A Pure Covenant--Children of the Commandment

Children of the Commandment
Part 4 of 4

I think it a very fitting close to this verse by connecting in order the words, “pure commandment”. These words, “bar”, meaning “son” in Aramaic, and, “mitzvah”, meaning “commandment” in both Aramaic and Hebrew, form the name of a Jewish custom and tradition of confirmation. The two words together literally mean “son of the commandment”. Of course, the ladies are not left out of this tradition. For them, it is called “bat (pronounced bas) mitzvah”. Those that are the “apple of His eye” are the “sons and daughters of the commandment”.

In 119: 172 of the psalms, the writer says of His commandments, “My tongue shall speak of Your word, for all Your commandments are righteousness”. If His commandments are righteous, then it is understood He is righteous. If we are the sons and daughters of the commandment, then we are “sons and daughters of His righteousness”. Our Lord leads us in the righteousness of His Spirit. And, Paul said to the Romans in 8: 14, “For as many as are led by the Spirit of YAH, they are the sons of YAH”. Keep looking up to our Beloved; make Him the “Apple of your eye”; and, “enlighten the fountain of your life with His blessed encouragement”.

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A Pure Covenant--A Matter of Choice

A Matter of Choice
Part 3 of 4

Today, there are those that seem to think as the Pharisees did, and say such things as, “To please God, He expects us to adapt ourselves to the culture we live in”. Such do not realize the absolute and unchanging, no nonsense nature of YHVH. In their own wisdom, they add the weakness of man’s doctrine to the strength of YAH’s commands, thus polluting that which was already pure. In so doing, they contaminate, debase, pervert, and make invalid His pure Word. They are incontinent, in that they have no self-restraint. They add man’s wisdom to man’s wisdom, and eventually develop, “seared consciences”, as Paul spoke of to Timothy in 4: 3 of his first epistle.

However, for those that choose to willingly and graciously follow our Beloved, they receive the reward as described by David in his conclusion of this phrase, “enlightening the eyes”. For “enlightening”, David uses the word, “’owr”. He is describing a person that glows or shines. Their countenance is luminous, even as if set on fire.

I’m sure you have met some of these people. They almost always have a smile on their face, an encouraging word on their lips, and a bounce in their step. They are usually as the dawning of a new day, and very, very pleasant to be around. These are enlightened because they keep their eyes on their Lord. David said in 25: 15 of the Psalms, “My eyes are ever toward the Lord, for He shall pluck my feet out of the net”.

Because we keep our eyes on our Lord, AND honor the commandments of our Beloved, we can truly ask of our Lord as David in 17: 8, “Keep me as the apple of Your eye; hide me under the shadow of your wings”. In parallel, the record says of the law of an earthly father in 7: 2 of the Proverbs, “Keep my commands and live, and my law as the apple of your eye”.

The same can be said of the commands of our Beloved. Regardless of our circumstances, the eye—or the fountain of our lives—shines with His glory, even if we are as Moses described in 32: 10 of Deuteronomy concerning his people in Egypt, “He found him in a desert land and in the wasteland, a howling wilderness; He encircled him, He instructed him, He kept him as the apple of His eye”.

Click Here To Continue In The 19th Psalm

A Pure Covenant--Untainted Truth

Untainted Truth
Part 2 of 4

Then, David says the commandment of our Lord is “pure”. He uses the word, “bar”, to describe the purity of the marching orders of our Master Commander. The word means “beloved”. In a perfect picture of us as the bride of Messiah, and He as the Bridegroom, I can’t help but think of the expression of the Shulamite woman in 2: 16 of the Song of Solomon, “My Beloved is mine, and I am His…”

In a time of trouble, David prayed to his beloved God with the same mind-set as the Shulamite woman, saying, “You have given a banner to those who fear You…that Your beloved may be delivered…” In 108: 5-6 of the Psalms, he prayed, “Be exalted, O YHVH, above the heavens, and Your glory above all the earth; that Your beloved may be delivered…”

Then, Solomon writes in v. 2 of the Song of Accents—Psalms 127—“It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows; for so He gives His beloved sleep”. Those that rest in the care of our Beloved need not fret evils of the day, or night.

Webster says “pure” means “unmixed with any other matter—free from taint”. The psalmist writes in 119: 140, “Your word is very pure; therefore Your servant loves it”. Of course, that is not the case with many. They have tainted the Word of our Beloved with the doctrines of men. Such had become the way of the religious leaders of Yeshua’s day. Paul wrote of them to the Colossians in 2: 20-22 when he said, “Wherefore if you be dead with Messiah from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, are you subject to ordinances…after the commandments and doctrines of men?”

