#812 Our Strength

Sing aloud to God our strength;

shout for joy to the God of Jacob!

2 Raise a song; sound the tambourine,

the sweet lyre with the harp.

3 Blow the trumpet at the new moon,

at the full moon, on our feast day.

4 For it is a statute for Israel,

a rule of the God of Jacob.

5 He made it a decree in Joseph

when he went out over the land of Egypt.

I hear a language I had not known:

6 “I relieved your shoulder of the burden;

your hands were freed from the basket.

7 In distress you called, and I delivered you;

I answered you in the secret place of thunder;

I tested you at the waters of Meribah. Selah

8 Hear, O my people, while I admonish you!

O Israel, if you would but listen to me!

9 There shall be no strange god among you;

you shall not bow down to a foreign god.

10 I am the Lord your God,

who brought you up out of the land of Egypt.

Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it.

11 “But my people did not listen to my voice;

Israel would not submit to me.

12 So I gave them over to their stubborn hearts,

to follow their own counsels.

13 Oh, that my people would listen to me,

that Israel would walk in my ways!

14 I would soon subdue their enemies

and turn my hand against their foes.

15 Those who hate the Lord would cringe toward him,

and their fate would last forever.

16 But he would feed you with the finest of the wheat,

and with honey from the rock I would satisfy you.” Psalm 81 ESV

A Psalm of Asaph on the Gittith.

Sing aloud to God our strength - The strength of Israel is not found within themselves, nor a nation brought out by their own hands. They were slaves who could not free themselves and were in fact prone to sell themselves back into slavery. A song should constantly be on our lips, praising the God of our salvation, a free will offering of a sound mind, not deluded by the idols of entertainment, the exaltation of self, the idols of vain religion.

Blow the trumpet at the New moon - Attend the feast in awe, come before His presence with singing, know ye that the Lord He is God. It is He that has made us and not we ourselves. Remember His Sabbaths, that in six days He made more than the eye can see or the mind understand. Remember the Passover, teach it with excitement and joy to your children. God judged our oppressors on that night. He sent His angel of death, but Passed over the houses whose doors were covered by the blood.

I heard a language I had not known - We were sojourners in the land, aliens to it's people, and esteemed only for the burdens they could lay upon our backs. They worshiped strange gods, who could not save them, followed those things that appealed to their eyes, their feelings and superstition. We were considered less by them, but God chose to glorify His justice, love, mercy and sovereignty through removing us from them. 

So often when Israel failed to serve the true God, when they worshiped foreign gods, who could not save them, they were turned over to people of foreign tongues. We think we speak the language of the streets, that we are well versed in sin and immune to it's consequences, but we all think far too highly of ourselves. We are certain that we are smarter than average, without need of this thing we think a crutch, yet all the while we think we are bartering, when actually we have sold ourselves out. 

14 Therefore this is what the Lord GOD of Hosts says: “Because you have spoken this word, I will make My words a fire in your mouth and this people the wood it consumes. 15 Behold, I am bringing a distant nation against you, O house of Israel,” declares the LORD. “It is an established nation, an ancient nation, a nation whose language you do not know and whose speech you do not understand. 16 Their quivers are like open graves; they are all mighty men.… Jeremiah 5: 14-16

But my people did not listen to my voice - If the Bible is truly the Word of God, then it is the truth that we must not only hear, but also respond in obedience to. Those who only hear, yet don't do, are deceiving themselves.

9 Whoever has ears, let them hear.”

10 The disciples came to him and asked, “Why do you speak to the people in parables?”

11 He replied, “Because the knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them. 12 Whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them. 13 This is why I speak to them in parables:

“Though seeing, they do not see;
though hearing, they do not hear or understand.

14 In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah:

“‘You will be ever hearing but never understanding;
you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.
15 For this people’s heart has become calloused;
they hardly hear with their ears,
and they have closed their eyes.
Otherwise they might see with their eyes,
hear with their ears,
understand with their hearts
and turn, and I would heal them.’

16 But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear. 17 For truly I tell you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it. Matthew 13: 9-17

So I gave them over to their stubborn hearts - We are too shortsighted to grasp the magnitude of this, and what's worse, that we shall now be left to our own broken discernment and reasoning. Now we shall see sin as our friend and not our captor. 

