Glad Tidings Isaiah 40:31 Yet those who wait for the LORD Will gain new strength; They will mount up with wings like eagles, They will run and not get tired, They will walk and not become weary.
Volume 15, Issue 1
Januar y/Febr uar y 2011
Glad Tidings January/February 2011
Glad Tidings
Something To Consider ......................... p. 3
is published six times per year by
by Vince Finnegan
Living Hope International Ministries
Humility Compared To Pride ................. p. 4 by Vince Finnegan
458 Old Niskayuna Road,
Taking Refuge In Yahweh ...................... p. 6
Latham, New York 12110 USA
by Mary Ann Yaconis Simple Uncomplicated Faith ................. p.9
Office
518.785.8888
by Vince Finnegan
Fax
518.785.1990
Psalm 106: Crying Out To God When Hope Seems Lost ........................ p. 11
info@kingdomready.org
by Sean Finnegan
Website www.kingdomready.org Glad Tidings is mailed free to anyone who requests it. Scriptures are taken from the New American Standard Bible unless otherwise noted.
mark these important dates on your calendar!! March 19th Purim - Celebration of Giving Party
June 26th - July 2nd Family Camp 2011 Silver Bay
July 31st - August 6th Teen Camp 2011 Silver Bay 2
SOMETHING TO CONSIDER: Faith, hope, and love are the most basic, indispensable aspects of our spiritual life. Without them steadfast in our hearts, life falls apart. Faith Hebrews 11:6 Without faith it is impossible to please God. Matthew 21:21 and 22 With faith we can move mountains. Ephesians 2:8 Faith is our part in the graceful relationship we have with God. Hope Hebrews 6:19 Hope is the anchor of our soul. 2Corinthianns 4:16-18 We do not lose heart during difficult times because of hope. 1John 3:2 and 3 The hope is our polestar guiding us to righteousness and holiness. Love Matthew 21:37-41 Love is the greatest commandment of all. John 13:34 and 35 Love is our distinguishing characteristic. 1 Peter 4:8 Love is above all. 1 Corinthians 13:13 The greatest of all We must fight to keep these three active in our daily lives by applying biblical disciplines. Faith Romans 10:17 Faith starts with hearing the truth, and misinformation causes faithlessness. James 1:21 -Study of the Scriptures is essential to gain and maintain faith. James 2:14-26 Real faith always has corresponding works, one of which is prayer. Hebrews 11:13-16 Keep focus on God not self, circumstances, or situations. Hope Hope is made strong by biblical information, and it is diminished by wrong or no information. 1 John 3:1-3; Hebrews 11 - True hope influences behavior. Love John 3:16 Accepting God’s love for you inspires love for Him and others. The Scriptures define and remind us to love. Ignorance of the truth has caused many to grow cold with love. James 1:26 and 27 Real love has corresponding actions. Psalm 34:3-6 To remain loving, focus on God and not self or others is vital. Stay focused on the most important – faith, hope, and love. God’s best to you,
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Humility Compared To Pride By: Vince Finnegan
M of heaven.
atthew 5:3 Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom
The humble acknowledges that Yahweh is the Almighty God and has sovereignty. He believes that God is the source and maintainer of all life. His heart is fixed on Yahweh, and his mouth utters constant praise and exultation for Him (Job 38:1 - 42:17; Daniel 4:28-37; Revelation 4:11).
gratitude. He usually thinks he deserves what is good, that God and others owe it to him.
occur, he questions himself and never blames Yahweh (Psalm 51; Romans 3).
“Humble people pray a lot because they want to worship God
The proud do not have time to pray because they are too busy living life on their own.�
For the proud, most everything revolves around himself because he views life through the lens of self. His thoughts and most often his conversation primarily focus on self. The humble is thankful knowing everything he has and hopes for is based upon God’s grace and mercy. He strongly believes he deserves nothing. The life he has now and the hope for the coming Kingdom are and will be available because Yahweh is merciful, gracious, long-suffering, and abundant in goodness and truth (Exodus 34:6; Ephesians 2:7-10). He thanks God and others often (Ephesians 4:19 and 20; Colossians 3:17; I Thessalonians 5:18). The prideful one lacks genuine
Consequently, he sees no reason to be thankful for what he receives. In fact, he may even complain because he thinks he deserves better. He tends to be critical, complaining, and discontent. The proud person is not in the practice of being thankful toward God and others (II Chronicles 32:25). The humble is aware that he has no right to question or judge Almighty God; rather, he unpretentiously asks God for wisdom and forgiveness. He does not see himself as even remotely qualified to question Yahweh. If undesirable things 4
The proud complains against and blames God for that which is wrong in his life. He freely and openly murmurs against God and shifts his own blame to Him. He thinks and often proclaims to others, "Look what God has done to me after all I have done for Him" (Numbers 14).
