loyal

His Love Persists, Psalm 136

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Psalm 136

“Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever.”

Psalm 136:1, ESV

Repetition is when a single word or phrase is used multiple times in short succession for effect. It can help emphasize a point. This Psalm certainly does that.

Since this post is pretty much about repetition, I’m going to share some different versions that different translators have interpreted the last phrase of all 26 verses. Keep in mind the last phrase is used is repeating itself word for word in each translation.

Now here are seven different English translations of the end of every verse.

AMP: …for His lovingkindness (graciousness, mercy, compassion) endures forever.

NASB: …for His faithfulness is everlasting.

KJV: …for his mercy endureth for ever.

NCV: …His love continues forever.

CJB: …for his grace continues forever.

MSG: …His love never quits.

NET: …for his loyal love endures.

The word, translated in these different ways, is “hesed” in Hebrew. It means a forever love, loyalty, faithfulness or kindness. It is something everlasting or eternal that’s based all on covenant. Yes, every translation is different, but the same.

I suppose this repeated phrase (26 times) may seem a bit redundant. I for one am prone to skip Psalms 136 because of that, I mean it seems boring. Just repeating this over and over I start to wonder if there’s something better to read.

But we dare not make this mistake.

If we respectfully dismantle this phrase we find it deals with seeing God as eternally steadfast. We are called to state out loud His love for us that never wavers or ends. A “steady” forever love that will not change, flicker, or diminish. It just goes on and on and on.

The phrase then moves even deeper than that. “Endures forever,” shapes the whole thought. You might say that these two words extend or amplify the complete verse and strengthen the entire Psalm.

O.K. Here’s another bone to chew on.

First, I need to point out that the first part of each verse states the unique circumstance that declares what exactly has been done. For instance notice the wonder and power of each verse. This is verse 15, for example,

“He overthrew Pharaoh and his host in the Red Sea, (the unique phrase)
    for his steadfast love endures forever.” (the repeated phrase)

The first part describes a miracle of deliverance from Egypt. The second is that same repeated phrase we find in all 26 verses. First the unique phrase, and but then comes the repeated one. But let’s add even more flavor. We must teach ourselves to remember. You must consider each event He has led you through to be a testimony to others.

You then must tell your children about your own personal experiences with God.

We forget these miracles unless we consciously recall what God has done. Miracles, healings, provisions, and His amazing grace. Never disremember these things. Bring them to mind, over and over again. You should never forget those “God-things.” They’re uniquely yours. He has done distinctive and tremendous things for you alone.

I guess the main point of this post is to emphasize to you to value those unique miracles that you’ve experienced in your own life.

In life it seems we remember what is important to us. What He has done for you is your own unique testimony. It’s yours, and yours alone. What you’ve experienced is completely your own testimony.

When we enter a forever kind of an endless eternity that each of us will have amazing stories to tell each other about God’s special touch, His miracles and all of the grace and forgiveness that He uniquely loved us with. We all will have our own unique and singular stories. What we share will be our evidence of His love.

That’s pretty amazing when you think about it.

But please remember.

“And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony,”

Rev. 12:11, ESV

The Jealous Heart of God

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“They will recognize how hurt I am by their unfaithful hearts and lustful eyes.”

Ezekiel 6:9, NLT

Hollywood talks about “the force,” but the Bible reveals something far more than that. The Holy Spirit is personal, not something but Someone. Even though He is a Spirit and has all the attributes of God, He also has a personality and can be offended.

  • He grieves, Ephesians 4:30
  • We can quench His Spirit, 1 Thessalonians 5:19
  • He is outraged (some translations say insulted), Hebrews 10:29

It’s also critically important to understand the jealousy of God. Twelve times in the OT we read this about God. (To be jealous can be good, and it can be bad.) Here’s just one verse:

“Thus says the Lord of hosts: I am jealous for Zion with great jealousy, and I am jealous for her with great wrath.”

Zechariah 8:2

in the Hebrew the word for jealous means “to become intensely red.” It has the thought of a face becoming flushed with deep emotion. This shows that God truly loves His covenant people. He’s concerned for them.

We find that the Holy Spirit is disturbed by faithlessness.

We can insult Him. We can grieve Him.

