Psalm 44

This weekend is pretty big for myself and Julie. We are heading to Owen Sound for a "candidating weekend" regarding a youth pastor position at the Owen Sound Alliance Church. I'm really looking forward to it, and would appreciate any and everyone's prayers. I've been working on a devotional for the youth on Sunday morning and through the leading of the Holy Spirit I've landed on Psalm 44. Honestly it's a beautiful Psalm, written for the director of music of the Sons of Korah. It's incredible how much you can learn from one Psalm, and how much story surrounds one Psalm. Just for fun I've posted my devotional notes.

Devotional Notes:

Background Info

The opening of Psalm 44 says “For the director of music. Of the Sons of Korah. A maskil (this meant a psalm that teaches you something).

Korah was the great-grandson of Levi who was one of the sons of Jacob. The Levites had been set apart to minister in the tabernacle (the place God dwelt) but Korah didn’t think it was fair, he wanted the role of the priest. Korah was killed because of his disobedience (the earth split open and swallowed him, Numbers 16-1-35.) His sons didn’t follow his ways and lived. Korah’s decedent’s job was to direct music in the tabernacle, and then when the Temple was built by Solomon they served in the Temple. They led the worship services, instrumental and vocal praise. They had a book of songs and liturgy that they lead from. This psalm 44 has been taken from their book. In the book many Psalms would have been written by David, but most scholars say this Psalm doesn’t have the David ring to it, so it was probably written by an Patriotic Israelite experiencing war.

It is fairly certain that this Psalm was written during Kingdom of Judah. This Kingdom began in 930 BC and ended in 586 BC. It was formed after King Saul died, and was ruled by King David. Vs 17 says, they had not forgot God’s covenant. Judah as a nation did not break God’s covenant until late in its history. We know according to Chronicles that these decedents of Korah, would have had to organize and lead a total of 288 singers, and 4000 musicians in the Temple. Each week consisted of a different group of 12 singers and 160+ musicians.

The Psalm has four parts

1. The first reminds God of His past favours 2-9.

The Mosaic Law required the Israelites to teach their children their history, about how God had spoken and delivered them. There’s a cool verse in Deuteronomy 11:19 which says “teach them to your children, talking about them whey you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up”. The Psalm declares that it was God who gave them their promise land, not their power.

2. The second describes the disgrace and defeat they are experiencing on account of Him 10-17

Many of the Israelite armies had to retreat, they were taken captive in other lands, Israel had been defeated quite easily, seemed like they had had no help. These enemies could have been the Philistines, Moabites, Arameans, Edomites, Ammonites, the Amalekites, Canaanites. We aren’t certain, whomever they were they were pagan, not God fearing.

3. The third shows how the people are not aware of the reasoning behind this situation, they haven’t sinned to deserve this 18-23,

The people are confused at the situation.

4. The forth deals with the struggle to be God’s people in His silence, yet they continue to pray 24-26.

Wierd stuff in the Psalm

Was God really sleeping?
Derision (the Hebrew word is keh-les, meaning laughing stock)
Pittance (the Hebrew word is poo-reem, meaning a broken piece, or nothing)
Byword (the Hebrew word is maw-shawl, meaning a simile) The name Jew had come to mean misery.

What does this Psalm mean for us?

• Do you wine when things aren’t going your way?
• Do you think that just because your living for God all’s supposed to be well?
• Do you ever wonder why things seem to be harder for you now then they were for me or your parents?
• What’s going be your response? Who will you seek for help?
• Is your love for God conditional upon what He does for you, upon how good your life is?
• Do you ever feel like this Psalmist, crushed by God, disgraced, made fun of because of your relationship with God?
• Does it ever seem unfair, you go to church, pray, read the Bible, your nice to people, you don’t do stupid stuff, and yet you face burdens, trials, troubles.
• Things aren’t easy! Does it ever feel like God’s just sleeping?
• What if things don’t get better? What if life just keeps getting harder? Then what?
• Have you set an alarm for God to wake up, and if He doesn’t do something, will you still praise Him?
• It’s okay to tell God about how your really feeling.
• It’s okay, in fact He wants you to be honest.
  

The challenge:

Write out a prayer or a song to God, telling Him honestly how you feel about what is happening in your life. Learn to respond to tuff situations like the Psalmist, and as the thousands of Israelites did when they sung this Psalm to God.

A Guilt Free New Year

Has the Christmas break left you feeling fat, unhealthy, and uncomfortable in your 2006 wardrobe? Have you made any new years resolutions based on guilty feelings? Why do you feel this way?