A humble one does not see himself as better than others. He does not forget the sinfulness of his own heart nor the grace and mercy bestowed upon him. When he approaches others who are having problems, he does so with a spirit of kindness and gentleness (Galatians 6:1-10). Regardless of who the other people are or what they have done wrong, he maintains a compassionate, Christ-like attitude (Philippians 2:4-8; Colossians 3:12-16). The proud compares himself to others and feels good that he is not so bad (II Corinthians 10:12; Luke 18:9-14). When seeing a fault in others, he is (Continued on page 5)
(Continued from page 4)
quick to judge and "straighten out" the person and do so with a superior, belligerent attitude. He often tries to force the issue by controlling the person. He is determined to fix what is wrong and to discard those who do not change as he thinks they should. In contrast, the humble knows God is in control and that He honors free will. Humble people pray a lot because they want to worship God, and they see themselves as utterly dependent on Him. The humble one holds firm to the awareness of his own limitations and weaknesses while acknowledging God Almighty’s ability and strength in his life. Prayer is a way to surrender our ways to His ways, which are so much higher than our own (Luke 18:1-8; Matthew 6:9-13). The proud do not have time to pray because they are too busy living life on their own. They may even say, "I want to pray, but I don’t have the time" (Matthew 14:23; Luke 11:1; I Thessalonians 5:17). The humble prefer others above themselves. They are willing to put others before themselves without first considering their own rights. Their good deeds are for the
glory of God and not the praise of man. Serving others is viewed as a gracious privilege granted by a loving God (Matthew 6:1-6; Romans 12:10; and Philippians 2:3-16). The proud may be willing to
not resented, by them (Proverbs 9:8; 27:5 and 6). Understanding the infinite, eternal God can never be fully contained within their own small, finite knowledge, so they continue to search the Scriptures with meekness.
serve others but always on their own terms. They obsess with what others think about them. Some are in a continual pursuit of gaining the approval and esteem of others. They are men-pleasers rather than Godpleasers. Proud people usually struggle a great deal with criticism. They cannot bear the thought of others not thinking well of them. Service to others is more service to self because it is for vainglory, acceptance, or validation.
The proud maintain, although they may not admit it, a presumptuous conviction that their own beliefs contain the whole truth about God. Narrowmindedness and closed-mindedness are fre-quently the result of this arrogant mind-set. The proud often criticize, condemn, and fear all those who believe differently. "Surely they must be wrong because they do not believe what I believe." Other sincere, committed Christians are perceived as a threat because their beliefs are different and must be avoided. This avoidance is perceived as taking a stand for God, but in actuality, it is a result of high mindedness (I Corinthians 8:1).
Humble people realize they do not know everything and, even when they think they are right, are willing to consider that they might be wrong (I Corinthians 4:7). They also know that God can use anyone to teach them since He had a donkey to communicate to Balaam (Numbers 22:22-35). Sound reproof is embraced, 5
God gives grace to the humble and resists the proud.
Taking Refuge in Yahweh By Mary Ann Yaconis
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salms 71:1-3
In You, O LORD, I have taken refuge; Let me never be ashamed. In Your righteousness deliver me and rescue me; Incline Your ear to me and save me. Be to me a rock of habitation to which I may continually come; You have given commandment to save me, For You are my rock and my fortress.
Reading words such as these helped me in my early 40s to “wake up” one day and finally acknowledge that my life was a mess. I was keenly aware that relationships seemed to be incredibly complex to maintain. I was drained of mental, emotional, and physical energy and also bereft of spirituality. At this time I was physically sick with intense migraine headaches that were fre-
quent and debilitating. I was unable to maintain any connection with God and seriously struggled with faith. It was a very sad and dark time for me. When asked to draw a picture of myself in relationship to others, I drew a long and high cement block wall. On top of this wall, I placed large shards of glass. Around the broken glass, I swirled razor wire. On the far side of the wall, I drew stick figures of many people and a figure that represented God. Then I drew a small stick figure in the foreground that was on the front side of the wall. That solitary stick figure represented me, as if I was standing there with everyone else and God on the other side. It was a rude awakening.