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A Pure Covenant--Untainted Direction

Anthem Six
A Pure Covenant

“The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes.”
Psalms 19: 8b

Untainted Direction
Part 1 of 4

When I first began study of this psalm, I did not know the exact direction my Lord would take me in completing it.  Such has been the case in many subjects I have considered.  Each time, I have seen and felt the hand of my Master Shepherd gently leading me by the hand.  This particular verse is virgin territory for an old Southern Baptist preacher. As I write it, I am compelled to implicitly keep my eyes on my Lord, because only He knows how it will end.  With that in mind, I am also left to wonder how this series will actually end.

David ends v. 8 with, “The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes”.  For “commandment”, he uses the word, “mitzvah”, which literally means “a command”.  Whether human or divine, it encompasses with it an inclusion of “the collective law”.  With the inclusiveness suggested in this meaning, I am reminded of the words of Paul to Timothy in 3: 16-17, “All Scripture is given by inspiration of YAH, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of YAH may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work”.

Webster adds “order” to the meaning of “commandment”.  In this usage of “order”, the idea of direction is conveyed.  Just as our great God of the universe spoke into being the stars of the heavens, and the firmament below, He speaks His direction for righteous living.  In giving us “all Scripture”, He gave us divine orders to follow the ideals of those Scriptures, as the admonition is recorded in 2 Kings 17: 37.  There, Yahweh says, “And the statutes, and the ordinances, and the law, and the commandment, which he wrote for you, you shall observe to do for evermore; and you shall not fear other gods”.

There are many men and women in Scripture that heeded this order to the best of their ability, and taught others to do so as well.  One such man was King Asa, of whom it is recorded in 2 Chronicles 14: 2, “And Asa did that which was good and right in the eyes of the Lord his Elohim”.  He tore down the altars of “strange Gods…high places…images…and groves”.  It might easily be said of Asa he decisively chose the ways of his Elohim over the traditions of men.  Then, in v. 4, he did what all of us need to do.  He charged all those under his leadership to follow his example.  He “commanded Judah to seek Y'hovah Elohim of their fathers, and do the law and the commandment”.

Asaph wrote in Psalms 78: 1, “…incline your ears to the words of my mouth”.   He wishes to tell his people of the goodness of his God which was passed down to him through the ages.  He says in v. 4, “we will not hide them from their children, telling to the generation to come the praises of the Lord, and His strength and His wonderful works that He has done”.  Herein is the prime directive of any good earthly father.  The writer of Proverbs harmonizes in 22: 6, “Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it”.

Click Here To Continue In The 19th Psalm

An Authority Covenant--The Heart of the Matter

The Heart of the Matter
Part 4 of 4

David reveals our benefit concerning the rightness of His statutes.   He tags the statement with “rejoicing the heart”.  The meaning of the word for “right” and the word for “rejoicing”, “samach”, compliment each other very well.  The former figuratively suggests “pleasant or prosperous”, while the latter means “to brighten up, cheer up, be glad or joyful, or be or make gleesome”.

In the strength of our Lord, we also will be strong.  David begins a list of qualities of the righteous in Psalms 15: 2 with, “He who walks uprightly…”, and says in v. 5, “He who does these things shall never be moved”.  The sons of Korah said in 87: 11 of the Psalms, “For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord will give grace and glory; no good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly”.  And, the writer of Proverbs said in 2: 7, “He stores up sound wisdom (Torah) for the upright; He is a shield to those who walk uprightly”.  And, on and on the record goes.  The immense benefits of the upright are too numerous to include here.

Then, to give balance between spiritual, physical, and emotional benefits, David tags the phrase with, “the heart”, the object of the rejoicing.  He uses the word, “leb”, which considers the “feelings, will, intellect, and likewise the center for everything”.  With all the heart and soul, Moses tells us in Deuteronomy 10: 12 to “Fear the Lord your God, to walk in all His way, and to love Him, and serve Him”.  In v. 13, he sums up what is righteous in YHVH's eyes by saying, “Keep the commandments of the Lord, and His statutes...for your good”.

The writer of Proverbs says in 2: 21 of those that are righteous in YHVH's eyes, “For the upright will dwell in the land, and the blameless will remain in it”.  Proverbs 11: 11 says, “By the blessing of the upright the city is exalted...”.  Proverbs 13: 6 says, “Righteousness guards him whose way is blameless...”.  Again, I could go on and on.  Walking uprightly in the ways of our Lord (Godly Torah) encompasses and benefits every aspect of our lives—makes our heart rejoice.