Weight loss commercials are pretty popular these days. Have you seen the one where a slim Whoppi Goldberg wearing black and confidence shames her overweight twin who slouches, eats too much and wears bulky peach colored sweaters into joining a weight loss program? What about the Jell-O commercial, with the tag line “every diet needs room to wiggle”? January’s commercial sales pitch is “guilt”. The media creates a need in us, and then using guilt they offer a remedy to that need with their product.

What’s the deal with guilt and why is it so powerful? Lately it’s been overwhelmingly present. Somehow I’ve let lies tell me how I should feel. I’ve allowed myself to be convinced that since I didn’t exercise over Christmas I am now overweight and desperately need to eat more Jell-O and less toberlone. Lately I’ve felt unfit and bloated in my relationship with God. I’ve convinced myself that since I didn’t uphold my regular intimate schedule with God, were now experiencing some problems. And the simple feeling of shame has actually created some problems. I’ve had difficulty coming to God in prayer and reading His Word. There’s a constant advertising pitch in my ear informing me that I’m seeking God out of guilt and that our relationship is not sincere.

One of the Jewish New Years, called the “Civil New Year” occurs during the seventh month of the Jewish calendar in the month of Tishrei. In the book of Hebrews the author tells us a story of about how the priests of old used to enter into the inner room of the Tabernacle once a year on the 10th day of Tishrei. Once inside the priest would offer gifts and sacrifices, unfortunately this act was not able to clear the conscience of the worshiper. The priest and the people would still experience guilt, even after a sacrifice. Apparently guilt and the celebration of New Years is a long standing tradition. Hebrews goes on to tell us that Jesus in a sacrifice once for all, became for us the first priest in history to experience a New Year’s free from guilt. “His sacrifice has made perfect forever those who are being made holy”. In Jesus (Hebrews 10:19) “since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus… let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience.”

Jesus initiated for us the possibility of a guilt free New Year, that’s something to celebrate. Let’s make a resolution. Stop listening to the voice of deception and guilt and actually enter with confidence the most Holy Place. Jesus is not about guilt trips, He’s about sincerity and authenticity. I believe Jesus initiated the first ever non-guilt New Years, and I will celebrate daily the confidence I have to enter the most Holy Place. I will no longer believe the lies that I must live in the bondage of shame. If I confess my sins, he is faithful and just to forgive them. Therefore I am free from guilt.

Show your Spikes - Awakening Oct. 22

Below is a summary of the Oct 22 Awakening Service. Please leave any questions or comments by clicking on the comment button directly beneath this blog entry.

Scripture: Exodus 34 & 2 Corinthians 3:7-18

Is the glory within you veiled? Do you reflect God’s glory?

What we know about God- God is a God who has initiated a relationship with His creation. He has provided his name although mysterious, and his character. He is a jealous, grace filled, slow to anger, loving, faithful, able to maintain love to thousands, forgiving yet just, kind and compassionate God.
What we know about us- We were created to reflect his glory. Yes God is mysterious, and we cannot perfectly define him or wrap our mind around him. Our desire to seek that which is righteous determines the amount of glory we reflect. Romans 3:23 we have all sinned and fallen short of the glory we were created for.
How we should live according to the passage- We should not live in disobedence to God, lusting after other gods, blending in to the world, forgetting our creator, forgetting the wonderful things he has saved us from, worshiping ourselves, looking out for ourselves first, failing to acknowledge his Lordship, failing to meet with God, being to busy, doing evil. We are called to live as the opposite, to live as holy people, so that we may glorifying God, and that the world would see God.
Literally show our spikes- When someone who doesn’t know God looks at you, they should be able to say there is literally something different about you, maybe not literally display spikes of glory, but you literally obey what Jesus commanded. You love, you show compassion, you give to poor, you feed the hungry, you are an active part of the solution, you are bringing heaven to earth, and you are not bringing hell to earth by being unholy. You are called to reflect God, by being holy, separate, and obedient. We are meant to reflect God’s glory,
Remember the Journey- Remember though it is a journey, we are being transformed, God has commanded us to be holy, but it also a promise, for we cannot be perfectly holy while living on this earth, but in Heaven we will be granted perfect Holiness. Remember though, we are to be constantly transformed, constantly with God’s help removing the veils of sin, and everyday gaining in brightness so that we shine like the stars in the universe, we are to be the light of the world, so that we reflect accurately the glory of God. We have no excuse to do otherwise.
Look at your reflection and ask yourself, am I brighter today then I was yesterday. Our purpose is to reflect God to the world, by being holy, separate, and obedient. We are the church, the hope of the world. If we don not reflect God to the world who will? Are we seriously going to leave it to the rocks and the trees? Who's more equipped? I've got a voice, talent, the ability to reason, I'm filled with the Holy Spirit, I have material possessions, what are you capable of?