The initial problem in relationships stemmed from wanting to please others at any cost to myself. My dysfunctional behaviors were the fallout of allowing inappropriate influence of others and hurtful life circumstances to destroy my sense of self and my faith in God. The lies and emotional pain I held onto allowed my heart to be filled with Before drawing by Mary Ann Yaconis 6
betrayals, unforgiveness, righteous indignation, pride, and many other sin patterns that would come to the surface again and again. Some psychologists say that we change our thinking and then our behavior changes. Other psychologists, that are equally knowledgeable, say that we change our behaviors and then our thinking changes. What the Scriptures tell us is that we change from the inside out. It is a spiritual revival, a desire to love and receive love from God, that encourages us to live as Jesus the Messiah teaches. This way of living is based on love of God, self, and others, the Beatitudes (Matthew chapters 5 – 7), and giving to others. Through a process of personal prayer, reading of the Scriptures, and group and individual work, I was able to hold my thoughts captive and receive healing(s) for a broken heart.
Psalms 32:1-5 How blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, Whose sin is covered! How blessed is the man to whom the LORD does not impute iniquity, And in whose spirit there is no deceit! When I kept silent about my sin, my body wasted away Through my groaning all day long. For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me; My vitality was drained away as with the fever heat of summer. Selah. I acknowledged my sin to You, And my iniquity I did (Continued on page 7)
not hide; I said, "I will confess my transgressions to the LORD"; And You forgave the guilt of my sin. Selah. I specifically remember excruciating pain in my neck where migraines seemed to originate. I searched out many doctors, chiropractors, and natural healers but found no relief. It took many months before I came to the understanding that I was holding onto a tremendous amount of resentment from unhealthy relationships. God would very carefully and lovingly show me the resentments I clung to, and then quickly, He gave me the godly response for each of those resentments. Time went on. More and more situations came up. It was very surprising to me how resentments seemed to dominate my entire way of being. I had an awareness that they were not for me to hold onto anymore; they were not protecting me or helping me in any way. God had mercy on me, and I was able to let the resentments go. Since those days of deliverance (over 20 years ago), I have not had that specific pain in my neck or a migraine. I am mindful of my behavior so that I do not allow myself to hold onto resentments when the occasion to do so arises. And, because we live in the world we do, those occasions absolutely do arise. But, now my response is totally different.
beliefs about doctrinal matters. Finally, I took charge of my life by changing ungodly thinking patterns and resulting behaviors. Now, I try to be mindful of daily assessments and modifications.
Psalms 37:23, 24 The steps of a man are established by the LORD, And He delights in his way. When he falls, he will not be hurled headlong, Because the LORD is the One who holds his hand. God intervened, took my hand, and gave my life a new direction. My mind is clearer; I am able to think according to the Word, love others, and foster more godliness in relationships. I learned to love myself as God loves me and finally be of service to God as He desires my service. Being pleasing to God first and foremost, rather than to man, changed my life. As
Release from this bondage began with prayers, even though I didn’t think God was really hearing them. Next, I took personal responsibility for my own
the years have progressed, God continues to refine my heart and cleanse me of unrighteous thinking and behavior. I am very thankful to God for continued daily healing. Starting the process of recovery from sin patterns was very difficult. Once I began, the work didn’t necessarily become easier, but with prayer and the loving support of others who were working at the same process, I continued with more and more successes. My life was being wasted on sin, and God spared my life. He allowed me to live for Him. I am no longer in the devil’s workshop, but I am being shaped daily by the Master’s hands. Praise Yahweh. An Invitation Faith Builders, Inside Out
Matthew 23:26 …first clean the inside of the cup and of the dish, so that the outside of it may become clean also.