God can be hurt by our decision to ignore Him and sin. He’s disturbed by our commitment to anything but Him. This is the essence of idolatry and that hurts Him. God insists that we turn to Him first, and by faith and the power of the Holy Spirit, live under the control of the King.

We can become traitors. Does God weep for us?

“If we be married to Christ, and He be jealous of us, depend upon it this jealous husband will let none touch His spouse.”

     Charles Spurgeon

Shama, Listening

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“And Samuel said,
“Has the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices,
as in obeying the voice of the LORD?
Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice,
and to listen than the fat of rams.”

1 Samuel 15:22, ESV

In Hebrew, the word ‘shama’ has a powerful meaning which is hard to translate into English. The word actually means “listening and doing.” Shama is a word that combines both ideas into one. To hear and obey is one word to the Hebrews.

It’s all about activity that’s a result of hearing.

Here, the word shama means to allow the words to sink in, to provide understanding that requires a response—it’s about becoming obedient when you hear His voice. In Hebrew, hearing and doing are the same thing. Obedience to these laws is not about legalism or trying to earn God’s favor—it’s about love and active listening.

We desperately need “shama” as disciples of Jesus.

We must understand that listening to God is needed, but obedience is required. Shama tells us this. We can’t just hear Him without obeying. I believe that obedience becomes easy when we are listening to Him.

And that’s a good thing.

“The willingness to obey every word from God is critical to hearing God speak.”

Henry T. Blackaby

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The Giant Goliath, and Sexy Bathsheba

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I have wondered about this. It strikes me that there are two giants that David encountered in his walk with God. Granted, there are many other events and people that he experienced, obviously. But there are these two that stick out:

The Goliath showdown, and the Bathsheba fiasco.

These seem to be hinges or pivot points that would change the entire course of king David’s life, and his faith in God. They’re to be an encouragement and warning to us, as both are incredibly significant.

Goliath, 1 Samuel 17

This is a powerful chapter, for it reveals David’s spectacular faith in God. When the boy David killed Goliath it changed the entire future of Israel. One stone from his sling was all it took. Israel routed the Philistine army. David’s faith was the spark that made victory real.

David became a hero that day, and quickly ascended into Saul’s favor. It was both a military and a political development that Israel needed and king Saul welcomed it, the kingdom thrived. The boy David became the man of the hour, a national hero which everyone talked about.

I’d like to point out that David had already been anointed by Samuel to be the next king. This, combined with David’s celebrity status pushed king Saul over the edge–Saul developed a deep resentment that became insanity. David handled this adroitly, fleeing into the wilderness (with his faith) for years.

Bathsheba, 2 Samuel 11

At this point David is now king and is fighting the Ammonites. The Israelites were besieging Rabbah, the capital city of that country, and it seems like it’s an intense battle. But interestingly enough, David remained in Jerusalem. (And I can’t figure out why.) David can’t sleep so he paces the rooftop and it’s then things get crazy.

David spies Bathsheba who is cleansing herself from her monthly cycle. She is a very beautiful woman, and king David inquires about her. He lusts after her which results in him more or less raping her, commiting adultery and then murdering her husband. This is all very disturbing.

Bathsheba is the wife of Uriah, one of David’s mighty men of proven valor. He has him murdered after committing adultery with her.

(2 Sam. 11:14-15.)

When David had sex with Bathsheba it set in motion the ugliest chain of events imaginable. It seems that up to now David has taken the intiative of events, and then, after this great evil, his story shifts and for the rest of his life he becomes acted upon, a “victim.” He reacts, but doesn’t act anymore.

For the rest of his life he will struggle. All because of lust.

In 2 Samuel 12 David is confronted by a prophet for these sins. Samuel speaks with a parable that penetrates David’s heart. The king responds, “he shall restore the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing, and because he had no pity,” (v. 6). And interestingly enough, David would indeed pay fourfold. There would be four major incidents after this that he would now face.

Summary

David faced two “giants” in his walk with God. They were very different but both life altering. He killed Goliath but was not able to destroy his lust with Bathsheba.

