it snowed on Zalmon

Posted on June 9, 2021 by Jefferson Vann
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it snowed on Zalmon

Psalm 68:11-14 (JDV)

Psalm 68:11 The Lord gave the command; a great army of women brought the good news:
Psalm 68:12 “The kings of the armies flee – they flee!” She who stays at home divides the spoil.
Psalm 68:13 While you lie among the sheep pens, the wings of a dove are covered with silver, and its feathers with glistening gold.
Psalm 68:14 When the Almighty scattered kings in the land, it snowed on Zalmon.

it snowed on Zalmon

There are various interpretations of this text, and its various elements. The impression I get is that Israel benefited from God having fought many of their battles for them. The women divided the treasures in peace. The peace of a snowfall on Zalmon (Mount Ebal) depicts a people who do not have to fight, because their God fights their battles for them.

That’s God’s grace. He does not say, “Get your act together, or I won’t deliver you.” He says, “Stand still and see the salvation I give freely.”

It snowed on Zalmon and it snowed on Calvary, after God fought our battle for us, and won the victory for us through Christ.

Thank you Lord, for the peace that is ours through Christ.

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rain and revival

Posted on June 8, 2021 by Jefferson Vann
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rain and revival

Psalm 68:7-10 (JDV)

Psalm 68:7 God, when you went out before your people, when you marched through the desert, Selah –
Psalm 68:8 the land trembled and the skies poured rain before God, the God of Sinai, before God, the God of Israel.
Psalm 68:9 You, God, showered abundant rain; you revived your inheritance when it languished.
Psalm 68:10 Your people settled in it; God, you provided for the poor by your goodness.

rain and revival

The rain was real, and so was the revival it caused. David celebrated that rain and the fact that God was in it, bringing new life to a languishing people — his ancestors.

When we pray for God’s rain to come again, we are asking for — for lack of a better word — spiritual revival. We ask the God who can make it rain to flood us with his presence and power and bring new life. Our God can make it rain in the desert. Nothing is too difficult for him.

Lord, send your rain, and revive us again!

 

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cloud rider

Posted on June 7, 2021 by Jefferson Vann
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cloud rider

Psalm 68:4-6 (JDV)

Psalm 68:4 Sing to God! Sing praises to his name. Exalt him who rides on the clouds – his name is Yah – and celebrate before him.
Psalm 68:5 God in his sacred dwelling is a father of the fatherless and a champion of widows.
Psalm 68:6 God provides homes for those who are abandoned. He leads out the prisoners to prosperity, but the rebellious live in a scorched land.

cloud rider

Having established the future of the wicked, David now describes what God is doing for his poor prisoners. He describes God as ascending to the heights (18) and riding on the clouds (4). He sets free the captives, providing them prosperity and a home.

We should be singing this song even more so today, since we know that Christ ascended, and is providing us a prosperous eternal home, which he will give us when he returns to reign.

Lord, thank you for what you have provided for us today, and for the promise of eternal rest in our future.

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David saw the future

Posted on June 6, 2021 by Jefferson Vann
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David saw the future

Psalm 68:1-3 (JDV)

Psalm 68:1 God will arise. His enemies will scatter, and those who hate him will flee from his presence.
Psalm 68:2 As smoke is blown away, so you blow them away. As wax melts before the fire, so the wicked will be destroyed before God.
Psalm 68:3 But the righteous will be glad; they will rejoice before God and celebrate with joy.

David saw the future

David saw the future. He saw God rising after all his enemies did their worst — even to his Son. David saw the final destiny of these enemies. God blows them out like smoke. They are consumed like the wax in a candle. They will be destroyed.

You can deny that future all you want to. It will happen. God will prevail and he will eventually destroy his enemies.

True followers of Jesus will rejoice when all evil is eradicated from the universe. In fact, we can start celebrating that fact today. Our God is infinite and evil is not.

Lord, we celebrate your final victory over the darkness.

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harvest of fear

Posted on June 5, 2021 by Jefferson Vann
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harvest of fear

Psalm 67:6-7 (JDV)

Psalm 67:6 The land has produced its harvest; God, our God, blesses us.
Psalm 67:7 God will bless us, and all the ends of the land will fear him.

harvest of fear

This psalm has a simple premise: if God blesses his people, it will result in the nations coming to him. All the details are not spelled out. But that simple premise is a statement of dependence on God for witness. When God answers our prayer for a good harvest, it is not for the purpose of us having a good life. It is for the purpose of attracting the nations to our God because of his goodness and power.

Is your life a testimony to God’s power? If not, you need to keep praying this prayer.

God, smile on us, so that the nations around us might see your power, and fear your name, and come to your Christ!