After drawing by Mary Ann Yaconis 7
Taking Refuge in Yahweh Continued... (Continued from page 7)
As we begin a new year, you may be thinking about what changes you would like to make this year. Or you may figure you have tried and failed at this in the past, so why set yourself up for more failure. You are invited to be involved with a small group program provided by Living Hope International Ministries which provides effective teachings and group work with the purpose of building our faith to overcome temptations of the flesh. Our sin patterns stem from an imbalance in our lives. Generally, what happens is that we give our old man nature dominance over the new creation. It can falsely appear to us that we are not able genuinely to change, or in other words, we lose faith. Sometimes, we may maintain what some call a “tolerable recovery” — a life that is better than before but far from where we want to be with God. When we become Christians, many changes are made in rapid succession, but as we continue, we find that some sin patterns continue to linger and be unresolved. After time, they wear away at our faith and our God confidence. Take a minute, please, to think about yourself. Do you find it hard not to gossip or backbite? How did your conversations go with family and friends over the holidays? Is anger consistently present? Do you succumb to using gambling, por-
nography, shopping, substances, or isolating as coping skills instead of facing and dealing with your problems? Is your marriage a silent divorce or in need of some improvements? Do you have trouble staying faithful to the things of God like reading and praying daily? Does excessive work or exercise calm you and give you an “out?” Do you feel like you are a mistake, and if you were not here, it really wouldn’t matter? Have you had sexual abuse, trauma, or do you think that having sex means you are loved? Are you sad all the time or bitter and resentful? Confused? Overwhelmed? Is every -thing your fault? Well, you are not alone in your many difficulties. We all struggle with our old man nature. We have been given a new nature, a new creation in Christ. We are to live out of that new creation with faith. The old ways are to be reckoned dead. The thoughts will still come into our minds at times where we dismiss them immediately. But they aren’t “dead” if they rear their ugly heads and we allow the thoughts and emotions to push us into pain which leads to ungodly behaviors and lacking faith. We are no longer to be in bondage to the flesh with its temptations. To become the person in Christ we want to be takes faithful hard work. Faith Builders, Inside Out is: • Centered on God’s Word, 8
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the Scriptures Focused on faith building which is the antidote for temptations An encourager for taking personal responsibility Based on promoting individual spiritual growth in building our faith A way of utilizing the Body of Christ to assist one another to live a holy life Based on confidentiality, non-judgmental behavior, and love
For those who live in the Latham, NY area, we will have our first meeting on March 11, 2011, starting right at 6:00 p.m. and ending at 7:00 p.m. sharp. Look for more information by way of the Sunday bulletins, flyers, and the website, LHIM.org. If you are not locally available to attend Faith Builders, an alternative for you may be to obtain the Spiritual Warfare class or utilize the Inside Out book and workbook, and set up a weekly time to run the classes in your area. The classes are available from the online bookstore (www.LHIM.org) or from Living Hope Community Church at 518-785-8888. Please contact Dr. Mary Ann Yaconis at 518-785-8888 or maryannyaconis@lhim.org with questions.
Simple Uncomplicated Faith
By Vince Finnegan
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or Jesus, faith was simple and easy, something he expected of his disciples. His matter of fact response to their reaction to danger exemplifies his attitude about faith. He was sound asleep enjoying his peaceful rest while the disciples were freaking out with anxiety and fear.
Matthew 8:23-26 - When He got into the boat, His disciples followed Him. And behold, there arose a great storm on the sea, so that the boat was being covered with the waves; but Jesus Himself was asleep. And they came to Him and woke Him, saying, “Save us, Lord; we are perishing!” He said to them, “Why are you afraid, you men of little faith?” Then He got up and rebuked the winds and the sea, and it became perfectly calm. Since Jesus was on the boat with them, there was no reason for alarm; instead confidence and trust should have prevailed. One of the classic examples of faith contrasting with doubt is when Peter joined Jesus walking on the water. With eyes focused on Jesus, Peter had faith, and when his eyes shifted to the circumstances, he doubted and fell. To maintain our focus upon our Lord and our God is the most fundamental element to faith.
Matthew 14:28-33 - Peter said to Him, “Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.” And He said, “Come!” And Peter got out of the boat, and walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But seeing the wind, he became frightened, and beginning to sink, he cried out, “Lord, save me!” Immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and took hold of him, and said to him, “You of little faith, why did you doubt?” When they got into the boat, the wind stopped. The Syrophoenician woman had great faith, contrasted to Peter who had little. Children and uncomplicated thinking adults often have more faith because things are not complicated, complex, or confusing. While many confuse themselves and muddle things up, they keep their faith simple and easy. God said so; it must be true!