Sometimes one “giant” is not enough. It would be nice if that was the case. David walked in victory for a period of time, but failed both himself, his family and his kingdom. Lust always is an act of the will, a deliberate decision that destroys all that it touches. David would be forgiven, but the damage was already done.

There would be dire consequences for everyone.

I believe that our giants were meant to be slaughtered. That is their function and purpose for the faithful believer. There can be no compromise. They’ll take different forms and will often approach you in peculiar ways. Paul tells us to wear God’s armor in Ephesians 6:11-18. I don’t think that protection should be taken off–you dare not only wear it only on special occasions.

Brother, sister–you must be covered all the time.

King David is a lesson for us. There is tremendous pain for us if we deliberately choose to compromise with the giants in our lives. Some of you already understand this; others will. I promise you.

“Many of us suffer from temptations from which we have no business to suffer.”

    Oswald Chambers

Bryan Lowe

alaskabibleteacher.com

Choosing a Pierced Ear

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Body piercing has become pretty much acceptable just in the last ten years. 

Studs are placed in a hole or piercing to make a permanent decoration.  I have seen a fair amount of it, and I think that a stud in the tongue has got to be the most intrusive.  (I recently read of a young girl who died after her tongue was pierced from an infection).

There is “body piercing” in scripture.  In Deuteronomy 15:12-18, slaves who are being set free by their master after six years of service, could, if they loved and were loved by their master, could choose to remain a slave to him.

“But if your slave says to you, “I don’t want to leave you,” because he loves you and your family and has a good life with you,17 stick an awl through his ear into the door; he will be your slave for life. Also do this to a female slave.”

Deuteronomy 15:12-18

This was a decision that required elders to act as witnesses.  It was significant as well as completely binding.  I like to think of the ceremony to be kind of a cross between a wedding and a circumcision. (Sounds fun, huh?!)

The slave would be led to a doorpost and the master would take an awl, and push it through his ear lobe.  This designated the slave to be forever “owned” by a specific master.  Herein lies a picture of the Christian.

Many times in the New Testament we are called to be servants (slaves) of Christ.

Peter, Paul, James, and Jude referred to themselves as “bond servants of Jesus Christ” in their epistles. This is not a forced servitude. It’s a choice made in love!

There are many believers who have done the same, they have fallen in love with their Savior.  They do not plan on a life apart from Him.  So spiritually they have gone to the doorpost, the awl is pushed through their ear, and they are marked from that point on.

Although the ear was pierced physically in the Old Testament, a different kind of piercing takes place in the New.  In Romans 6:16 we read,

“Surely you know that when you give yourselves like slaves to obey someone, then you are really slaves of that person. The person you obey is your master. You can follow sin, which brings spiritual death, or you can obey God, which makes you right with him.”

Romans 6:16, (NCV)

When the prodigal son returned home from the far country he fell before his father and humbly ask, “make me your servant.” (Luke 15:19,21) He, in essence, was saying to the father, “pierce my ear.” The father made him a son, but the attitude of the son’s heart had changed to the heart of a servant. So it must be with us. Only then will we live a “pierced ear” life, revealing to all that we are servants of Jesus Christ!

“Savior, I know Thou hast allowed me absolute liberty, to serve Thee, or to go my own way. I would serve Thee forever, for I love my Master. I will not go out free. Mark my ear, Lord, that it might respond only to Thy voice.”

— Jim Elliot, Missionary and Martyr

 

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The Brother and 5080.4 Miles

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21 “So that you also may know how I am and what I am doing, Tychicus the beloved brother and faithful minister in the Lord will tell you everything. 

22 I have sent him to you for this very purpose, that you may know how we are, and that he may encourage your hearts.”

Ephesians 5:21-22

There is so much here that communicates Paul’s heart. He’s laid out a ton of theology, and now he ends his heavy letter with this final benediction or blessing. These final verses are not doctrine. Instead they’re more like God’s ‘open window’ directly to the Ephesian’s heart.

Just imagine yourself as a believer living in Ephesus. Reading the letter we should see ourselves there (albeit 2000 years removed). This belongs to you as much as it belonged to the churches in Asia Minor. Please, own it.

You need to see this. It changes our walk from the 1st century to the 21st century.

