Father’s forgiveness

Posted on April 10, 2023 by Jefferson Vann

20230410

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

Father’s forgiveness

Psalm 99:8-9 (JDV)

Psalm 99:8 Yahveh our God, you answered them. You were a forgiving God to them, but an avenger of their sinful actions.
Psalm 99:9 Exalt Yahveh our God; bow in worship at his sacred mountain, because Yahveh our God is sacred.

Father’s forgiveness

In a classic sermon, Alexander Maclaren asks “What do you fathers and mothers do when you forgive your child? You may use the rod or you may not. Forgiveness does not lie in letting him off the punishment; but forgiveness lies in the flowing to the child, uninterrupted, of the love of the parent heart, and that is God’s forgiveness” (193-194).

Henry, Matthew, George Whitefield, Alexander Maclaren, and Sheldon B. Quincer. Classic Sermon Outlines: Over 100 Sermon Outlines by Three of the Best Known Preachers of All Time. Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 2001.

Posted in forgiveness | Tagged | Leave a comment

whom God listens to

Posted on April 9, 2023 by Jefferson Vann

20230409

Photo by Monstera on Pexels.com

whom God listens to

Psalm 99:6-7 (JDV)

Psalm 99:6 Moses and Aaron were among his priests; Samuel also was among those calling on his name. They called to Yahveh and he answered them.
Psalm 99:7 He spoke to them in a column of cloud; they kept his prescriptions and the statutes he gave them.

Spurgeon said “A man will grant his child’s request, but he does not listen to strangers; he will listen to his friends, but not to enemies. It is not fit that the golden key which opens the caskets of heaven should be hung at a rebel’s girdle. Yet more, God does not hear all His children alike, or alike at all times. It is not every be- liever who is mighty in prayer. Read the ninety-ninth Psalm, and you will find words like these: “Moses and Aaron were among His priests, and Samuel was among those who called on His name; they called upon the Lord, and He answered them.” Yes; he answered them—Moses, Aaron, Samuel—he answered them, for they kept His testimonies” (74).

Spurgeon, C H, and James S. Bell. Quiet Times with Charles Spurgeon. Chicago: Moody Press, 2000.

Posted in prayer, reconciliation | Tagged | Leave a comment

Exalt the exalted

Posted on April 8, 2023 by Jefferson Vann

20230408

Photo by S Migaj on Pexels.com

Exalt the exalted

Psalm 99:1-5 (JDV)

Psalm 99:1 Yahveh reigns! People, tremble. He stays sitting between the cherubim. Land, quake.
Psalm 99:2 Yahveh is great in Zion; he is exalted above all the peoples.
Psalm 99:3 They should praise Your great and awe-inspiring name. He is sacred.
Psalm 99:4 The mighty King loves justice. You have established fairness; you have administered justice and righteousness in Jacob.
Psalm 99:5 Exalt Yahveh our God; bow in worship at his footstool. He is sacred.

Exalt the exalted

How can we exalt the one who is already exalted above all the people? By bowing in worship at his footstool. We are at our best when we acknowledge his greatness. We are doing a sacred thing by praising his name.

Peterson says “Holiness is the quality in God that cares about our sin and the capacity in him to do something about it. When sinners worship gods of their making, they drag the gods down to their level. When sinners worship a God of holiness, they are lifted to his level” (113).

______

Peterson, Eugene H. A Year with the Psalms: 365 Meditations and Prayers. Waco, Tex: Word Books, 1979.

Posted in holiness, humility | Tagged | Leave a comment

joy and judgment

Posted on April 7, 2023 by Jefferson Vann

20230407

Photo by Evgeny Tchebotarev on Pexels.com

joy and judgment

Psalm 98:7-9 (JDV)

Psalm 98:7 Sea and all that fills it, the world and those who stay in it, storm.
Psalm 98:8 Rivers should clap their hands; mountains, shout together for joy
Psalm 98:9 in the presence of Yahveh, because he is coming to judge the land. He will judge the world righteously and the people fairly.

joy and judgment

We don’t usually put these two concepts together. When we think of judgment, it mostly causes a rumble of fear and dread in our souls. But the universe around us (if it could think as we do) would be anticipating with joy the coming of our Lord in judgment. He is coming to destroy all evil and renew the universe he created.

Come, Lord Jesus.

Posted in joy, judgment | Tagged | Leave a comment

shout, sing, play music

Posted on April 6, 2023 by Jefferson Vann

20230406

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

shout, sing, play music

Psalm 98:4-6 (JDV)

Psalm 98:4 Whole land, shout to Yahveh; be jubilant, shout for joy, and sing.
Psalm 98:5 Sing to Yahveh using the lyre, using the lyre and melodious song.
Psalm 98:6 Use trumpets and the blast of the ram’s horn shout triumphantly in the presence of Yahveh, our King.

shout, sing, play music

There is a time for silent reverence, and there is a time for loud rejoicing and singing. There is a time for a capella, and there is a time to blend your voice with the sound of stringed instruments (like the lyre) and wind instruments (like trumpets and ram’s horns). It is entirely appropriate to respond to God’s presence with a joyful sound — a melodious song accopanied by well played music.