Our Adonai made a covenant with Abram and changed his name to Abraham, which means “father of nations”.  The Seed of that covenant is our blessed Messiah, Yeshua our risen Lord.  His plan allows us to depend upon the solidity of His ever constant ways rather than ours.  Therefore, look up to Him as “the Author and Finisher of (your) faith”, and reap the encouraging benefits of His blessing-packed, upright, and faithful covenant with us through Yeshua our Lord.

Click Here To Continue In The 19th Psalm

An Authority Covenant--The Straight Path

The Straight Path
Part 3 of 4

Then, David says the statutes of our Lord are “right”. He uses “yashar”, which means “straight” or “upright”. The psalmist says in 119: 137-138, “Righteous are You, O Lord, and upright are Your ways. Your testimonies, which You have commanded, are righteous and very faithful”. And, David said in 25: 8 of the Psalms, “Good and upright is the Lord; therefore He teaches sinners in the way”.

Webster says that which is “straight” is “free from curves, bends, angles, or irregularities”. He says it is “direct, not wandering from the main point or proper course…honest, upright, not marked by confusion…correctly arranged or ordered”. This is the character of our righteous Lord. Isaiah says of YHVH in 42: 16, “I will bring the blind by a way they did not know: I will lead them in paths they have not known, I will make darkness light before them, and crooked places straight”.

The writer of Proverbs said in 14: 12, “There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death”. The ways of man have always included curves, bends, angles, and inherent irregularities. They are fickle and marked by confusion, even at their best, while the ideals of our Father and Messiah are straight and pure.

It is Malachi that recorded the surety of our Lord in 3: 6 when he quoted YHVH saying, “For I am the Lord, I do not change; therefore you are not consumed, O sons of Jacob”. And, then James said in 1: 17 of the surety of our Lord, “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with Whom there is no variation or shadow of turning”. This is the straight and smooth path of which David is speaking concerning the righteous statutes of his Master Shepherd.

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An Authority Covenant--The Last Word

Divine Authority—The Last Word
Part 2 of 4

As in all of His creation there is order—rhyme and reason, as we would say it—so it is with all of His statutes.  David begins v. 8 with, “The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart.”  For “statutes”, David used the word, “piqqud”.  The word bears a meaning of a precept or appointed mandate.  Webster says “appoint” means, “to fix or set officially…equip”.  He says a “mandate” is, “an authoritative command…an authorization to act given to a representative”.

Beyond mere rhyme and reason, as seen in His order, the meaning of the word David chose describes power, authority, and supreme status. Concerning the supreme status and deity of our Master Architect, Moses exclaimed in 15: 11 of Exodus, “Who is like You, O Lord, among the gods?  Who is like You, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders?”

Then, Hanna’s prayer of praise is recorded by Samuel in 2: 2 of his first book, “No one is holy like the Lord, for there is none besides You, nor is there any rock like our Elohim”.  And, Moses writes of His supremacy in Deuteronomy 4: 35 saying, “To you it was shown, that you might know that the Lord Himself is God; there is none other besides Him”.

Because He is supreme, He has the authority to make mandates and judge according to them.  Yeshua says of Himself through Matthew in 28: 18, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth”.  And, Daniel prophesied of the authority of our Messiah in 7: 14 when he said, “Then to Him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve Him.  His dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and His kingdom the one which shall not be destroyed”.

David said in 65: 5-6 of the psalms, “…You who are the Confidence of all the ends of the earth, and of the far-off seas; Who established the mountains by His strength, being clothed with power”.  The psalmist wrote in 93: 1, “The Lord reigns, He is clothed with majesty; the Lord is clothed, He has girded Himself with strength”.  And, then, Daniel records Nebuchadnezzar saying in 4: 35 of his first hand experience concerning the power of our great God, “He does according to His will in the army of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth.  No one can restrain His hand or say to Him, ‘what have You done?’”

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An Authority Covenant--Divine Decree

Anthem Five
An Authority Covenant

“The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart...”
Psalms 19: 8a

Divine Decree
Part 1 of 4

When I stood beneath a star-studded Colorado sky, I saw more than an immense expanse in YAH’s majestic universe. I saw an order in the panoramic view that explodes a chaotic evolutionary creation theory—with a “big bang”. I saw a beautiful picture of perfect harmony in every detail displayed before me. I saw planets that revolve around their suns, and moons that revolve around their planets. I saw galaxies just filled to the brim with multiple solar systems, each on their appointed courses, within and without.