This letter belongs to you personally. Ephesians is your letter from ‘home.’ So dear one, make it yours, for you are the Holy Spirit’s audience, and you’re very much loved!

Tychicus has been chosen to carry this letter 5,000 miles to the Ephesians.

The journey itself was over 5,000 miles from Rome to Ephesus, walking by Roman roads. (It would be a long trip, longer than walking from San Francisco to Boston!) It was difficult and could be dangerous, but the letter Titus carried was important. It would be painstakingly copied and then sent to all the churches in Asia Minor.

“Travelers journeyed in convoy, sometimes hiring soldiers to protect them from robbers who preyed on the unsuspecting. Roman roads made things somewhat easier but still, walking, perhaps hiring a donkey or paying for passage on a merchant’s ship. Travel was for the brave and the strong.”

(https://cloudofwitnesses.org.uk/studies/tychicus)

Tychicus is mentioned 6 times in the NT.

He was a gospel ‘veteran’ who ministered with Paul in various places in the Roman empire. It appears he was friends with Timothy, who was the young pastor of the church in Ephesus. Tychicus was someone whom Paul trusted implicitly. After all, he was carrying Paul’s heart in his backpack.

Tychicus was 100% loyal, brave, and completely reliable. I think Paul had confidence that he would do everything necessary to make sure this letter would get through. We find he was able to do this. And you and I, well, we owe a spiritual debt to this faithful man who went the distance for us.

We can skim through this passage and never really see Tychicus at all.

Tychicus seems to have no real preaching ability, but he is called “beloved” and “faithful” in verse 21. In verse 22 he is called a “brother” and a “minister.” That word for minister is διάκονος, deacon and it means “a servant of a king” or a “waiter of tables.” I believe that reveals someone who is a minister to the needy (which is no small thing).

Paul closes his letter with a benediction.

In verses 23-24, we read that the blessing is given to the church. He pronounces “peace, love, and faith.” Paul speaks out of God’s heart to the Ephesians, and as a leader, he is conveying God’s own blessing. A proper benediction that originates from the Lord is hardly just a nicety, something free and easy. You must understand, a pastor’s blessing is powerful.

“Grace be with all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with love incorruptible.”

(verse 24)

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Rooted Firmly and Deeply

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“But I am like a green olive tree
    in the house of God.
I trust in the steadfast love of God
    forever and ever.”

Psalm 52:8

In Psalm 52 we read of David’s run-in with Doeg, a very bad man, (a mass murderer actually). But David, hearing about the slaughter of 85 innocent priests doesn’t respond in hatred, rather he sits down and writes this song of contemplation which we know as Psalm 52.

It isn’t something written out of wrath and vengeance rather the word that begins his writing is “maskil” which implies– enlightenment, or something reflective, thoughtful, discerning. He sat down and considered Doeg’s awful evil, and by doing this was able to understand own heart as well.

Psalm 52 has two distinct parts.

The first is Doeg’s vicious atrocity, and the condemnation that it incurs, (v.v. 1-7). The second was David’s own commitment to following God, and understanding his own place in a very evil world, (v.v. 8-9).

Rather than castigate himself for being discovered in Nob–a circumstance which directly led to the mass murder of these priests (and their families). We find that David does not blame himself. He could have, but he didn’t. Rather he thoughtfully, and carefully, detailed his own “observations” of the whole sordid matter.

David could easily have destroyed himself with guilt and grief. He didn’t.

He chose not to play the losing game of ‘what if.’ He instead would be like a green olive tree rooted himself in the holy temple and into the protective presence of God. David knew he would destroy himself if he didn’t place himself there. It was a deliberate decision.

It would keep himself sane.

It seems to me that trees work heavily into David’s own theology and that this is how he sees his relationship with God. He’s planted and therefore able to survive terrible trials. He shows us how to survive and thrive.

His roots would need to go very deep though.

David’s thoughtful imagery is himself as an olive tree planted in God’s presence.

I believe knowing this is the antidote to the poison of guilt. Perhaps we should follow his example?


“They are like trees planted along a riverbank,
    with roots that reach deep into the water.
Such trees are not bothered by the heat
    or worried by long months of drought.
Their leaves stay green,
    and they never stop producing fruit.”

Jeremiah 17:8