Matthew 15:22-28 – And a Canaanite woman from that region came out and began to cry out, saying, "Have mercy on me, Lord, Son of David; my daughter is cruelly demon-possessed.” But He did not answer her a word. And His disciples came and implored Him, saying, "Send her away, because she keeps shouting at us.” But He answered and said, "I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” 9
But she came and began to bow down before Him, saying, "Lord, help me!” And He answered and said, "It is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.” But she said, "Yes, Lord; but even the dogs feed on the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table.” Then Jesus said to her, "O woman, your faith is great; it shall be done for you as you wish.” And her daughter was healed at once. At the time of this incident, Jesus was still limited to ministering primarily to Israel. However, after his resurrection all would change. Her unyielding determination stands out as a hallmark of genuine faith. Obstacles to faith are always present, so we need to embrace the promises of God persistently and refute the faith -breakers, just like this woman.
The father of a demonoccupied boy came looking for Jesus but could not find him. He settled for the disciples, even though he doubted their ability to help the child. Demons controlled the child’s behavior, and according to Mark 9, his actions were outrageous and most likely intimidating to the disciples. They did doubt and therefore were unable to help the child.
Matthew 17:14-20 When they came to the crowd, a man came up to Jesus, falling on his knees before Him and saying, “Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is a lunatic and is very ill; for he often falls into the fire and often into the water. “I brought him to Your disciples, and they could not cure him.” And Jesus answered and said, “You unbelieving and perverted generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring him here to Me.” And Jesus rebuked him, and the demon came out of him, and the boy was cured at once. Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, “Why could we not drive it out?” And He said to them, “Because of the littleness of your faith; for truly I say to you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and
nothing will be impossible to you.
The circumstances intimidated the disciples but not Jesus. For Jesus, faith was simple and easy. He never doubted his authority over the demons and cast them out without any problem. The verse which follows this section is not included in the earliest manuscripts and confuses the simplicity of faith (verse 21- “But this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting”).
Matthew 21:18-22 - Now in the morning, when He was returning to the city, He became hungry. Seeing a lone fig tree by the road, He came to it and found nothing on it except leaves only; and He 10
said to it, “No longer shall there ever be any fruit from you.” And at once the fig tree withered. Seeing this, the disciples were amazed and asked, “How did the fig tree wither all at once?” And Jesus answered and said to them, “Truly I say to you, if you have faith, and do not doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and cast into the sea,’ it will happen. “And all things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.” Faith grows through practice. Each time we sense faith and act upon it, our faith becomes stronger. Every time we ask God for help and receive it, our faith is strengthened. We prove to ourselves that God is dependable and will never leave us. All we need to do is ask for help and trust in His power. Faith is not intellectual; rather, it just is. Faith is not selfcontrived or manufactured; rather, it is a gift from God. Faith is not self-focused; rather, it is God-centered. Faith is not earned; rather, it is a gift we simply accept. Faith is not optional; rather, it is the very core of our life with God.
Psalm 106: Crying out to God When Hope Seems Lost By: Sean Finnegan Praise the LORD! Oh Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, for his steadfast love [chesed] endures forever! Who can utter the mighty deeds of the LORD, or declare all his praise? Blessed are they who observe justice, who do righteousness at all times! Remember me, O LORD, when you show favor to your people; help me when you save them, that I may look upon the prosperity of your chosen ones, that I may rejoice in the gladness of your nation, that I may glory with your inheritance.
like many others, finds its theological stake grounded in the word chesed. This is the word translated “steadfast love” (ESV/NRSV/RSV), “lovingkindness” (NASB), “loyal love” (NET), “love” (NAB), “faithful love” (HCSB/NJB), and “mercy” (KJV/NKJV). That there is such variety in the translations should alert us to the fact that this Hebrew word is difficult to render in English. Furthermore, this is no small word; in fact, chesed is the heartbeat of the psalms, which is repeated over and over as the central belief about God’s relation to His people— His chesed endures forever. So what is chesed? John Goldingay translates it “commitment” and gives the following definition: It is sometimes described as covenant love, though in the OT [Old Testament] it rarely appears in the company of the word “covenant.” It is used in two connections: when
someone makes an act of commitment for which there is no reason in terms of prior relationship, and when someone keeps their commitment when they might be expected to abandon it (e.g., because the other person has done so). It is the Hebrew equivalent to the Greek agape.
