Down an Unfamiliar Road

HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT GOING HOME –

After the break-up of Israel and Judah; and after invasions by heathen kings who scattered God’s people, with many being carried off into captivity; and after famine and other hardships caused many children of God to move in order to find help; and after many Jews sought to expand their business acumen to other countries; it was a joy for them to make a pilgrimage back to Jerusalem and the Holy Mountain of Zion to reconnect with God. The Korahites wrote a musical ode describing the scene on such occasions when people mixed together before God’s house and expressed how blessed they were to be called children of God.

“There’s no place on earth that the LORD Eternal loves any more than His holy sanctuary and the beautiful gates to enter there. No matter where you go, you hear people talking about how beautiful the holy sanctuary of our One True God is. You can talk about world renowned cities where people were born, but the same can be said of God’s holy sanctuary. In fact, anyone who can claim having been born there will be looked up to as very special. For the LORD Eternal keeps record of people from every nation and where they were born; identifying those born in His holy sanctuary. That’s why when the singers began to sing and the dancers begin to dance, they will shout with joy, ‘Everything I am or ever will be I owe to this place!’” Psalm 87:1-6

Reflection: At Passover Jewish people use a special guide called the Haggadah, to help them through the Seder meal and the special occasion it celebrates. When they reach the end of the meal and drink from the final cup, they end with this blessing: “Concluded is the Passover Seder, according to its law and custom. As we have lived to celebrate it now so may we live to celebrate it again. Holy One, who dwells in His habitation restore the myriad congregation. Speedily lead the offshoots of thy stock redeemed to Zion in joyous song.” Then, everyone living outside Israel joins in and shouts “Next year in Jerusalem!” while Jewish people living in Israel say “Next year in Jerusalem rebuilt!” One day the psalmist will be joined by a myriad of true believers from all over the world as they stream into Jerusalem to welcome the returning Messiah. Likewise, just as this thought brings joy and excitement to the psalmist, it will do the same for everyone who believes and awaits that glorious day. What if Christian congregations in churches around the world ended their Sunday services with this shout: “Next Sunday in the New Jerusalem!” My, what hope that would bring to those who feel exiled in this world. But remember, your name must first be in the record God keeps in order to be freely admitted there.

IS GOD SMILING –

The compilers of the Psalter put together this section of the Psalter about trusting in God and not in oneself to help believers to be who, where, and what God wants them to be. So they included this prayer of David that tells of his dependency on his heavenly Father in times of stress and distress. David did not try to hide his emotions and the dilemma he was dealing with. No doubt he did so to encourage others to get things out in the open; not so much to inform God, because He already knows, but to examine their own words and feelings to see if they were being open, honest, and sincere.

“O LORD Eternal, I need Your answer now, I’m at the end of my rope. You know I love You and I need You right now; there’s no one I trust more than You, O One True God. I’ve been crying all day long, Heavenly Master, is there anything You can do? I want to be happy again, and any chance I have depends entirely on You. I know how good and forgiving You are, and You never deny anyone who trusts in Your undying love. I need You to listen, O LORD Eternal. There’s no one else I’d rather turn to when I’m in trouble because You always listen. There’s no other god like You, Heavenly Master, and no other reputation like Yours of reaching out to those in need. One day every person on earth will come and bow down before you, O Heavenly Master, and acknowledge You for who You are. For the awesome miracles You do, lifts You above all others, O One True God. Teach me what I need to know, O LORD Eternal, so I can be what You want me to be. I don’t want any doubts about my dedication to You. That way I can worship You with my mind made up, and heap on You the honor You deserve. Your undying love is amazing; it’s what has kept me from giving up and not caring anymore what happens to me. Because, O One True God, people who don’t care what happens to me have pushed me aside, they are ruthless in their attitude no matter what it may do to me, and they have little interest in what You’ve done in my life. But I know that You, O Divine Lord, are the compassionate and merciful Lord of my life, and that You are extremely patient and overflowing with a love that will last to the end. So I ask that You give me my turn to be the victor by endowing me with special strength as one of Your liberated sons. All I want is some sign that You are on my side so that those who have tried to hinder my progress will see it and be embarrassed because they recognize now that You, O LORD Eternal, are the one who took my side to ensure that I would come out the winner.” Psalm 86:1-17

Reflection: Robert Louis Stevenson, the famous writer of such well-known works as “Treasure Island” and “Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde” told of a sailing vessel caught in a storm just off a rocky coast that threatened to smash it on the rocks and send its passengers to a watery grave. However, in the midst of the terror one daring young man, contrary to advice, went up on deck and completed a risky passage over to the pilot house. There he saw the pilot standing firmly at his post, steadily holding the wheel, and inch by inch steering the ship back out to sea away from the rocks. The pilot saw the young man and gave him a knowing smile. With that the daring passenger returned below deck and cheerily exclaimed to the passengers, “I saw a smile on the pilot’s face, all is well!” David felt a similar sense of relief each time he found himself in troubled waters; with possible hurt and ruin dangerously close by. But after he went to God in prayer, the Holy Pilot gave him a signal that calmed his heart. David and that young passenger both teach us that we often need to take our eyes off the storm, away from the foaming waves and look at who is guiding our ship. As long as God doesn’t get scared, neither should we. Ask yourself, when was the last time you took a look at who is piloting your life? Did you see Him smile? If so, then you may shortly hear Him say, “Peace, be still.”

