A Post-Election Psalm
November 7, 2012
This chapter was part of my daily Bible reading and devotional time today. I thought that it spoke to the times of which we are a part.
Psalm 12
For the director of music. According to sheminith.[a] A psalm of David.
1 Help, Lord, for the godly are no more;
the faithful have vanished from among men.
2 Everyone lies to his neighbor;
their flattering lips speak with deception.
3 May the Lord cut off all flattering lips
and every boastful tongue
4 that says, “We will triumph with our tongues;
we own our lips[b]—who is our master?”
5 “Because of the oppression of the weak
and the groaning of the needy,
I will now arise,” says the Lord.
“I will protect them from those who malign them.”
6 And the words of the Lord are flawless,
like silver refined in a furnace of clay,
purified seven times.
7 O Lord, you will keep us safe
and protect us from such people forever.
8 The wicked freely strut about
when what is vile is honored among men.
THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Selah
May 23, 2012
Over the last decade, I have come to rely heavily on the NIV for my personal study of the Bible. But in the last month, I have had a new appreciation for the King James as well as the Amplified Bible.
Previously, in reading the Psalms, I would notice the word “selah,” but I did not delve into the meaning of the word. Now, that I know what it means, it really has added to my study of God’s Word. The Amplifed Bible was the Biblical source that brought this information to light for me.
For example, David writes, “I cried unto the LORD with my voice, and he heard me out of his holy hill. Selah” (Psalm 3:4, KJV). “…..Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]!” (Psalm 3:4, AMP).
Also, David pens, “Salvation belongeth unto the LORD: thy blessing is upon thy people. Selah” (Psalm 3:8, KJV). “….. Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]!” (Psalm 3:8, AMP).
In addition, David says, “Who is this King of glory? The LORD of hosts, he is the King of glory. Selah” (Psalm 24:10, KJV). “…..Selah [pause, and think of that]!” (Psalm 24:10, AMP).
It is amazing how one small word can make such a big impact. And to think that I had missed out on this word’s meaning for so long.
“Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson,
Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.”
“Scripture quotations taken from the Amplified Bible.”
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Emmanuel
December 19, 2011
There are many prophecies in the Hebrew Scriptures (Old Testament) regarding the coming Messiah. These inspired words were written hundreds of years before Jesus would come to the Earth, and they cover everything from the place where Jesus would be born to the kind of death that He would die. And, thankfully for us, the prophets of the Old Testament wrote these things down so that we could read them thousands of years later.
Regarding the city where Jesus was born, the Prophet Micah writes, “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from old, from ancient times” (Micah 5:2). Not only does the prophet give the city where the Savior would be born, but he also tells us the tribe from which Jesus would come.
After Jesus was born, Herod ordered the killing of infant boys in an attempt to kill Israel’s Messiah, but Joseph and Mary fled with the baby to Egypt until Herod was dead. This is predicted in the writing of Hosea who states, “When Israel was a child, I loved him,and out of Egypt I called my son” (Hosea 11:1).
The death of our Lord was foretold by the Prophet Isaiah who pens, “But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed” (Isaiah 53:5). Also, in this passage, we read that the healing of our physical bodies would come from Christ’s death at Calvary.
Regarding the resurrection of Jesus Christ, the Psalmist David says, “…..because you will not abandon me to the grave, nor will you let your Holy One see decay” (Psalm 16:10). David writes these words about a thousand years before they would be fulfilled.
As we approach the day that we celebrate as the Lord’s birthday, we can rejoice that not only did He come, but He died in our place. He brought about our salvation through His shed blood and then rose again on the third day as He said He would. The prophets foretold of this “Emmanuel,” and, indeed, “God is with us.”
THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