Chesed starts with God who graciously, lovingly establishes a covenant relationship with His people at Mount Sinai. He promises to remain faithful to it no matter what. It is important to distinguish chesed from the word “love.” This is because love is often construed today as infatuation, intense fleeting emotion, or something exciting yet wildly unstable. God’s chesed is much deeper than that. His chesed is much more like the kind of love a married couple shares. It is not a fickle love, which may find another on a whim, but a committed love; it is the kind of love that is firmly established in the marriage covenant. There is no
What a magnificent start! The psalmist has moved from praising God for His goodness, to blessing those who live justly, to asking God to remember him when favor is shown to the people of God. So ends the joyful part of this forty-eight verse psalm. But, before looking at what comes next, we must linger for a moment over the opening verse. This psalm, (Continued on page 12)
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Psalm 106: Crying out to God continued. . . one word in the English language that can express this idea, but Psalm 106 can teach us what it means. Now, it is important to keep in mind that the basis for the relationship between God and Israel at that time was the old covenant or Law. Part of this covenant was that God would bring blessings and prosperity upon His people when they remained faithful and judgment and wrath when they broke faith. So, when the people rebelled, even God’s punishment was an act of His commitment. But, on the other side, after the just penalty was meted out, the people found in chesed a basis from which to appeal to God for deliverance—for His chesed endures forever. Now we must return our attention to Psalm 106 and observe the sudden shift between verses five and six. After the introduction (vv. 1-5), the psalmist turns his attention to the meat of the matter— confession. He begins this extended confessional prayer (vv. 6-43) with the formulaic expression: “Both we and our fathers have sinned; we have committed iniquity; we have done wickedness.” These are the precise words Solomon employed in his magnificent temple dedication prayer (1 Kings 8:47). The psalmist is taking upon himself to confess to God on behalf of
his entire people the sins of Israel from the time of Egypt right up until the present. In fact, we are not told when the psalmist is writing until he finishes his historical summary. Where he stops is when he lives. Overall, he enumerates eight sins that the people have committed. *See Chart on Page 14 & 15* Psalm 106 is not an easy read. It is not light or trivial, as poetry written merely to lift the spirits of the reader for a fleeting moment. No, this psalm, though poetic, is painfully honest, historically aware, and theologically grounded. The psalmist does not run from the tumultuous history of his people, nor does he brush off the sins of the fathers as if they had nothing to do with the present moment. He takes responsibility, stands upright, and confesses to God the chronic rebelliousness of his people. Still, after more than thirty excruciating verses of confession, he recognizes God’s gracious care for Judah even while in exile. He writes:
Psalms 106:44-46 Nevertheless, he looked upon their distress, when he heard their cry. For their sake he remembered his covenant, and relented according to the abundance of his steadfast love [chesed]. He caused them to be pitied by all those who held them captive. God’s commitment to the cove12
nant, His chesed, is the reason why God caused Judah’s captors to have compassion on the exiles. Even in the midst of just punishment, which God was actually bound by the covenant to carry out, He found ways to lighten their burden. God’s totally undeserved loving care for the children of Israel still endured. At this point, we realize the situation of the psalmist. He has brought us along from Egypt to the exile when Judah was conquered by Nebuchadnezzar, forcibly extricated from the Promised Land, and resettled in Babylonia. Events had come full circle: the people who had suffered as a marginal group in the land of Egypt had gone in and now come out of the Promised Land only to sojourn once again in a strange land where the true God was not worshipped. His was one of the darkest moments in Israelite history. He writes while living in a foreign country, surrounded by people who speak a foreign language, who worship foreign gods, and who live in a foreign way (especially compared to the Law of Moses). Remarkably, he does not point his finger at God in protest as if his people were suffering some gross injustice; he does not conclude that the Babylonian god, Marduk, is more powerful than Yahweh; he does not forget who he is or the special history of the chosen people. Of course, as Bible readers we (Continued on page 13)
Psalm 106: Crying out to God continued. . . know that the exile lasted only seventy years, but from the psalmist’s perspective, it may have seemed as though it would never end. Finally, after his extended confession, the psalmist arrives at his plea.