Posted in presence of God, worship | Tagged | Leave a comment

God’s victory in the past

Posted on April 5, 2023 by Jefferson Vann

20230405

Photo by Fiona Art on Pexels.com

God’s victory in the past

Psalm 98:1-3 (JDV)

Psalm 98:1 Sing a new song to Yahveh because he has performed wonderful things; his right hand and sacred arm have won him victory.
Psalm 98:2 Yahveh has made his deliverance known; he has revealed his righteousness in the sight of the nations.
Psalm 98:3 He has remembered his love and reliability to the house of Israel; all the ends of the land have seen our God’s deliverance.

God’s victory in the past

McEachern writes on this section: “God’s mighty acts on behalf of his people caused them to sing a new song (v. 1). God had granted victory and salvation, vindicating Israel in the eyes of their enemies and “all the ends of the earth” (v. 3). God kept his covenant promises to the nation. This called forth their praise. Paul also promised that God will complete what he has begun in us (Phil. 1:6). This psalm is a song of victory which recalls the triumph of Easter for Christians” (120).

God’s victories in the past are a reason that we can put our faith in him for our future destiny.

McEachern, Alton H. Psalms. Nashville, Tenn: Broadman Press, 1981.

Posted in dependence upon God | Tagged | Leave a comment

be glad in Him

Posted on April 4, 2023 by Jefferson Vann

20230404

Photo by Fabian Wiktor on Pexels.com

be glad in Him

Psalm 97:8-12 (JDV)

Psalm 97:8 Zion hears and is glad, Judah’s villages rejoice because of your judgments, Yahveh.
Psalm 97:9 Yes, you, Yahveh, are the Highest over the whole land; you are exalted above all the gods.
Psalm 97:10 You who love Yahveh, hate evil! He protects the throats of his faithful ones; he rescues them from the power of the wicked.
Psalm 97:11 Light dawns for the righteous, gladness for the upright in heart.
Psalm 97:12 Be glad in Yahveh, you righteous ones, and give thanks to his sacred name.

Darkness may come for the righteous ones, but God is above it all. His people are encouraged to be glad in Him and wait for the light to dawn.

Posted in dependence upon God | Tagged | Leave a comment

bowing gods

Posted on April 3, 2023 by Jefferson Vann

20230403

Photo by ArtHouse Studio on Pexels.com

bowing gods

Psalm 97:6-7 (JDV)

Psalm 97:6 The sky proclaims his righteousness; all the peoples see his fame.
Psalm 97:7 All who serve carved images, those who brag about idols, will be put to shame. All gods must bow to him.

bowing gods

The gods of the nations will all bow to the creator, whose presence melts mountains. All those who put their trust in these false gods will be put to shame. Rejection of the God of the Bible will have its price.

Posted in idolatry | Tagged | Leave a comment

melting mountains

Posted on April 2, 2023 by Jefferson Vann

20230402

Photo by Archie Binamira on Pexels.com

melting mountains

Psalm 97:1-5 (JDV)

Psalm 97:1 Yahveh reigns! Let the land rejoice; let the many coasts and islands be glad.
Psalm 97:2 Clouds and total darkness surround him; righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne.
Psalm 97:3 Fire walks before him and burns up his foes on every side.
Psalm 97:4 His lightning lights up the world; the land sees and trembles.
Psalm 97:5 The mountains melt like wax at the presence of Yahveh – at the presence of the Lord of the whole land.

melting mountains

Seif and Blank write of this passage: “Describing the invisible, within the parameters of a covenant that prohibits the making of images for Deity, is a challenge. The poet begins with “clouds and darkness” (2)— recalling the scene when God descended onto Mount Sinai. He adds fire — like the fire that never consumed; the bush, yet does burn up “His adversaries on every side” (3). Then “lightning lights up the world” (4)— a stunning display of His sudden splendor! This display calls for a response of awe, as “mountains melt” (5) as His presence approaches.

LORD, may we respond to your presence with humility and reverence, like the mountains.

Seif, Jeffrey L., Blank, Glenn, and Paul Wilbur. TLV Psalms with Commentary: Hope and Healing in the Hebrew Scriptures. S.l.: Destiny Image Messianic, 2013.

Posted in presence of God | Tagged | Leave a comment

bring it on

Posted on April 1, 2023 by Jefferson Vann

20230401

Photo by Valiphotos on Pexels.com

bring it on

Psalm 96:11-13 (JDV)

Psalm 96:11 Let the sky be glad and the land rejoice; let the sea and all that fills it resound.
Psalm 96:12 Let the fields and everything in them celebrate. Then all the trees of the forest will shout for joy
Psalm 96:13 before Yahveh, for he is coming – for he is coming to judge the land. He will judge the world with righteousness and the people with his reliability.

bring it on

The created universe has every right to rejoice at the coming of Yahveh to the world. Sin has marred not only human souls but every aspect of the planet they touch. When our Lord comes to make everything new, it will be a renewal of the universe we reside in and will be just as welcomed by the land and trees and sky and sea creatures as it is by human beings.

All creation waits for renewal. They are shouting “bring it on!”

Posted in renewal | Tagged | 1 Comment