…27 Likewise, the men abandoned natural relations with women and burned with lust for one another. Men committed indecent acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their error. 28 Furthermore, since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, He gave them up to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done. 29 They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed, and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, and malice. They are gossips,… Romans 1: 27-29

From the rock I would satisfy you - God can make life where there is none, bring up fruit from a dead tree, water from rocks and now honey. 

…8 Therefore produce fruit worthy of repentance. 9 And do not presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham. 10 The ax lies ready at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.… Matthew 3: 8-10

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#811 Face Shine

Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel,

you who lead Joseph like a flock.

You who are enthroned upon the cherubim, shine forth.

2 Before Ephraim and Benjamin and Manasseh,

stir up your might

and come to save us!

3 Restore us, O God;

let your face shine, that we may be saved!

4 O Lord God of hosts,

how long will you be angry with your people's prayers?

5 You have fed them with the bread of tears

and given them tears to drink in full measure.

6 You make us an object of contention for our neighbors,

and our enemies laugh among themselves.

7 Restore us, O God of hosts;

let your face shine, that we may be saved!

8 You brought a vine out of Egypt;

you drove out the nations and planted it.

9 You cleared the ground for it;

it took deep root and filled the land.

10 The mountains were covered with its shade,

the mighty cedars with its branches.

11 It sent out its branches to the sea

and its shoots to the River.

12 Why then have you broken down its walls,

so that all who pass along the way pluck its fruit?

13 The boar from the forest ravages it,

and all that move in the field feed on it.

14 Turn again, O God of hosts!

Look down from heaven, and see;

have regard for this vine,

15 the stock that your right hand planted,

and for the son whom you made strong for yourself.

16 They have burned it with fire; they have cut it down;

may they perish at the rebuke of your face!

17 But let your hand be on the man of your right hand,

the son of man whom you have made strong for yourself!

18 Then we shall not turn back from you;

give us life, and we will call upon your name!

19 Restore us, O Lord God of hosts!

Let your face shine, that we may be saved! Psalm 80 ESV

A Psalm set to "the Lilies", a testimony of Asaph.

- “A later Asaph we should suppose, who had the unhappiness to live, like the ‘last minstrel,’ in evil times. If by the Asaph of David’s day, this Psalm was written in the spirit of prophecy, for it sings of times unknown to David.” (Spurgeon)

Restore us, O God - Turn us, lead us, take us not in the direction of temptation, but deliver us. God's countenance brings light, but we must be restored, or turned toward it. No one walks in the direction of God naturally, for all fall short of His glory, but in the light of His grace we are saved by His mercy. We have to stop putting up the word revival on the signs of our churches, and instead, like Asaph, we must appeal to God.

iii. Cause Your face to shine: “There must be their turning back, their restoration to God; and that must be by the act of God. Then there must be the lighting up of the face of God. That is, there must be given to them the clear showing of His reconciled favour.” (Morgan)

Angry with Your people's prayers - This is a strange arrangement of the words, for Asaph is still praying all the more. Since I am uncertain of what angered God about their prayers and or if was the appearance of it to them, then I shall look at examples of unacceptable prayer and words before God.

…7 You hypocrites! Isaiah prophesied correctly about you: 8‘These people honor Me with their lips, but their hearts are far from Me. 9 They worship Me in vain; they teach as doctrine the precepts of men.’”… Matthew 15: 7-9

…2 You crave what you do not have; you kill and covet, but are unable to obtain it. You quarrel and fight. You do not have, because you do not ask. 3 And when you do ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may squander it on your pleasures. 4 You adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore, whoever chooses to be a friend of the world renders himself an enemy of God.… James 4: 2-4

…22 But Samuel declared: “Does the LORD delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obedience to His voice? Behold, obedience is better than sacrifice, and attentiveness is better than the fat of rams. 23 For rebellion is like the sin of divination, and arrogance is like the wickedness of idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the LORD, He has rejected you as king.” 1 Samuel 15: 22-23

…15 And the prayer offered in faith will restore the one who is sick. The Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven. 16 Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man has great power to prevail. 17 Elijah was a man just like us. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years.… James 5: 15-17

A vine out of Egypt - Israel was brought out of captivity and transplanted in a place that was promised to Abraham. The picture of Israel as the vine carries throughout Scripture. She was removed from slavery to the world's system in Egypt, and God cleared the worldly from Canaan to make a place for her to take root. These are a foreshadowing of the true vine.