Without order in such a heavenly arena, one little miscue would cause a chain reaction, domino effect that could ultimately destroy that beautiful universe rather than create it. The chaos that would result would be very similar in nature to a multi-vehicle accident on one of our crowded high-speed freeways—only on a vastly larger and more devastating scale. Without order, such a chaotic imbalance could not create, but, rather, only destroy.

In v. 19 of the 104th Psalm, the writer gives testimony to order in the creation of our Lord when he says, “He appointed the moon for seasons; the sun knows its going down”. Merely with the spoken word, our Master Craftsman set order in the heavens. The Genesis account records in 1: 14, “Then YHVH said, ‘Let there be lights in the firmament of the heavens to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs and seasons and for days and years”.

Click Here To Continue In The 19th Psalm

A Levitous Interlude--Atheist Holy Day

The following story found its way into my e-mail inbox. I thought it appropriate to present the story here. Have a terrific Son-shine day in Messiah!

FLORIDA COURT SETS ATHEIST HOLY DAY

In Florida , an atheist created a case against the upcoming Easter and Passover Holy days. He hired an attorney to bring a discrimination case against Christians and Jews and observances of their holy days. The argument was that it was unfair that atheists had no such recognized days.

The case was brought before a judge. After listening to the passionate presentation by the lawyer, the judge banged his gavel declaring,"Case dismissed!"

The lawyer immediately stood objecting to the ruling saying, "Your honor, How can you possibly dismiss this case? The Christians have Christmas, Easter and others. The Jews have Passover, Yom Kippur and Hanukkah, yet my client and all other atheists have no such holidays.."

The judge leaned forward in his chair saying, "But you do. Your client, counsel, is woefully ignorant." The lawyer said, "Your Honor, we are unaware of any special observance or holiday for atheists."

The judge said, "The calendar says April 1st is April Fools Day. Psalm 14:1 states, 'The fool says in his heart, there is no God.' Thus, it is the opinion of this court, that, if your client says there is no God, then he is a fool. Therefore, April 1st is his day. Court is adjourned."

You gotta love a Judge that knows his scripture!

A Levitous Interlude

Courtesy of the B.C. comic strip, and straight from their "Answer Man", I submit the following Q & A.

Q--What could a dead atheist, a dead agnostic and a dead saint possibly have in common?

A--They all KNOW there is a God!

David sings in Psalms 14:1, "The fool has said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works; There is none that does good".

A Covenant of Confidence--A Firm Foundation

A Firm Foundation
Part 3 of 3

The surety of His Word is very effective in building up and giving support. It does so as with the tender, loving care of a parent or nurse. It is a surety that engenders trust and belief, instills faith, and renders a firm foundation upon which to stand. The surety of His Word is a permanent fixture in the lives of those that rest in Him. They are the beneficiaries of His quiet peacefulness that transcends our wildest imagination.

However, there are those that don’t seem to grasp the concept of believing in something they can’t understand. In their way of thinking, it just doesn’t make sense. David closes v. 7 with, “making wise the simple”. For “wise”, he used the word, “chakam”. These, simply, are those that are wise in mind, word, or action. In their understanding, and by their reasoning, they are wise. For “simple”, David uses the word, “petha’iy”. These are the ones that are silly, unreasonable, foolish, and very seducible. In the mind of the wise, those that implicitly stand on and trust in YAH’s sure Word are simple and foolish.

But, take heart my friend. It has been so from the beginning. Paul wrote in 1: 27-29 of his first letter to the Corinthians, “But YHVH has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and YHVH has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; and the base things of the world and the things which are despised YHVH has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, that no flesh should glory in His presence”. I am very proud to be numbered among the simple, to stand melodiously encouraged and in complete awe of and confidence in my Master Craftsman. How about you?

Click Here To Continue In The 19th Psalm

A Covenant of Confidence--The Deal Sealed

The Deal Sealed
Part 2 of 3

The entire “swearing-in” process is actually a sign of covenant with a court of law. Abram also asks for a covenant sign in v. 8, “How shall I know that I will inherit it?” In vv. 9-10, YHVH instructed Abram to bring Him a “three-year old heifer, a three-year old female goat, a three-year old ram, a turtledove, and a young pigeon”. When Abram presented these animals to his Lord, he “cut them in two, down the middle, and placed each piece opposite the other, but did not cut the birds in two”.

In v. 17, our Lord expresses, in a very dramatic way, the seriousness involved. The record says, “And it came to pass, when the sun went down and it was dark, that behold, there appeared a smoking oven and a burning torch that passed between the pieces”. The sign of a covenant could be as simple as shaking hands, exchanging of garments or battle equipment, or the serious level of requiring both parties to “pass between the pieces”, as in this case with Abram.