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praise from the peoples

Posted on June 4, 2021 by Jefferson Vann
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praise from the peoples

Psalm 67:3-5 (JDV)

Psalm 67:3 The peoples will praise you, God; all the peoples will praise you.
Psalm 67:4 The nations will rejoice and shout for joy, because you judge the peoples with fairness and lead the nations in the land. Selah.
Psalm 67:5 The peoples will praise you, God, all the peoples will praise you.

praise from the peoples

Note that the praise of which the psalmist speaks is from the peoples (plural), not people (singular). The singular word (Hebrew ‘am [עַם]) usually refers to the people of Israel. But peoples is parallel with nations (verse 4).

So, the sequence the psalmist describes is this: God smiles on his people (verse 1); they are empowered to make his name known, and spread the good news of his salvation among the nations (verse 2), and that witness results in praise from the peoples because God steps in as their judge and leader (today’s text).

What started as a smile from God on a particular people would spread onto the other nations. A nation blessed by God would spread his word, his love, and his blessing to the surrounding nations. This is how missions worked in the great missionary century.  The good news of the gospel was spread by those who had the blessing of new technology and science to share with needy nations.

But in order for that process to start, there have to be citizens of a particular nation who seek his face for their own people.

Lord, smile on us, so that we can spread your gospel.

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only a smile

Posted on June 3, 2021 by Jefferson Vann
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Psalm 67:1-2 (JDV)

Psalm 67:1 May God show favor to us and empower us; may he make his face shine upon us. Selah.
Psalm 67:2 – so that your way may be known on the land, your salvation among all nations.

It begins with only a smile — but a smile from the right person. The psalmist posits a scenario that begins with God shining the light of his smile upon the land. That smile produces a harvest, which produces praise, which leads to the respect of the surrounding nations, who learn to fear God and walk in his ways.

What a concept. Salvation from a smile.

Lord, smile on us!

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I will tell

Posted on June 2, 2021 by Jefferson Vann
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I will tell

Psalm 66:16-20 (JDV)

Psalm 66:16 Come and listen, all who fear God, and I will tell what he has done for me.
Psalm 66:17 I cried out to him with my mouth, and praise was on my tongue.
Psalm 66:18 If I had seen malice in my heart, the Lord would not have listened.
Psalm 66:19 However, God has listened; he has paid attention to the sound of my prayer.
Psalm 66:20 Blessed be God! He has not turned away my prayer or turned his covenant faithfulness from me.

I will tell

In the previous section, the psalmist promised to pay his vows and worship with sacrifices in the temple. Now, he goes further. He promises to be a witness to others of what God has done for him.

Worship is not an end in itself, because God wants to share his love with others. He often does this by motivating his worshipers to witness. If an onlooker sees a person giving generously in gratitude, that onlooker wants to know why the worshiper is being so generous. That is an opportunity for the worshiper to share his faith.

Lord, give us opportunities to share the gospel and our relationship with you.

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my shout

Posted on June 1, 2021 by Jefferson Vann
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my shout

Psalm 66:13-15 (JDV)

Psalm 66:13 I will enter your house with burnt offerings; I will pay you my vows –
Psalm 66:14 the ones my lips promised and my mouth spoke during my distress.
Psalm 66:15 I will offer you fattened sheep as burnt offerings, with the fragrant smoke of rams; I will sacrifice bulls with goats. Selah.

my shout

When I lived in New Zealand, if a friend invited me out for a meal or snack, he would always say “my shout” — meaning he wanted to pay for it. The meal tasted so much better when it was being offered to me as a sign of friendship. And when it was my shout, it gave me the opportunity to show my appreciation as well.

The psalmist had just admitted that all the hardships his nation had gone through were meant by God to refine them like silver is refined. He considered himself more valuable as a result of having gone through some of that distress.

He also remembers the things he promised God he would do if God ever rescued him from those hard times. Now it was his term to pay. His vows would be paid by acts of worship, the sacrifice of costly animals from his flock.

Lord, show us how to show our appreciation for all you have done for us. Our shout.

 

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like silver is refined

Posted on May 31, 2021 by Jefferson Vann
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like silver is refined

Psalm 66:8-12 (JDV)

Psalm 66:8 Bless our God, you peoples; let the sound of his praise be heard.
Psalm 66:9 He keeps us alive and does not allow our feet to slip
Psalm 66:10 because you, God, tested us; you refined us like silver is refined.
Psalm 66:11 You lured us into a trap; you placed burdens on our backs.
Psalm 66:12 You let men ride over our heads; we went through fire and water, but you brought us out to abundance.

like silver is refined

The psalmist admits that his nation has gone through a great deal of trouble and hardship, and blames God for all of it. He sees his nation as having gone through these things — not because he was angry with them, but because he loved them, and wanted to refine them like silver is refined.

I love the attitude. It speaks to us today who are so quick to complain about every hardship. Yes, the Israelites were like that too. But at least some of their descendants got it. They realized that all the hardship was to refine them.

Lord, give us the perspective of this psalmist. Help us to see your goodness even in events where we cannot see the good.

 

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