…20“For long ago you broke your yoke and tore off your chains, saying, ‘I will not serve!’ Indeed, on every high hill and under every green tree you lay down as a prostitute. 21 I had planted you like a choice vine from the very best seed. How could you turn yourself before me, into a rotten wild vine? 22 Although you wash with lye and use an abundance of soap, the stain of your guilt is still before Me,” declares the Lord GOD.… Jeremiah 2: 20-22

1 I am the TRUE vine, and My Father is the keeper of the vineyard. 2 He cuts off every branch in Me that bears no fruit, and every branch that does bear fruit, He prunes to make it even more fruitful.… John 15: 1-2

…4 Remain in Me, and I will remain in you. Just as no branch can bear fruit by itself unless it remains in the vine, neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in Me. 5 I am the vine and you are the branches. The one who remains in Me, and I in him, will bear much fruit. For apart from Me you can do nothing. 6 If anyone does not remain in Me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers. Such branches are gathered up, thrown into the fire, and burned.… John 15: 4-6

The boar from the forest ravages it - Boars will not only take the grapes, but will damage the vine and tear at roots. Rooting groups of wild hogs can do a great deal of damage in very little time. The hedge of God's protection is no longer here. If we look back at Sodom, cry for the tastes of Egypt, wish for the pleasures of sin, then we beg for it's tyranny as well, for they are inseparable twins. The northern kingdom fell to the Assyrian captivity, and then Judah was taken captive to Babylon. Asaph must wonder, was it all for not that Abraham was called from the East, that Moses led Jacob out of Israel? 

iii. Visit this vine… and the branch that You have made strong: “A prayer for the leader whom the Lord had raised up, or for the Messiah whom they expected. Though the vine had been left, yet one branch had been regarded of the Lord, as if to furnish a scion for another vine; therefore, is the prayer made in this form.” (Spurgeon)

The stock that Your right hand planted -

i. “Nations rise or fall largely through the instrumentality of individuals: by a Napoleon the kingdoms are scourged, and by a Wellington nations are saved from the tyrant. It is by the man Christ Jesus that fallen Israel is yet to rise, and indeed through him, who deigns to call himself the Son of Man, the world is to be delivered from the dominion of Satan and the curse of sin.” (Spurgeon)

19 After the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, He was taken up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God. 20 And they went out and preached everywhere, and the Lord worked through them, confirming His word by the signs that accompanied it.… Mark 16: 19-20

1 A Psalm of David. The LORD said to my Lord: “Sit at My right hand until I make Your enemies a footstool for Your feet.” 2 The LORD will extend Your mighty scepter from Zion: “Rule in the midst of your enemies.”… Psalm 110: 1-2

…61 But Jesus remained silent and made no reply. Again the high priest questioned Him, “Are You the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One?” 62“I am,” said Jesus, “and you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of Power and coming with the clouds of heaven.” 63 At this, the high priest tore his clothes and declared, “Why do we need any more witnesses?… Mark 14: 61-63

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#810 Where is Their God?

O God, the nations have come into your inheritance;

they have defiled your holy temple;

they have laid Jerusalem in ruins.

2 They have given the bodies of your servants

to the birds of the heavens for food,

the flesh of your faithful to the beasts of the earth.

3 They have poured out their blood like water

all around Jerusalem,

and there was no one to bury them.

4 We have become a taunt to our neighbors,

mocked and derided by those around us.

5 How long, O Lord? Will you be angry forever?

Will your jealousy burn like fire?

6 Pour out your anger on the nations

that do not know you,

and on the kingdoms

that do not call upon your name!

7 For they have devoured Jacob

and laid waste his habitation.

8 Do not remember against us our former iniquities;

let your compassion come speedily to meet us,

for we are brought very low.

9 Help us, O God of our salvation,

for the glory of your name;

deliver us, and atone for our sins,

for your name's sake!

10 Why should the nations say,

“Where is their God?”

Let the avenging of the out-poured blood of your servants

be known among the nations before our eyes!

11 Let the groans of the prisoners come before you;

according to your great power, preserve those doomed to die!