The significance of this passing spelled out grave consequences for either party that broke the covenant. With both parties passing between the bloody pieces of the slain animals, they were in effect saying, “If I don’t keep my end of the bargain, then, may I be as these pieces”. With YHVH passing through these pieces, Abram had a most solemn pledge that YAH’s promise to him would be kept. Such is the absolute surety of the Word of our Lord.

It should also be curious to note that Abram did not pass through the pieces. Only YHVH passed through. It is the wisdom of our Master Shepherd that knew Abram would never be able to keep his word, and would ultimately become like those pieces. It is YAH’s compassion that would not allow Abram to pass through the pieces. In His infinite mercy, and in our words, He said, “That’s alright Abe. You just sit there and relax. I’ll take care of this one”. Unfortunately, human nature causes Abrams all down through history to attempt passing through the pieces, incorporating their own righteousness into the covenant.

Click Here To Continue In The 19th Psalm

A Covenant of Confidence--Unshakeable Certainty

Anthem Four
A Covenant of Confidence

“The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple.”
Psalms 19: 7b

Unshakeable Certainty
Part 1 of 3

I have heard it said, “There are only two things in life that are certain—death and taxes”. There was a time in earlier American history when the word of a man was a part of that list. However, in our day, the exact opposite permeates our society. We even have U.S. Presidents that say, “Read my lips…”, and quickly go back on their word.

There are even Presidents that try to redefine the meaning of a word by asking questions such as, “You have to ask, ‘What is the meaning of (is)?’” Our society is replete with teams of lawyers on both sides of a contract, each employed to protect the interests of their clients, whether or not they are Presidents or average citizens.

In a society where very little is as it appears, one might easily hold only to the two certainties of death and taxes. In this verse, I would like to briefly present a third certainty, one that is even more certain than death and taxes. That certainty is the Word of our El Shaddai. In his conclusion of v. 7, David records a second statement of consideration, “The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple”.

If there is any constant in the universe, it most certainly would be the testimony of our Lord. For “testimony”, David uses the word, “eduwth”, to say the “testimony/witness” of our Lord is sure. In any court of law, a witness is sworn in with the words, “Do you promise to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?” It should be noted that such a question is asked of the prospective witness while the right hand of the same is raised, and the left hand rests upon the Book we all know as the Living Word of YAH—the Author of Truth.

When this process is complete, the witness and the court have entered into a covenant of truth. It is not unlike the covenant made by our Lord to the father of the Hebrew nation, Abraham. Moses records the elements of this covenant in the 15th chapter of Genesis. In v. 5, YHVH told Abram concerning his heirs, “Look now toward heaven, and count the stars if you are able to number them…so shall your descendants be”. In v. 7, YAH added the inheritance of land to the covenant when He said, “I am the Lord, who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans, to give you this land to inherit it”.

Click Here To Continue In The 19th Psalm

The Perfect Covenant--Truthful Benefits

Truthful Benefits
Part 2 of 2

The benefit for us concerning this perfect law is seen in the words, “converting the soul”.  For “converting”, David uses the word, “shuwb”, which means, “to turn back, or fetch home again”.  For “soul”, he uses the word, “nephesh”, to portray the bodily or mental vitality of the living and breathing creature for which it was intended—mankind.  Whether in mind or body, this perfect law of YHVH causes a conversion, or circumcision, experience in our minds—from our way of thinking to His.

The idea of circumcision of the heart was initiated with YAH’s covenant with Abraham.  YAH says in Genesis 17: 1, “When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to Abram and said to him, I am The Eternal; walk before Me and be blameless (perfect)”.  We know Abraham believed the Word of his Lord, and “it was counted for him as righteousness”.

There is another man that walked in the same manner and was blessed by YHVH.  The writer of 2 Kings records the prayer of Hezekiah in 20: 3.  “Remember now, O Lord, I pray, how I have walked before You in truth and with a loyal heart, and have done what was good in Your sight”.

Abraham, Hezekiah, and many others walked before their Adonai in perfection.  Please understand, their perfection was not in anything within their own power or of their own effort.  There is only one way to be “perfect as our Father in heaven is perfect”.  We trust in Him and then show our love for Him by walking in His ways.

Speaking of Ha’Mashiach and our hope of glory, Paul told the Colossians in 1: 28, “Him we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Yeshua, our risen Messiah”.

