Monday, May 13, 2013

Psalm 134.  3 short verses, yet filled with Truth.  Matthew Henry's Commentary digs out truths for us to learn and practice.  First we are to learn to "bless The Lord".  To speak well of Him.  This is the occupation for His servants.  The psalmist addresses the Levites who were appointed to "serve by night".  Their job was to attend the sanctuary and to guard it from being plundered  or profaned in any way. They kept the fires burning and the lamps lit. While they did their work they are called on to "bless The Lord".  Keep awake, keep alert, keep employed, useful in this very wonderful work of blessing The Lord, of praise and prayer.  They must remember where they are, in the place of holiness, of God's Presence.  They must lift up their hands, holy hands, clean hands and pure hearts, in this holy place, this sanctuary.  This applies to us, Matthew Henry writes, "we have a place and a name in His house, in His sanctuary; we stand before Him to minister to Him. Even by night we are under His eye and have access to Him.  Let us therefore bless The Lord, and again bless Him; think and speak of His glory and goodness.  Let us lift up our hands in prayer and praise, in vows; let us do our work with diligence and cheerfulness, and in elevation of mind".  This is conduct befitting the fact that we are in the Presence of the Holy One.

Micah 6  The people of God, who owed their very existence and freedom to Him, failed to know Him. They practiced a false religion of external acts while living in rebellion of God's commands.  He boils it down to the basics for them " He has told you, O man, what is good; And what does The Lord require of you But to do justice,to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?" Instead of this they cheated each other using "a short measure" and "wicked scales".  They were deceptive, violent, liars.  No justice, no love, no mercy, and no fear of God.  In response to such sin God brings desolation.  To sow and not reap, to work and not enjoy the fruits of your labor,  to try to put away things for safe keeping and lose them anyway.
Micah 7  Things were so bad in Israel that Micah says "The godly person has perished from the land, and there is no upright person among men."   They hunt each other and kill each other.  They do evil with the left hand as well as the right.  The leaders and judges ask for bribes.  They cannot trust their neighbors or even their friends. They cannot even trust their own family members.
We may not be that bad yet, but we see the signs of it.  We hear of such things with more frequency than ever before. This is what happens when God is not feared and obeyed.
But, Micah shows us how to handle life in such a society.  "But as for me, I will watch expectantly for The Lord, I will wait for the God of my salvation."  The Lord is his light.  The Lord pardons iniquity and "delights in unchanging love".  "He will again have compassion on us; He will tread our iniquities under foot, Yes, Thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea."   There will come a day when the nation will be ashamed, Micah tells us. When they will truly fear The Lord as they lie on the ground before Him.  Our nation will be included in that number.  Meanwhile we keep our eyes and hearts on the Holy One and wait for that day.  How wonderful is our God!  There is none like Thee! Thank You Father for Your Truth and Your unchanging Love.

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