12 Return sevenfold into the lap of our neighbors

the taunts with which they have taunted you, O Lord!

13 But we your people, the sheep of your pasture,

will give thanks to you forever;

from generation to generation we will recount your praise. Psalm 79 ESV

A Psalm of Asaph.

This is a sad cry, and it is not only the unfaithful but the wheat has also been chopped down with the tares. The blood of the martyrs has long been the fertilizer for the planting of the church. The word martyr itself, meant witness, but it has been attached to so many things now, regardless of the system, right or wrong. Even now, regardless of the severity of suffering or the basis, there is also a martyr complex. Some hope for martyrdom as a means to eternal greatness, but this again becomes an elevation of the self, rather than a witness to the truth and glory of God. 

Many of the prophets were hated, rejected and martyred. It is held by some historians that Isaiah was sawn in half. The Bible tells of Jezebel's pursuit of Elijah. John the Baptist was beheaded. Saul held Stephen's garment as he was stoned, and all of the 12 disciples were killed, except John the beloved, who was a prisoner on Patmos. Early church history held that Peter was placed upon a cross, but asked to be upside down, for he did not deserve to die as his Lord. 

36 Truly I tell you, all these things will come upon this generation. 37 O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those sent to her, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were unwilling! 38 Look, your house is left to you desolate.… Matthew 23: 36-38

After much persecution came a darker, more sinister evil in the church. The church combined with the government, and she paid more homage to the traditions of men then the word of God. That gospel, those truths for which the early church was willing to die for, were exchanged for superstition and goddess worship. When the gospel reappeared, when the light of the word shone again, by the Spirit who inspired it, the popes and kings of that era ran quickly to snuff it out. 

The Holy Roman Empire and Charles V moved with force on the Edict of Worms, a judgment against Luther and all else who may follow the reformation. Luther attacked an institution that pronounced Christ but did not follow Him. He attacked a system of politics, greed and false doctrines, exposing the lie, he and his followers were called the heretics. 

Heinrich Moller was burned at the stake. In Lollards Pit, Norwich, August 19, 1531, Thomas Bilney was executed by Bishop Nix, who was later quoted as saying, "I fear I have burned Abel and let Cain go." People have died in many ages for the desire to share the word faithfully. This goes on in many countries, but people also die for vain ideas as well. Death is not the proof of truth.

If I dole out all my goods to feed the poor, and if I give my body to be burned, but don't have love, it profits me nothing. 1 Corinthians 13:3

Do not remember against us our former iniquities - Will God be angry with His people forever. I wish pastors, no, not just pastors, but all of us would pray in such a manner. Lord, forgive us, not so we may know ease, not just for the former things, but forgive us for such an anemic church, unrepentant and so careless with Your word. Sanctify us so that we may grow and that our works will be pleasing in Your sight.

Where is there God - Men think that might has made right, that Asaph's God is weak. We tend to look at wealth, health and popularity as the signs of God's anointing, yet the Son of man had no place to lay His head. Lord, defend Your name, let Your cause be known, Your glory magnified.

iii. “Prayer is therefore here made by the faithful, that God, not to gratify any vindictive spirit of theirs, but to vindicate his own attributes, would break the teeth of the oppressor, and work a public and glorious salvation for his chosen.” (Horne)

Preserve those doomed to die - 

i. Clarke says those who are appointed to die is literally “‘Sons of death.’ Either those who were condemned to death because of their crimes, or condemned to be destroyed by their oppressors. Both these senses apply to the Israelites: they were sons of death, i.e., worthy of death because of their sins against God; they were condemned to death or utter destruction, by their Babylonish enemies.” (Clarke)

ii. “They denied thine existence, mocked thy power, insulted thy worship, and destroyed thy house; up, therefore, O Lord, and make them feel to the full that thou art not to be mocked with impunity. Pour into their laps good store of shame because they dared insult the God of Israel.” (Spurgeon)

The sheep of Your pasture, will give thanks to You forever - We belong to You. We are Your inheritance, bought by the blood of Your lamb. You are the great shepherd. We praise You, We worship You, because You alone are worthy.

…10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I have come that they may have life, and have it in all its fullness. 11 I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep. 12 The hired hand is not the shepherd, and the sheep are not his own. When he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf pounces on them and scatters the flock.… John 10: 10-12

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#809 Maschil of Asaph

Give ear, O my people, to my teaching;

incline your ears to the words of my mouth!

