Charles Spurgeon)

However desperate your situation remember that nothing is impossible with God.  He said so!  Take your troubles to Him, talk to Him, trust Him.  It may be marvelous in your eyes now (beyond your power), but soon it will be turned to the reality of joyous praise! 

May you grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

God’s Scrapbook – Malachi 3:16

“Then those who feared the LORD spoke to one another, and the LORD listened and heard them; so a book of remembrance was written before Him for those who fear the LORD and who meditate on His name.”

Malachi, which means ‘My Messenger,’ (Strongs 04401) was sent to tell the priests and the people of their sins against God.  He used a question and answer format to reveal their habits of hypocrisy, infidelity, divorce, mixed marriages (Hebrew men were divorcing the wife of their youth and marrying non-Hebrew women who practiced idolatry), false worship and arrogance.  God said to them “Your words have been harsh against Me.” (Malachi 3:13a)  God then reminded the people of such words, including: “It is useless to serve God; what profit is it that we have kept His ordinance, and that we have walked as mourners before the LORD of hosts?” (Malachi 3:14) For these people, worship of the LORD and service to Him had become a burden.

In the midst of recounting the people’s complaints and murmuring, God mentions the remnant of people who still feared the LORD and who meditated on His name.  Not only are they mentioned here, but we are also told that God listened and heard them, and that a book of remembrance was written about it.  Did you know that God keeps books?  We are wise to keep aware that God sees all, hears all and knows all.  We are wiser still to keep aware that He records all as well.  As a retired CPA, I can only imagine the pure accuracy of God's bookkeeping.  Let us consider a few things God records.

Book of Tears:  Do you know that it pains God to see you hurt?  He will never forget about your heartache as He stores your tears in a bottle and records them in a book.  “You number my wanderings; put my tears into Your bottle; are they not in Your book?” (Psalm 56:8)  God is ever so aware of the sufferings of His children.  You are not alone.

Book of Plans:  Through the Holy Spirit, King David expresses his awe of God’s knowledge of David before he was born, and knowledge of David’s future.  “For You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother’s womb…Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed.  And in Your book they all were written, the days fashioned for me, when as yet there were none of them.”  (Psalm 139:13 & 16)  We also see an indication of this in God’s letter (via Elasah) to the Hebrew captives in Babylon:  “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.”  (Jeremiah 29:11)

Book of Works:  “Those who do not depend on Christ for their salvation will be judged “according to their works.”  Since all have sinned, and the wages of sin is death, they will all receive the wages they earned: the second death.” (Charles Stanley)  “And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened.  And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life.  And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books.  The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them.  And they were judged, each one according to his works.  Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire.  This is the second death.”  (Revelation 20:12-14)

Book of Life:  Those who surrender to Jesus Christ and place their faith in Him for eternal life are written in the Book of Life.  “And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.”  (Revelation 20:15)  It is also referred to as the Lamb’s Book of Life:  “But there shall by no means enter it anything that defiles, or causes an abomination or a lie, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life.”  (Revelation 21:27)

Book of Remembrance:  This is the book addressed in the opening scripture reference.  Those who fear the LORD and meditate upon His name are people who have God on their mind.  He is the essence of their being and therefore always on the tip of their tongue.  They seize any opportunity to give God praise.  He consumes their thoughts and their thoughts are in awe of His work, of His creation, of His mercy, of His love, of His power, of His provision, of His grace, and much more. 

How did they meditate on His name?  A name meant so much back then, and it was not just one name.  God was given names for how He manifested Himself for them.  ‘Jehovah’ itself means “the existing one” (Strong’s 03068).  “It also suggests "to become" or specifically "to become known" - this denotes a God who reveals Himself unceasingly.” (Blueletterbible.org)  Below is a sample of names of God with the first reference of use in the Old Testament:

El Shaddai (Lord God Almighty, Genesis 17:1)

El Elyon (The Most High God, Genesis 14:18)

Adonai (Lord, Master, Genesis 15:2)

Yahweh (Lord, Jehovah, Genesis 2:4)

Jehovah Nissi (The Lord My Banner, Exodus 17:15)

Jehovah-Raah (The Lord My Shepherd, Genesis 48:15, of course also Psalm 23:1)

Jehovah Rapha (The Lord That Heals, Exodus 15:26)

Jehovah Shammah (The Lord Is There, Ezekiel 48:35)

Jehovah Tsidkenu (The Lord Our Righteousness, Jeremiah 23:6)

Jehovah Mekoddishkem (The Lord Who Sanctifies You, Exodus 31:13)

El Olam (The Everlasting God, Genesis 21:33)

Elohim (God, Judge, Creator, Genesis 1:1)

Qanna (Jealous, Exodus 20:5)

Jehovah Jireh (The Lord Will Provide, Genesis 22:14)

Jehovah Shalom (The Lord Is Peace, Judges 6:24)

Jehovah Sabaoth (The Lord of Hosts, 1 Samuel 1:3)

 

For every circumstance in our lives, there is an appropriate name for God.  That is what makes it so easy to meditate upon His name.  He is present in every situation.

In the book of Esther, we see from a human perspective how the king used a book of chronicles to review the actions of his subjects.  “That night the king could not sleep. So one was commanded to bring the book of the records of the chronicles; and they were read before the king. And it was found written that Mordecai had told of Bigthana and Teresh, two of the king’s eunuchs, the doorkeepers who had sought to lay hands on King Ahasuerus.  Then the king said, ‘What honor or dignity has been bestowed on Mordecai for this?’ And the king’s servants who attended him said, ‘Nothing has been done for him.’” (Esther 6:1-3)  And what honor or dignity does God want to bestow upon those who are written in the Book of Remembrance, for those who are in awe of Him, meditate on His name and speak to each other about the great things God has done?  God claims them as His own gems, and He will protect them from the “great and dreadful day of the LORD” (Malachi 4:5).  Of those written in the Book of Remembrance, “’They shall be Mine,’ says the LORD of hosts [Jehovah Sabaoth], ‘on the day that I make them My jewels.  And I will spare them as a man spares his own son who serves him.’” (Malachi 3:17)

First and foremost, it is of utmost importance that we all surrender to Jesus Christ and believe on Him for our eternal salvation so that our names would be found in the Book of Life.  But do you not also desire to delight the Lord with your words of praise about Him, such that He takes pleasure in having it recorded in the Book of Remembrance?  I pray that we do not weary our Great God by complaining and murmuring, but rather we delight Him with public words of praise worthy of entry into God’s scrapbook of loving memories.

“Let them praise the name of the LORD, for His name alone is exalted; His glory is above the earth and heaven.” (Psalm 148:13)

May you grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.