PSALM 137 Fear Our God

In Psalm 135,  a psalm of praise, we read in verse 8;-
                      He destroyed the firstborn of Egypt
                      Both man and beast.
In Psalm 136:10, we sing again,
                       To Him who struck Egypt in their firstborn.
                             and in verse 15,
                        He swept Pharaoh and his army
                        into the red sea.
In Psalm 137  the psalmist asks God to punish the babylonians;-
                        Happy the one who repays you
                        as you have served us!

In The New testament the word of God warns us
not to take vengeance into our own hands.
Romans 12: 19 ESV
                        Beloved, never avenge yourselves
                        but leave it to the wrath of God.
                        for it is written,
                        "Vengeance is mine, I will repay"
                        says the Lord.......

Those who would oppress the people of God,
Those who kill and destroy the people of God,
need to know;-
Psalm 9:13 NCV
                        For the avenger of blood remembers them;
                        he does not ignore the cry of the afflicted.

Psalm 9:11-12 NKJV
                         Sing praise to the LORD who dwells in Zion !
                         Declare his deeds among the people.
                         When He avenges blood,
                         He remembers them
                         He does not forget the cry of the humble.

Matthew 25:40 NKJV
                          Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it
                          to one of the least of these My brethren,
                          you did it to Me.

People of God who have known only relative  peace and prosperity
in their own experience, need to know that when circumstances change
they may join the psalmist to pray
Psalm 140 NKJV
                       1  Deliver me, O LORD, from evil men
                       4  Keep me O LORD, from the hands of the wicked.
                      12 I know that the LORD will maintain
                           the cause of the afflicted
                           And justice for the poor.

Psalm 111:10 NKJV
                           The fear of the LORD
                           is the beginning of wisdom.

PSALM 136 The Mercy of God

World History is suffused by the Mercy of God.
Whatever the headlines, His steadfast love endures forever!
We have spirituality in our everyday life.

Mother Julian of Norwich lived at a time when
 "The Baron Knights" thought that they were the
 important history makers of their day.
Clad in chain mail  and suits of armor they imposed
 violent subjugation with swords and iron maces!
  They would not have written Mother Julian
into the history of their day.
Mother Julian of Norwich was 35
when Richard II was crowned king of England at the age of 10.
In 1380 John Wycliffe began to translate the New Testament
into English from Latin.
In 1373  Mother Julian experienced her visions.
In 1381  There was a peasants revolt over poll tax.
In 1382 Winchester College was founded.
In 1388 The Scots won the battle of Otterburn.
In 1394 Richard took an army to reconquer the West of Ireland.
In 1398 Richard (Dick) Whittington became Lord mayor of London.
In 1399 Richard II returned from Ireland, was deposed
and starved to death while imprisoned in Pontefract castle.
     Between each of these headlines we could sing;-
Give thanks to the LORD our God, for he is good,
for his steadfast love endures forever.         Psalm 136:1 NIV

His mercy (Strongs H 2617) favour, goodness, kindness, lovingkindness.
from  Hebrew word    hesed  ,
which is used in the bible to express
the covenant that exists between the Lord and his people,
which relationship includes;
faithfulness, loyalty, love and God's mercy.

O give thanks to the LORD, for he is good
for his mercy endureth for ever.                Psalm 136:1  KJV

Jesus and his disciples may have sung Psalm 135 and 136
before departing for the Mount of Olives
on the night of the last supper !
Over the centuries, singing this psalm has prompted gratitude
for the memory of the peoples redemption and of their liberation.
It is a sign of the eternal mercy of God which touches people
personally and identifies us as chosen people, loved by God.
A love revealed in Jesus Christ who's followers;- believers,
faithful servants of the Lord, His anointed Ones,
 will experience salvation, even victory over evil and death.

In Psalm 136:1 we read  O give thanks to the Lord  (KJV)
In STRONGS  H3068 The word used here for Lord is YHWH
 Jehovah,    the Jewish national name of God .

In Psalm 136  we read
verse 2              O give thanks unto the God of gods
and in verse 3,  O give thanks unto the Lord of lords.
and in Revelation 17:14 KJV we read;-
.......the Lamb shall overcome them:
for he is Lord of lords and King of kings
and they that are with him are called and chosen and faithful.

PSALM 135 Chosen to Serve

Psalm 135  Chosen for God's purpose.

This Psalm is addressed to "servants of the Lord",
first to those who sing and worship in God's presence.
The tribe of Jacob are "chosen " by God
as are the Nation of ISRAEL.
Psalm 135:14 NRSV
     For the LORD will vindicate his people
     and have compassion on his servants.

Psalm 135: 19-20 NRSV
     O house of Israel, bless the Lord !
     O house of Aaron, bless the Lord !
     O house of Levi , bless the Lord !
     You that fear the LORD, bless the LORD !