2 I will open my mouth in a parable;

I will utter dark sayings from of old,

3 things that we have heard and known,

that our fathers have told us.

4 We will not hide them from their children,

but tell to the coming generation

the glorious deeds of the Lord, and his might,

and the wonders that he has done.

5 He established a testimony in Jacob

and appointed a law in Israel,

which he commanded our fathers

to teach to their children,

6 that the next generation might know them,

the children yet unborn,

and arise and tell them to their children,

7 so that they should set their hope in God

and not forget the works of God,

but keep his commandments;

8 and that they should not be like their fathers,

a stubborn and rebellious generation,

a generation whose heart was not steadfast,

whose spirit was not faithful to God.

9 The Ephraimites, armed with the bow,

turned back on the day of battle.

10 They did not keep God's covenant,

but refused to walk according to his law.

11 They forgot his works

and the wonders that he had shown them.

12 In the sight of their fathers he performed wonders

in the land of Egypt, in the fields of Zoan.

13 He divided the sea and let them pass through it,

and made the waters stand like a heap.

14 In the daytime he led them with a cloud,

and all the night with a fiery light.

15 He split rocks in the wilderness

and gave them drink abundantly as from the deep.

16 He made streams come out of the rock

and caused waters to flow down like rivers.

17 Yet they sinned still more against him,

rebelling against the Most High in the desert.

18 They tested God in their heart

by demanding the food they craved.

19 They spoke against God, saying,

“Can God spread a table in the wilderness?

20 He struck the rock so that water gushed out

and streams overflowed.

Can he also give bread

or provide meat for his people?”

21 Therefore, when the Lord heard, he was full of wrath;

a fire was kindled against Jacob;

his anger rose against Israel,

22 because they did not believe in God

and did not trust his saving power.

23 Yet he commanded the skies above

and opened the doors of heaven,

24 and he rained down on them manna to eat

and gave them the grain of heaven.

25 Man ate of the bread of the angels;

he sent them food in abundance.

26 He caused the east wind to blow in the heavens,

and by his power he led out the south wind;

27 he rained meat on them like dust,

winged birds like the sand of the seas;

28 he let them fall in the midst of their camp,

all around their dwellings.

29 And they ate and were well filled,

for he gave them what they craved.

30 But before they had satisfied their craving,

while the food was still in their mouths,

31 the anger of God rose against them,

and he killed the strongest of them

and laid low the young men of Israel.

32 In spite of all this, they still sinned;

despite his wonders, they did not believe.

33 So he made their days vanish like a breath,

and their years in terror.

34 When he killed them, they sought him;

they repented and sought God earnestly.

35 They remembered that God was their rock,

the Most High God their redeemer.

36 But they flattered him with their mouths;

they lied to him with their tongues.

37 Their heart was not steadfast toward him;

they were not faithful to his covenant.

38 Yet he, being compassionate,

atoned for their iniquity

and did not destroy them;

he restrained his anger often

and did not stir up all his wrath.

39 He remembered that they were but flesh,

a wind that passes and comes not again.

40 How often they rebelled against him in the wilderness

and grieved him in the desert!

41 They tested God again and again

and provoked the Holy One of Israel.

42 They did not remember his power

or the day when he redeemed them from the foe,

43 when he performed his signs in Egypt

and his marvels in the fields of Zoan.

44 He turned their rivers to blood,

so that they could not drink of their streams.

45 He sent among them swarms of flies, which devoured them,

and frogs, which destroyed them.

46 He gave their crops to the destroying locust

and the fruit of their labor to the locust.

47 He destroyed their vines with hail

and their sycamores with frost.

48 He gave over their cattle to the hail

and their flocks to thunderbolts.

49 He let loose on them his burning anger,

wrath, indignation, and distress,

a company of destroying angels.

50 He made a path for his anger;

he did not spare them from death,

but gave their lives over to the plague.

51 He struck down every firstborn in Egypt,

the first-fruits of their strength in the tents of Ham.

52 Then he led out his people like sheep

and guided them in the wilderness like a flock.

53 He led them in safety, so that they were not afraid,

but the sea overwhelmed their enemies.