Psalms 106:47 Save us, O LORD our God, and gather us from among the nations, that we may give thanks to Your holy name and glory in Your praise. This is the heart of the entire psalm. Though everything seemed lost— with Jerusalem and the holy temple lying in ruins, the chosen nation stripped of sovereignty, and God’s people now living as captives in a foreign Gentile land—still there was
hope. What is the explanation for such audacious hope? The psalmist knew from God’s consistent dealings, even after they had suffered the just wrath of God, that God’s chesed still endured. It endures forever. Thus, he was humbly confident and dared to pray for salvation, for return from exile, for the restoration of national Judah. Why should God move in this way? It is so that His people may give thanks and glory to God’s holy name—activities that could only be fully carried out with the people back in their land with the Temple functioning. Not only is Psalm 106 an incredible example to us of how to face sin honestly and to confess it to God courageously, but it teaches us that even in the darkest
moments of life, when all hope seems lost, when even declaring God’s steadfast love might result in ridicule from our neighbors, when the most powerful world empire has taken over, still in the midst of a seventy year nightmare, God is faithful—His chesed endures forever. He is a God of love, and though we have suffered the storm of His holy wrath, light comes in the morning for those who have the temerity to pray such prayers as this one. Our psalmist concludes thus:
Psalms 106:48 Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting! And let all the people say, "Amen!" Praise the LORD!
What LOVE means to a 44-8 year old .
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A group of professional people posed this question to a group of 4 to 8 year-olds, 'What does love mean?' 'When my grandmother got arthritis, she couldn't bend over and paint her toenails anymore. So my grandfather does it for her all the time, even when his hands got arthritis too. That's love.' Rebecca- age 8 'When someone loves you, the way they say your name is different. You just know that your name is safe in their mouth.' Billy - age 4 'Love is when a girl puts on perfume and a boy puts on shaving cologne and they go out and smell each other.' Karl - age 5 'Love is when you go out to eat and give somebody most of your French fries without making them give you any of theirs.' Chrissy - age 6 'Love is what makes you smile when you're tired.' Terri - age 4 'Love is what's in the room with you at Christmas if you stop opening presents and listen.' Bobby - age 7 (Wow!) 'If you want to learn to love better, you should start with a friend who you hate,' Nikka - age 6 13
1: Red Sea Rebellion 2: Quail Fiasco 3: Dathan & Abiram 4: Golden Calf Debacle
Summary from Psalm 106
Related Scripture
Psalms 106:7-12: After the ten plagues in Egypt, the people rebelled by the Red Sea. The psalmist writes, “They did not remember the abundance of your steadfast love [chesed].” After they bitterly complained, God rebuked the sea, and it became dry—like a desert. Once they were safe, the waters covered and drowned the pursuing Egyptian army. “Then they believed his words; they sang his praise.”
Exodus 14:11-12: Then they said to Moses, “Is it because there were no graves in Egypt that you have taken us away to die in the wilderness? Why have you dealt with us in this way, bringing us out of Egypt? Is this not the word that we spoke to you in Egypt, saying, ‘Leave us alone that we may serve the Egyptians?’ For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the wilderness.”
Psalms 106:13-15: Though God had provided bread (manna) for His people, they soon grew dissatisfied and developed an irresistible craving for meat. God sent them quails; they ate to the full; but while the meat was still between their teeth, God sent a wasting disease among them. This all happened because they forgot His works and did not wait for His counsel.
Numbers 11:4-6: The rabble who were among them had greedy desires; and also the sons of Israel wept again and said, “Who will give us meat to eat? We remember the fish which we used to eat free in Egypt, the cucumbers and the melons and the leeks and the onions and the garlic, but now our appetite is gone. There is nothing at all to look at except this manna.”
Psalms 106:16-18: Certain people became discontent with Moses and Aaron. Among them were Korah, Dathan, and Abiram who convinced 250 other Israelites to join their conspiracy. They defied Moses, accused him of being a dictator, and challenged Aaron for allowing only his direct descendants to be priests while the rest of the Levites were not allowed to enter the courts of the tabernacle. God settled the matter by opening the earth to swallow these jealous men and sending out fire to consume the 250.
Numbers 16:12-14: Then Moses sent a summons to Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab; but they said, “We will not come up. Is it not enough that you have brought us up out of a land flowing with milk and honey to have us die in the wilderness, but you would also lord it over us? Indeed, you have not brought us into a land flowing with milk and honey, nor have you given us an inheritance of fields and vineyards. Would you put out the eyes of these men? We will not come up!”