We fear the Lord, We are servants of the Lord,
and we bless the Lord.
The "chosen" are called to "bless Adonai"
along with the house of Levi.
We are not called to boast in ourselves
but only in God who chose us.
The "chosen" serve and praise the Lord
and call others to join in.
The "chosen" are chosen to serve all
in the love of God, in His sovereign will.
God sovereignly
"works out everything in conformity with
the purpose of his will"              Ephesians 1:11 NIV

Revelation 4:11 NIV
You are worthy, our Lord and our God,
to receive glory and honour and power
for you created all things
and by your will they were created
and have their being.

Psalm 135:6  NRSV
Whatever the LORD pleases, he does,
in heaven and on earth, in the seas and all deeps.

We live our lives in the context of the sovereignty  of the
LORD our God, in conformity with the purpose of His will.

Ephesians 1:4   JERUSALEM
Before the world was made, he chose us in Christ, to be
 holy and spotless, and to live through love
in his presence.

2nd Thessalonians 2:13 JERUSALEM
......God chose you from the beginning to be saved by the 
sanctifying Spirit and by faith in the truth.

We pray for all who will become believers by the sanctifying
Spirit and by faith in the truth to which we give witness.

     

PSALM 134 A Song and a Prayer

Psalm 134:1-2    from Mission Praise 1983   No. 32
Come bless the Lord,
All ye servants of the Lord,
Who stand by night
In the house of the Lord,
Lift up your hands
In the holy place,
Come bless the Lord.
Come bless the Lord.

Psalm 134:1 Amplified Bible
BEHOLD, BLESS  (affectionately and gratefully praise)
the Lord,
all you servants of the Lord, ( singers )
who by night stand in the house of the Lord.

1 Chronicles 9:33 Amplified Bible
These are the singers, heads of the father's houses
of the Levites, dwelling in the temple chambers,
free from other service because they were on duty
day and night.

Psalm 119:62 Amplified Bible
At midnight I will rise to give thanks to you.....

ISAIAH 30:29 Amplified Bible
You shall have a song as in the night
when a holy festival is kept,
and gladness of heart as when one marches
in procession with a flute to go to the 
temple on the mountain of the Lord  
to the Rock of  Israel.

Psalm 28:2 NJB
Hear the sound of my prayer when I call upon you
when I raise my hands ,  YAHWEH ,
towards your Holy of Holies.

1 Timothy 2:8 NJB
In every place, then, I want men to lift their hands up
reverently in prayer, with no anger or argument.

Heavenly Father we come gratefully before you
in the peace of your presence.
As we raise up our hands and lift up our hearts to you
We first pray for all men;- especially all those who are
suffering pain, anxiety,  sorrow, persecution and abuse.
We pray for those who lack water, warmth or shelter,
who lack dignity, good advice or something to eat.
May all come to rest in your presence, in your peace 
and in your love.
May all come to know and bless you Lord.
May Yahweh bless you from Zion
the One who made heaven and earth.            AMEN.

PSALM 133 UNITED

Psalm 133:1 KJV
Behold, how good and how pleasant it is
for brethren to dwell together in unity !

Psalm 119:63 KJV
I am a companion of all them that fear thee,
and of them that keep thy precepts.

The URC Book of Services identifies Psalm 133
for use in relation to Church Unity.
The NRSV translation of Psalm 133:1 reads.......
.....when kindred live together in unity.
So Family unity is included in this statement of the will of God.
This verse has often been quoted in support of
Unity in the local Church.
 The lack of  interdenominational ministry demonstrates that
in practice, lip service is generally given to this verse.
The Revised English Bible translates this verse;-
How good and how pleasant it is
to live together as brothers in unity.
The comradely fellowship found in a religious order
or in a missionary society are good examples of unity.

Hebrews 13:1-2 KJV
1 Let brotherly love continue.
2 Be not forgetful to entertain strangers;
   for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.

So the wider community is to include strangers
and the spiritual occupants of creation !!

True believers are drawn into the unity of the TRINITY;-
in power,
in purpose
and in divine love.
Christian discernment confirms this truth in practice
and exposes the lack of divine love
and absence of divine purpose outside the will of God.

Jesus could say (John 10:30 KJV) ;-
I and my Father are one.

Jesus prays for us (John 17:21 KJV);-
That they all may be one:
as thou Father, art in me
and I in thee,,
that they also may be one in us.....

In the love of Christ, we aspire to
Trinitarian oneness ,
one in the Spirit
and in the love of the Father.

PSALM 132 Ark of His Presence

Psalm 132:6 GNB
In Bethlehem we heard about the Covenant Box
and we found it in the fields of Jearim.

The fields of Jaar :  "Forrestfield " the same as Kiraith-jearim,
"Forresttown" where the ark remained for several generations.