54 And he brought them to his holy land,

to the mountain which his right hand had won.

55 He drove out nations before them;

he apportioned them for a possession

and settled the tribes of Israel in their tents.

56 Yet they tested and rebelled against the Most High God

and did not keep his testimonies,

57 but turned away and acted treacherously like their fathers;

they twisted like a deceitful bow.

58 For they provoked him to anger with their high places;

they moved him to jealousy with their idols.

59 When God heard, he was full of wrath,

and he utterly rejected Israel.

60 He forsook his dwelling at Shiloh,

the tent where he dwelt among mankind,

61 and delivered his power to captivity,

his glory to the hand of the foe.

62 He gave his people over to the sword

and vented his wrath on his heritage.

63 Fire devoured their young men,

and their young women had no marriage song.

64 Their priests fell by the sword,

and their widows made no lamentation.

65 Then the Lord awoke as from sleep,

like a strong man shouting because of wine.

66 And he put his adversaries to rout;

he put them to everlasting shame.

67 He rejected the tent of Joseph;

he did not choose the tribe of Ephraim,

68 but he chose the tribe of Judah,

Mount Zion, which he loves.

69 He built his sanctuary like the high heavens,

like the earth, which he has founded forever.

70 He chose David his servant

and took him from the sheepfolds;

71 from following the nursing ewes he brought him

to shepherd Jacob his people,

Israel his inheritance.

72 With upright heart he shepherded them

and guided them with his skillful hand. Psalm 78 ESV

A Psalm, Maschil (of instruction) by Asaph.

Give ear - Don't just come for the music, listen for the inspired Word of God. Many today claim to hear from God, but have no regard for His actual words, and hold their own much too highly. Where ever your words disagree with Scripture then they are your own, but if you want a word from God then read your Bible. If you want to say what God says then preach from His word, diligently studying, praying, and protecting the Author's intent. 

I will open my mouth in a parable - Christ used parables often to teach great truths, but what follows as a parable here is an account of Israel's history. This should make the hearer aware that these things were recorded for our instruction, not to be discarded for the modern day, but to be understood and taught at every age. 

- That such was his meaning is clear from the quotation, "All these things spake Jesus unto the multitude in parables; and without a parable spake he not unto them: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter things which have been kept secret from the foundation of the world." Mt 13:34-35. I will utter dark sayings of old; --enigmas of antiquity, riddles of yore. The mind of the poet prophet was so full of ancient lore that he poured it forth in a copious stream of song, while beneath the gushing flood lay pearls and gems of spiritual truth, capable of enriching those who could dive into the depths and bring them up. The letter of this song is precious, but the inner sense is beyond all price. Whereas the first verse called for attention, the second justifies the demand by hinting that the outer sense conceals an inner and hidden meaning, which only the thoughtful will be able to perceive. - C. H. Spurgeon

But tell to the coming generation - I did not leave my children fatherless. I worked and provided for their physical needs, but was derelict in my Spiritual duties. What is of so much value to us here that it can even begin to compare to things of eternal consequence? I thank God my mom taught me from a young age, and that God's Spirit has convicted me to teach my own children the same. 

…5 Thorns and snares lie on the path of the perverse; he who guards his soul stays far from them. 6 Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it. Proverbs 22: 5-6

- Blessed be God we have now the less mutable testimony of written revelation, but this by no means lessens our obligation to instruct our children in divine truth by word of mouth: rather, with such a gracious help, we ought to teach them far more fully the things of God. Dr. Doddridge owed much to the Dutch tiles and his mother's explanations of the Bible narratives. The more of parental teaching the better; ministers and Sabbath school teachers were never meant to be substitutes for mother's tears and father's prayers. - C. H. Spurgeon

- Around the fireside fathers should repeat not only the Bible records, but the deeds of the martyrs and reformers, and moreover the dealings of the Lord with themselves both in providence and grace. We dare not follow the vain and vicious traditions of the apostate church of Rome, neither would we compare the fallible record of the best human memories with the infallible written word, yet would we fain see oral tradition practised by every Christian in his family, and children taught cheerfully by word of mouth by their own mothers and fathers, as well as by the printed pages of what they too often regard as dull, dry task books. What happy hours and pleasant evenings have children had at their parents knees as they have listened to some "sweet story of old." Reader, if you have children, mind you do not fail in this duty.  - C. H. Spurgeon

