Psalm 2 (ESV)
1 Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain? 2 The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD and against his Anointed, saying, 3 "Let us burst their bonds apart and cast away their cords from us." 4 He who sits in the heavens laughs; the LORD holds them in derision. 5 Then he will speak to them in his wrath, and terrify them in his fury, saying, 6 "As for me, I have set my King on Zion, my holy hill." 7 I will tell of the decree: The LORD said to me. "You are my Son; today I have begotten you. 8 Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage, and the ends of the earth your possession. 9 You shall break them with a rod of iron and dash them into pieces like a potter's vessel." 10 Now therefore , O kings, be wise; be warned O rulers of the earth. 11 Serve the LORD with fear and rejoice with trembling. 12 Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and you perish in the way, for his wrath is quickly kindled. Blessed are all who take refuge in him.
Out of this Psalm I take comfort in the last phrase, "Blessed are those who take refuge in him." The beginning of this Psalm just leads up to this phrase. If you're on God's side, who can be against you. Anyone can say what they want. They can plot and plan, but you will be blessed taking refuge with him.
The real twist though is, we have to take refuge in God. Taking refuge, is easier said then done. Especially in this day and age. We like to be visible and accessible. When we take refuge in God, we hide ourselves in him.
Monday, April 25, 2011
Saturday, April 23, 2011
Psalm 1 (NASB)
1 How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, nor stand in the path of sinners, nor sit in the seat of scoffers! 2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and in His law he meditates day and night. 3 He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in its season and its leaf does not wither; and in whatever he does, he prospers. 4 The wicked are not so, but they are like chaff which the wind drives away. 5 Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgement, nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous. 6 For the LORD knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.
When I was first thinking about writing this and recalling what I know about this chapter, I thought; "man this will be an easy chapter to reflect on," well I thought too soon. When I first read this, it stood out to me as...almost self righteous, or look at the "righteous" they've got it all figured out, they don't even associate with the wicked. Then I looked at it again. This is a comparison...it's no written to put down but to show the difference between two types of people, the righteous person and the wicked person. When you look at this Psalm this way, you have to think what makes these two types of people. Malachi 3:18 describes the difference between the righteous and the wicked as "those who serve God and those who do not." James and Genesis describe Abraham as righteous because of his faith. The word wicked is defined as being morally very bad. So when we compare these, serving and not, faith verse bad...this is the comparison we see.
Now what makes a person righteous... Romans 4:5 says; "But people are counted as righteous, not because of their work, but because of their faith in God who forgives sinners." So this goes to show that what WE DO can not separate ourselves from the wicked, it is our faith in God that separates us.
When I look at this chapter again, I see that it is just a description of the effects of faith in God. It shows that the righteous, those made right with God through faith, live life to a different level then the wicked, those who do not serve God. It is faith in God that separates the life of the righteous and the wicked.
1 How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, nor stand in the path of sinners, nor sit in the seat of scoffers! 2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and in His law he meditates day and night. 3 He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in its season and its leaf does not wither; and in whatever he does, he prospers. 4 The wicked are not so, but they are like chaff which the wind drives away. 5 Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgement, nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous. 6 For the LORD knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.
When I was first thinking about writing this and recalling what I know about this chapter, I thought; "man this will be an easy chapter to reflect on," well I thought too soon. When I first read this, it stood out to me as...almost self righteous, or look at the "righteous" they've got it all figured out, they don't even associate with the wicked. Then I looked at it again. This is a comparison...it's no written to put down but to show the difference between two types of people, the righteous person and the wicked person. When you look at this Psalm this way, you have to think what makes these two types of people. Malachi 3:18 describes the difference between the righteous and the wicked as "those who serve God and those who do not." James and Genesis describe Abraham as righteous because of his faith. The word wicked is defined as being morally very bad. So when we compare these, serving and not, faith verse bad...this is the comparison we see.
Now what makes a person righteous... Romans 4:5 says; "But people are counted as righteous, not because of their work, but because of their faith in God who forgives sinners." So this goes to show that what WE DO can not separate ourselves from the wicked, it is our faith in God that separates us.
When I look at this chapter again, I see that it is just a description of the effects of faith in God. It shows that the righteous, those made right with God through faith, live life to a different level then the wicked, those who do not serve God. It is faith in God that separates the life of the righteous and the wicked.
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