This is the “washing of water by the Word” that Paul spoke of to the Ephesians in 5: 26.  Those that are perfect in our Lord “are the circumcision, who worship YAH in the Spirit”, as Paul told the Philippians in 3: 3.  Any perfection we have is clearly aside from any personal efforts to adhere to His perfect “Torah”.  Truly, it is as Paul told the Colossians in 1: 22, “In the body of His (Ha’Mashiach’s) flesh through death, to present you holy, and blameless, and above reproach in His sight”.

Yes, there is not a more perfect revelation of the glory and majesty of our Adonai than the personification of His Word in our Lord, Yeshua our risen Messiah, of which the Torah is a central part.  Of this Messiah, Jeremiah spoke in 31: 33, “But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; after those days…I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people”.  Keep looking to Him!  Implicitly trust in His “Perfect Covenant”, and bask in the glorious encouragement of His revivifying Son-light.

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The Perfect Covenant--The Whole Truth

Anthem Three
The Perfect Covenant

“The law (Torah) of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul.”
Psalms 19: 7a

The Whole Truth

Part 1 of 2

This world is replete with examples of the greatness and majesty of YHVH.  Just as awe-inspiring, the views of our astronauts from 240,000 miles above the earth proclaim His magnificence.  Yet, there is no comparison between the creation of our Master Creator and the perfect revelation contained in His written, Living Word.  For, it is through this revelation we are afforded a pathway of reclamation from our fallen state of sin.  It is only by total immersion in His Holy Scripture and its espoused ideals, we have any chance to be cleansed and sanctified in His presence—a “washing of water by the Word”, as Paul told the Ephesians was the responsibility of Godly husbands to their wives.

There is not a more perfect revelation of YAH to man than His Covenant Word.  Its beauty is far greater than anything in His creation. In this part of the 19th Psalm, David presents six statements concerning YAH’s instruction in His written Word.  Each of these statements gives tribute to our Master Law Giver with the phrase, “of the Lord”.  Each presents a different word to describe His written Torah. Each also contains an appraisal of value and a reward for adhering to this written Torah.

David begins v. 7 with, “The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul”.  The word for “law” in this instance is “Torah”, referring specifically to His precepts and statutes.  David says this law is “perfect”.  He used the word, “tamiym”.  The word means “entire, complete, and without blemish”.  This law is entire and complete in that it can’t be added to as religious leaders have over the years.  It is without blemish because it is entirely by the hand of YAH and devoid of the traditions of man.

Moses speaks of this Perfection in Deuteronomy 32: 4 when he says, “He is the Rock, His work is perfect…”  It is further said in 2 Samuel 22: 31, “As for YAH, His way is perfect; the word of the Lord is proven.  He is a shield to all who trust in Him”.  His perfect ideals are tried and proven.  David says in 12: 6 of the Psalms, “The words of the Lord are pure words, like silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times”.  They are proven and, therefore, trustworthy.  It is for that reason Yeshua said through Matthew in 5: 48, “Therefore you shall be perfect (pursue excellence), just as your Father in heaven is perfect”.

Click Here To Continue In The 19th Psalm

On Top of the World--The Rocks Cry Out

The Rock Cries Out
Part 3 of 3

“Which is like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, and rejoices like a strong man to run its race.” Psalms 19: 5

Our great Master Craftsman spoke through His creation. He spoke through His preachers. Yet, the people heard and continued in disobedience. In v. 20 of the 10th chapter to the Romans, Paul quoted Isaiah in 65: 1 saying, “I was found by those who did not seek Me; I was made manifest to those who did not ask for Me”. Paul further quotes Isaiah’s continuing words, “All day long I have stretched out My hands to a disobedient and contrary people”. Whether by way of the preacher, or nature itself, the majority of people will hear His voice calling, but run away. Even the remnant that believed found Him only when looking elsewhere for answers to voids in their lives.

Yet, it is our gracious and loving Lord that continually puts Himself in our path, in hopes we will find Him. When Isaiah said of our Lord, “I was found”, he literally portrays YAH allowing Himself to be found. Whether by nature or the preacher, our Lord is seeking us. Sadly however, it is as Isaiah observes in 64: 7 “There is no one who calls on Your name, who stirs himself up to take hold of You”. Most likely, no one is so inclined because he said in 53: 6, “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned everyone to his own way”.

In vv. 5-6 of the 19th psalm, David paints a vivid comparison of the sun, to the Creator Himself. In the conclusion of v. 4 and the beginning of v. 5 he says, “In them He has set a tabernacle for the sun, which is like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber”. As the sun shines down on us daily and provides us with its warmth, so the Son of the living God shines His radiant light and warmth on our lives, even when clouds stand between us and Him. In this, v. 6 aptly applies both to the sun in the heavens and the Son of the Living God. David says, “Its rising is from one end of heaven, and its circuit to the other end; and there is nothing hidden from its heat”.