…6 These words I am commanding you today are to be upon your hearts. 7 And you shall teach them diligently to your children and speak of them when you sit in your house and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. 8 Tie them as reminders on your hands and bind them on your foreheads.… Deuteronomy 6: 6-8

He made streams come out of the rock - Out of a dry ground, from a place where there is no life, nor the reservoirs below, but such is he or she who has been truly born again. That river of life fills to overflowing. They should see here that it is never far from those that are with God, for He is also with them. We should never avoid such places, for they are rich with His mercies, the Word to which the depths cannot be ascertained, God's love as seen on Calvary, which should be ever present in our minds. His church, to which we may hear His preachers and carry each other's burdens. Prayer, which should be without ceasing, and praise that should always form readily on our lips.

- And they sinned yet more against him. Outdoing their former sins, going into greater deeps of evil: the more they had the more loudly they clamoured for more, and murmured because they had not every luxury that pampered appetites could desire. It was bad enough to mistrust their God for necessaries, but to revolt against him in a greedy rage for superfluities was far worse. - C. H. Spurgeon

This chapter goes on to show the many great wonders that the children of Jacob witnessed, being freed from Egypt, fed from heaven and watered from rocks. When he fed them they found still reason to complain for meat, and though He provided even this, it was not by the traditions of feasts or the tables they had seen or been accustomed to in Egypt. There was something of much greater value in His words, necessary to their salvation, but they longed for those things that could not save. They were being set apart unto the oracles of God, yet they longed for fading comforts. In verse 22 they are called out for their unbelief. 

They did not believe in God or trust in His saving power - This is a hard concept for the church now, for they teach only that God is love, and a gospel that is good with only knowing that He exists. The Bible says that we must believe that "He is and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him." Many will add to the gospel a message of works, that of course this person was saved, for they are good, at least in our eyes. Many will claim God with their lips while their actions reveal the true nature of their beliefs. When we complain, murmur about our present situation, we are not trusting in the God that knows this, and we are not seeking His will in it, but rather our own. Their god had to do their bidding, and therefore could not be the true God of the universe. When men actually believe in God, then they know of holiness, justice, fear, and love. We see our sin and realize that it is all we have to offer, and no table or feast will suffice as a substitute. In fact, we realize that the wages of sin is all that we were ever owed, and every bit of bread above that, is more than we ever deserved. When we truly realize our condition then we know the need of a Mediator, when we find out Who that is, the whining of our past becomes wretched and bitter in our mouths. When we see Him, we know God.

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#808 Nights Adrift

I cry aloud to God,

aloud to God, and he will hear me.

2 In the day of my trouble I seek the Lord;

in the night my hand is stretched out without wearying;

my soul refuses to be comforted.

3 When I remember God, I moan;

when I meditate, my spirit faints. Selah

4 You hold my eyelids open;

I am so troubled that I cannot speak.

5 I consider the days of old,

the years long ago.

6 I said, “Let me remember my song in the night;

let me meditate in my heart.”

Then my spirit made a diligent search:

7 “Will the Lord spurn forever,

and never again be favorable?

8 Has his steadfast love forever ceased?

Are his promises at an end for all time?

9 Has God forgotten to be gracious?

Has he in anger shut up his compassion?” Selah

10 Then I said, “I will appeal to this,

to the years of the right hand of the Most High.”

11 I will remember the deeds of the Lord;

yes, I will remember your wonders of old.

12 I will ponder all your work,

and meditate on your mighty deeds.

13 Your way, O God, is holy.

What god is great like our God?

14 You are the God who works wonders;

you have made known your might among the peoples.

15 You with your arm redeemed your people,

the children of Jacob and Joseph. Selah

16 When the waters saw you, O God,

when the waters saw you, they were afraid;

indeed, the deep trembled.

17 The clouds poured out water;

the skies gave forth thunder;

your arrows flashed on every side.

18 The crash of your thunder was in the whirlwind;

your lightnings lighted up the world;

the earth trembled and shook.

19 Your way was through the sea,

your path through the great waters;

yet your footprints were unseen.

20 You led your people like a flock

by the hand of Moses and Aaron. Psalm 77 ESV

A Psalm of Asaph to Jeduthun (one of the leaders of public worship).