Psalms 106:19-23: The people of God “exchanged the glory of God for the image of an ox that eats grass.” They “worshiped a metal image.” The psalmist is appalled at this act. He recognizes that God would have destroyed them, “had not Moses, His chosen one, stood in the breach before Him, to turn away His wrath from destroying them.” Why did this happen? How can it be explained? “They forgot God, their Savior, who had done great things in Egypt.” Over and over the people forget, and so they break faith resulting in disastrous consequences.
Exodus 32:1-4: …the people gathered themselves together to Aaron and said to him, “Up, make us gods who shall go before us. As for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.” So Aaron said to them, “Take off the rings of gold that are in the ears…and bring them to me.”…And he received the gold from their hand and fashioned it with a graving tool and made a golden calf. And they said, “These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!”
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Related Scripture
Psalms 106:24-27: After fleeing from Egypt and trudging through the desert, they finally arrived at the entrance point to the Promised Land: Kadesh. Spies went to the land and upon returning convinced the people that they would never be able to defeat the natives. Thus, the psalmist writes, “Then they despised the pleasant land, having no faith in his promise.” They murmured and rebelled by refusing to enter the land. God swore they would perish in the wilderness, which happened over the next forty years.
Numbers 14:2-4: And all the people of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron. The whole congregation said to them, “Would that we had died in the land of Egypt! Or would that we had died in this wilderness! Why is the LORD bringing us into this land, to fall by the sword? Our wives and our little ones will become a prey. Would it not be better for us to go back to Egypt?” And they said to one another, “Let us choose a leader and go back to Egypt.”
6: Bowing to Baal of Peor
Psalms 106:28-31: The people attached themselves to another god, Baal of Peor, and “ate sacrifices offered to the dead.” As a result of their provocation, God sent a plague resulting in thousands of deaths. However, Phinehas, overcome with zeal for God, intervened resulting in the deliverance. He was honored with a perpetual blessing.
Numbers 25:1-3 While Israel lived in Shittim, the people began to whore with the daughters of Moab. These invited the people to the sacrifices of their gods, and the people ate and bowed down to their gods. So Israel yoked himself to Baal of Peor. And the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel.
7: Moaning at Meribah
Psalms 106:32-33: When they arrived at Meribah, there was no water for the people to drink. God told Moses to speak to the rock, but instead he struck it with his staff and said, “Hear now, you rebels: shall we bring water for you out of this rock?” Thus, the psalmist writes, “For they made his spirit bitter, and he spoke rashly with his lips.” For this, “it went ill with Moses” and later when they finally entered the Promised Land, Moses was excluded.
Numbers 20:3-5 And the people quarreled with Moses and said, “Would that we had perished when our brothers perished before the LORD! Why have you brought the assembly of the LORD into this wilderness, that we should die here, both we and our cattle? And why have you made us come up out of Egypt to bring us to this evil place? It is no place for grain or figs or vines or pomegranates, and there is no water to drink.”
Psalms 106:34-43: Upon entering the land, Israel did not destroy the peoples as God commanded. Furthermore, “they mixed with the nations and learned to do as they did.” Thus, they became idolaters and even “sacrificed their sons and their daughters to the demons.” The land became polluted with blood. God’s people became unclean. As a result, God’s wrath was poured out upon His people. He let their enemies conquer them, and eventually they were wholly taken out of the land and brought into exile to live among their captors. “Many times he delivered them, but they were rebellious in their purposes and were brought low through their iniquity.”
Ezekiel 16:17-21 You also took your beautiful jewels of my gold and of my silver, which I had given you, and made for yourself images of men, and with them played the whore. And you took your embroidered garments to cover them, and set my oil and my incense before them. Also my bread that I gave you--I fed you with fine flour and oil and honey--you set before them for a pleasing aroma; and so it was, declares the Lord GOD. And you took your sons and your daughters, whom you had borne to me, and these you sacrificed to them to be devoured. Were your whorings so small a matter that you slaughtered my children and delivered them up as an offering by fire to them?
8: Assimilation of Canaanite Practices
5: Refusal To Enter Land
Summary from Psalm 106
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A prayer for the New Year Colossians 1:9-12 For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that you might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; That you might walk worthy of the Lord to all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God; Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, to all patience and long-suffering with joyfulness; Giving thanks to the Father, which has made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light