I will close this anthem with one small observation concerning my “mountain-top experience” at Independence Pass. While I had an awesome view of the valleys below me to the east and west, it should be noted that to the north and south I still had to look up at least 1000 to 1500 feet to the peaks towering above me. No matter how high our mountain-top experience is, we must ALWAYS look up to the Creator of that experience to live the mountain-top experience of true peace, comfort, and freedom—and be truly encouraged in Him.

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On Top of the World--Predictable Stability

Predictable Stability
Part 2 of 3

"Their line has gone out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world.  In them He has set a tabernacle for the sun...its rising is from one end of heaven, and its circuit to the other end; and there is nothing hidden from its heat.” Psalms 19: 4, 6

This is an order established by YHVH in the beginning.  When He set the sun, moon, and stars in the sky, He established their position forever.  He even established this order as a covenant with Noah.  In 8: 22 of Genesis, our Lord promises, “While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, winter and summer, and day and night shall not cease”.  Even Jeremiah gives voice to this surety of our Lord when he says in 31: 35, “Thus says the Lord, who gives the sun for a light by day, the ordinances of the moon and the stars for a light by night, who disturbs the sea, and its waves roar (the Lord of hosts is His name)”.

There is an unshakable stability in the character of our Master Creator.  Jeremiah goes on to say in v. 36, “If those ordinances depart from before Me, says the Lord, then the seed of Israel shall also cease from being a nation before Me forever”.  He says in 33: 20-21, “If you can break My covenant with the day and My covenant with the night, so that there will not be day and night in their season, then my covenant may also be broken with David My servant, so that he shall not have a son to reign on his throne, and with the Levites, the priests, My ministers”.

It is this unswerving stability of YHVH in which we can safely rest.  It is the immutable nature of the Word of our Adonai that keeps us forever, an unchangeable character spoken of by Malachi in 3: 6.  “For I am the Lord, I do not change; therefore you are not consumed, O sons of Jacob”.  Because of this firm foundation, we know He will never let us go when we heed His plea to “Come to Me all you who are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest”.  We rest assured that we are held safely in His arms and “heirs according to the covenant”, as Paul said to the Galatians in 3: 29.

Paul asked of the Romans in 10: 14, “How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed?  And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard?  And how shall they hear without a preacher?”  Even so, in v. 18 he quoted David in v. 4 of the 19th Psalm saying, “Their sound has gone out to all the earth, and their words to the ends of the world”.

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On Top of the World--Wondrous Heights

Anthem Two
On Top of the World

“Day unto day utters speech, and night unto night reveals knowledge. There is no speech nor language where their voice is not heard."
Psalms 19: 2-3

Wondrous Heights

Part 1 of 3

There are times when we walk through the valleys of life.  There are other times we live mountain-top experiences.  On one such occasion, I stood literally at the top of the world. Independence Pass stands at 12, 095 feet.  As I stood there, I was afforded a view of at least a score of miles to the west toward the town of Aspen, Colorado.  To the east, I could look down into valleys in the distance, and mountain peaks rising above each of them.  The view was indescribably breath-taking.

The majestic beauty I saw went far beyond that which I could see from the window of my cabin.  It went even beyond the scope of my vision at the top of the world.  I am certain any of my readers can look out their windows and see a similar but different beauty.  Each beauty is, of itself, the voice of our great Master Creator speaking.

Each morning at the rising of the sun until the going down of the same, our Master Artist bids us look up to Him.  From the going down of the sun until the rising of the same, His soft and gentle voice paints His majesty upon and within our hearts, leaving us with the serenity of His peace, and indisputable evidence of His power and love.

For that reason, David said in v. 2, “Day unto day utters speech, and night unto night reveals knowledge”. It further should be understood such continued daily and nightly revelations of His majesty is no respecter of language or culture. David says in v. 3, “There is no speech nor language where their voice is not heard”. The wonders of His creation speak volumes in every language known to man. Therefore, no one can ever stand ignorant of the majesty and omnipotence of our Lord.

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Divine Fingerprints--Glory In The Firmament

Glory in the Firmament

Anthem One--Part 2 of 2
Psalms 19: 1b

Then, David says, “and the firmament shows His handiwork”.  I have never walked where David walked.  And, it is certain he never walked where I do today.  I have never been to Israel, and I think it safe to assume David never saw the color and beauty of the Colorado, Rocky Mountains.