“The message of this psalm is that to brood on sorrow is to be broken and disheartened, while to see God is to sing on the darkest day. Once we come to know that our years are of His right hand, there is light everywhere.” (Morgan)

I cried out to God with my voice - The ear of the Lord is ever available to us, and we ought to pray without ceasing. Pray in your troubles, but also pray that we do not cause trouble, that we hold fast against the greater sickness of sin.

i. “Days of trouble must be days of prayer; in days of inward trouble, especially when God seems to have withdrawn from us, we must seek him, and seek till we find him. In the day of his trouble he did not seek for the diversions of business or recreation, to shake off his trouble that way, but he sought God, and his favour and grace. Those that are under trouble of mind, must not think to drink it away, or laugh it away, but pray it away.” (Henry, cited in Spurgeon)

In the night my hand is stretched out - Those that cannot sleep have found time to pray, and like a child he lifts his hands to the Father. Many I times I went to a bottle, a friend to hear me, but they could not comfort me, even if I drank myself to sleep the morrow would be worse than yesterday. Anxiety is the most terrible oppressor.

My soul refuses to be comforted - Someone once referred to God's sovereignty as the pillow upon which they lay the wearied head. This is a hard thing to accept when we see our health fading, financial distress, hunger or persecution. It seems to us that the answer is to be made well, rich, fat and well liked. 

7 or even with these surpassingly great revelations. So to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. 8 Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. 9 But He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is perfected in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly in my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest on me.…

10 That is why, for the sake of Christ, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong. 2 Corinthians 12: 7-10

You hold my eyelids open - That beautiful escape we call sleep is now insomnia, and he is left speechless, forced to look ahead at only darkness, but then inside himself.

I consider the days of old - There is much to be gained from the voice of the martyrs and also that of those who told of God's great wonders. I know that He hears me, and now I remember that He is also able to deliver, and so I meditate on songs I once sang to the praise of His favor. Do these even apply now? 

…14 Why do I put myself at risk and take my life in my own hands? 15 Though He slay me, I will hope in Him. I will still defend my ways to His face. 16 Moreover, this will be my salvation, for no godless man can appear before Him.… Job 13: 14-16

17 Though the fig tree does not bud and no fruit is on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though the sheep are cut off from the fold and no cattle are in the stalls, 18 yet I will exult in the LORD; I will rejoice in the God of my salvation! 19 GOD the Lord is my strength; He makes my feet like those of a deer; He makes me walk upon the heights! For the choirmaster. With stringed instruments.… Habakkuk 3: 17-19

Are His promises at an end for all time - It is a hard note to find, when a man has put his faith in God, acknowledged his allegiance is to the Creator, sets out to walk in an upright manner, but the results are not as he imagined. What will I sing now as others curse God and die? Shall I think that He owes any man anything, but no, I will trust in what He has owed to Himself, His Word. 

I will remember the deeds of the Lord - How many times have we found our own stores empty, yet we are still alive? How many times did we struggle for rent, yet we are still housed? Look back to times of old, when the people feared Pharaoh more than the God Who made him for His own purpose. Remember the famines, the flood that killed everything most efficiently, except for those that were held up by God. Where were Jonah's greatest prayers made? From the most unlikely and unbelievable of places, the deep, the depressing, the foul smelling, and so we lift up marred and digested hands. You are the same, God, I was not yet weak enough to see that, that You are Holy and Your ways are above my understanding, much higher than my plans could hope.

iii. “Memory is a fit handmaid for faith. When faith has its seven years of famine, memory like Joseph in Egypt opens her granaries.” (Spurgeon)

Yet Your foot prints were unseen - What beautiful poetry, the invisible God walking before them, not known by the prints of His feet, but for the obedience of His creation. His step causes the waters to split before Him. He does not lead His people around, but through the unknown, they ride upon the flood, pass through the storm. Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. Remember Him, what He says He will accomplish according to His good purpose. 

…19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey all that I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28: 19-20

24 Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 The rain fell, the torrents raged, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because its foundation was on the rock. 26 But everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not act on them is like a foolish man who built his house on sand.… Matthew 7: 24-26

Nights of mourning, doubt and despair
Find the light of morning in the contrite's prayer

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