Psalm 132:7 NRSV
Let us go to his dwelling place,
Let us worship at his footstool.

Psalm 99:5 NRSV
Extol the LORD our God;
worship at his footstool.
Holy is he !

Psalm CXXXII v7 Cathedral Psalter 1890
We will go into his tabernacle
and fall low on our knees
before his footstool.

Psalm 132:8 KJV
Arise, O Lord, into thy rest,
Thou, and the ark of thy strength.

The Virgin Mary literally served
as an Ark of His Presence...

Revelation 11:19 KJV
And the temple of God was opened in heaven,
and there was seen in the temple
the ark of his testament.....

Psalm 132:8.....the ark of thy strength             KJV
           132:8.....the ark of your might                NIV
                          the ark of the Lord
Psalm 132:17   a lamp for my anointed           KJV & NASB
Psalm 132:12   if thy children will keep my covenant   KJV

To-day the children of the covenant (the children of God)
are the Ark of the Lord because His Spirit dwells within us.
We are also lights for the Lord's anointed because the
light of Christ is in each one of us.
It is not the clay lamp that is seen from afar
but the light which beams out from within..
We are a resting place........
a habitation for the God of Jacob.

To-day the real presence of God is evident
in the body of Christ, that is ,
the ark is a vehicle of the real presence.

Revelation 11:19 NJB
Then the sanctuary of God in heaven opened and
the ark of the covenant could be seen inside it.

PSALM 131 Stillness Before God

Psalm 131:1-3  KJV
Lord, my heart is not haughty nor mine eyes lofty
neither do I exercise myself in great matters
or in things too high for me.
Surely I have behaved and equited myself,
as a child that is weaned of his mother
my soul is even as a weaned child.
Let Israel hope in the LORD
from henceforth and forever.

Psalm 18:27  ESV
For you save a humble people
but the haughty eyes you bring down.

HUMILITY
footnote to NRSV  Spiritual Formation Bible.
One of the core obstacles to spiritual maturity is;-
over reaching ambition. The need to run the world,
to control what happens, saps our energy and
sabotages our ability to trust.

footnote to  NJB
The soul at peace abandons itself to God,
laying aside anxiety and ambition.
The same childlike trust is demanded of
the people of God.

Our spiritual discipline should embrace
the stillness required to give our God
the quiet attention we need to give him.

Psalm 131:1-3  The Christian Community Bible
gives a good modern rendition of psalm 131.

1 O Lord, my heart is not proud
   nor do I have arrogant eyes.
   I am not engrossed in ambitious matters,
   nor in things too great for me.
2 I have quieted and stilled my soul
   like a weaned child in it's mothers lap
   like a contented child is my soul.
3 Hope in the Lord, O Israel,
   now and forever.

......and with such a disposition of trust and 
contentment, Israel may hope in the LORD.

Psalm 131:1 reflects the attitude of David before God
at his ascension to the throne.
  (2 Sam 5:1-5  and  .1Chr 11:1-3)
The same childlike trust is demanded of
the people of God in our day........
as trusting as a kitten sleeping
on it's owners knee.

PSALM 130 Redeemed and Forgiven

Psalm 130:1-4 ESV
Out of the depths I cry to you, O LORD!
O lord hear my voice !
Let your ears be attentive 
    to the voice of my pleas for mercy !
If you , O LORD , should mark iniquities,
O Lord, who could stand ?
But with you there is forgiveness,

As in the parable of the prodigal son
this psalm reveals the mystery of God who forgives,
reconciles and redeems even those who abandon Him.

Psalm 86:5 NCV
 O Lord, you are kind and forgiving,
 filled with kindness for all who cry to you
.
Psalm 103:3-4  NCV     He forgives all your sins.............
     He redeems your life from the pit..

Ephesians 2:4-5  NLT
But God is so rich in mercy, and he loves us so much,
that even while we were dead because of our sins,
he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead.

Ephesians 1:7 NIV
In him we have redemption through his blood
for the forgiveness of sins
in accordance with the riches of God's grace.

Psalm 130:7 NKJV   For with the Lord there is mercy
and with Him is copious redemption; and He shall 
redeem Israel from all his iniquities.

Colossians 1:13-14   NASB
For He rescued us from the domain of darkness,
and transformed us to the kingdom of His beloved Son,
in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of Sins.

To the ransomed, redeemed, restored and forgiven,
we may sing "The Song of Farewell" by Ernest Sands,
with confidence;-

May the choirs of angels come to greet you
May they speed you to paradise
May the Lord enfold you in his mercy
May you find eternal life.

Psalm 130:7-8 ESV
O Israel, hope in the LORD!
For with the LORD there is steadfast love,
and with him is plentiful redemption
and he will redeem Israel
from all her iniquities.