As I look out the living room window of my cabin, I look up a little over 4000 feet to the tallest mountain peak in Colorado.  Mt. Elbert rises 14, 433 feet into the blue, cloud painted Colorado sky.  And, a few miles to the north Mt. Massive rises 14, 421 feet toward the heavens.  These majestically towering monuments are joined by more than 40 companion peaks in the State that exceed 14, 000 feet.  Each of these is capped year round with snow and ice as pure white as the fluffy clouds that pass over head.

When I consider the handiwork I see today, I wonder if v. 1 might have been rendered any differently if David would have seen what I am trying to describe.  Even so, there is no doubt Who is responsible for such magnificent wonder.  The same YHVH that set the stars in place in Genesis 1: 3-5 established the firmament in vv. 6-7 when He said, “Let there be a firmament in the waters and let it divide waters from waters”.  And, it was Jeremiah that said in 10: 12, “He has made the earth by His power, He has established the world by His wisdom, and stretched out the heavens at His discretion”.

Until our Lord stands up and says “enough is enough”, and puts an end to all things, it will be as the psalmist said in 93: 1, “Surely the world is established, so that it cannot be moved”.  The beauty of the stars in the heavens, and majesty in the firmament, will continue to give glory and honor to their Creator.  It will be as Paul told the Romans in 1: 20, “For since the creation of the world, His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse”.

From the beginning of time, and before, to the end of time, and after, it is and will be as the psalmist began 93: 1, “The Lord reigns, He is clothed with majesty; the Lord is clothed, He has girded Himself with strength”.  Therefore, I say as the psalmist in 97: 1, “The Lord reigns; let the earth rejoice; let the multitude of isles be glad!”  In a fitting conclusion to this verse, I do with affection that which I always try to do—lift up my Lord, Yeshua, my risen Messiah.

In prophetic language, the writer of Proverbs says in 8: 27-29, “When He prepared the heavens, I was there.  When He drew a circle on the face of the deep, when He established the clouds above, when He strengthened the fountains of the deep, when He assigned the sea to its limit, so that the waters would not transgress His command, when He marked out the foundations of the earth, then I was beside Him as a Master Craftsman…”  And, John said in 1: 3, “And all things were made through Him, and without Him (Yeshua, our Messiah and Living Word) nothing was made that was made”.

When considering the infinite nature of the majesty and dominion of our Lord, consider the question of the psalmist in 8: 4, “What is man that You are mindful of him, and the son of man that You visit him?”  The answer to that question may be known in time.  However, most important is our response to His offer through Matthew in 11: 28, “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest”.  Surrender to His benevolent grace, bow before His wondrous Majesty, and He will chase the storm clouds that bind you—leaving you gloriously encouraged in Him.

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Anthems of Majesty and Perfection--Song, The 19th

Anthems of Majesty—Perfect Revelation
Song—The 19th
Anthem One
Divine Fingerprints

Glory in the Heavens

Part 1 of 2

“The heavens declare the glory of YHVH; and the firmament shows His handiwork.” Psalms 19: 1

During the very early hours of a moonless, Colorado morning thousands of stars shown brightly.  Each star was surrounded by millions of other heavenly bodies.  It was as if the Master Painter of the universe had scattered a countless number of specks of glitter across the canvas of His night-time sky.

As I stood there and took in this beauty by the hand of our Master Artist, I considered the expanse of the heavens He had created.  In considering the distance between me and even the closest star, I considered how finite I am and how awesome is our Adonai.  Then I considered the hundreds of light years distance of other stars, and wondered how any man could keep from bowing their knee to our Master Creator.

As I looked at that star-filled expanse, I couldn’t help but wonder if David might have been inspired by such a star studded wonder to write this psalm.  If so, I can empathize with him, because my response was very similar to his. He says, “The heavens declare the glory of YHVH”.

Isaiah spoke of the Creator of the universe in 40: 22 saying, “It is He who sits above the circle of the earth…who stretches out the heavens like a curtain”.  And, what a curtain it is!  Not even the most renown painters our world has known—Michael Angelo, Picasso, Van Gough, Rembrandt, among others—could compare to the Master Painter of the universe.

Then, Jeremiah says in 51: 15, YHVH “stretched out the heaven by His understanding”.  According to Jeremiah, our Lord “stretched out the heaven” by His own design and reason, His skillfulness and wisdom.  Certainly, there is no one that can compare to the artistic ability of the Master Painter.

Truly, it is as Job said in 9: 8, “He alone spreads out the heavens”.  And, in v. 9 he says, “He made the Bear, Orion, and the Pleiades, and the chambers of the south”—not to be worshiped, but to “declare His glory”.

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