REVIVAL IS FOR SAINTS NOT SINNERS –

The Korahites not only wanted to return to being ministers in the house of the LORD, but they also wanted to see the Spirit of the LORD active among His people, and demonstrated in the Holy Place when worship was going on. They were tired of dealing with stories of what use to be and how great things were, they wanted to feel His presence and experience His power now, with the same intensity that often caused His people to spontaneously break out in praise and worship. This caused the desire for revival to burn within their souls. This is something sinners cannot feel until they are born again, because the spirit within them must first be alive before it can be revived.

“O LORD Eternal, there were times You blessed our land; times when You gave us prosperity; times You forgave our immoral conduct, and times You overlooked our mistakes. You didn’t get mad or vengeful; You didn’t let Your anger get out of control. The time has come for us to be reconciled with You, O One True God our Helper; please cancel any punishment You had planned. It’s not like You to hold this against us forever, or against our children, or their children. I believe You will send a revival O LORD Eternal; let Your power set us free to rejoice once more. Now I’m interested in how the Sovereign LORD Eternal will respond to my prayer. I’m sure He will calm the fears of His people, the ones He loves, so they won’t go back to living foolishly like they did before. Salvation is available to all those who respect and revere Him so they can return to where they used to be. That’s when steadfast love and truth will embrace; justice and honesty will kiss. Yes, love and loyalty will sprout and mushroom throughout the land, as we are led from above to make honesty a part of everything we do. For the LORD Eternal will see to it that our good works will be rewarded with a great harvest. Yes, I’m sure that being honest will make it possible for Him to move in a mighty way.” Psalm 85:1-13

Reflection: In Chapter XXI of his autobiography, Charles Finney tells of the fantastic results of an 1830 evangelistic crusade in Rochester, New York. Many members of high society were born again; taverns closed because people stopped drinking; one lawyer reported that visitors increased the city’s population threefold during that time while prosecution for crime went down two thirds. One well-known citizen, who boasted of being an infidel, fell under conviction while shopping, fell to his knees and gave his heart to God. Later this same infidel became a trustee of a local Bible College. In effect it turned the city upside down. Some may read this and say, “That was back then, things are different now.” The Psalmist must have heard the same negative comments. He knew that any hope of restoration; any dream of getting back to the level of high morality in society; any hope for peace and security; and any hope of returning to spirit-filled worship of the One True God depended on how God would answer his plea. It was his prayer that God would send revival throughout the land; that He would spark the fire of repentance and restoration of what was righteous and holy. But he also knew that there must first be a hunger for such a move of God’s Spirit in the hearts of His children.

If that was true then it’s true today. O how wonderful if the Psalmist’s prayer would become the prayer of every believer today, and their willingness to wait for the Lord to respond. If Christians want to change society, they must first be changed themselves, and this will take an old fashion revival.

GOING BACK IS NOT THAT HARD –

Levi’s second son was named Kohath, and he had a son named Korah. David appointed one of Korah’s sons named Heman to be head of the music ministry, after the Ark of the Covenant was brought to Jerusalem. The Korahites were in charge as door-keepers for the tent David built to house this holy and sacred object. Over time, many of these Korahites were scattered and displaced because of invasions and changes in leadership in the kingdom. One of these door-keepers found himself far from Jerusalem and longed to get back so he could once again see and experience God’s presence in the holy sanctuary of the Almighty.

“For the millions who magnify You O LORD Eternal, Your sanctuary is awesome. I can hardly wait to get there to worship You; because my heart and mind long to be in the presence of our Heavenly King. I’ve watched as a sparrow found a home and made a nest for itself in the spire of Your sanctuary, where it can hatch its young, O LORD Eternal of millions, my King and my One True God. So how much more blessed are those who tarry there, because they enjoy celebrating You. There they receive strength to continue on toward their heavenly goal. Along life’s journey there are times we find ourselves in tears, but we let those tears turn into fountains of joy; we let our weeping become pools of refreshing. As such, we’ll find ourselves getting stronger and stronger as we continue our journey to be with You, O LORD. So answer our prayers, my One One True God and Defender; let us continue to enjoy Your anointing and favor. For I would rather stand at the entrance of Your sanctuary for just one day as a doorkeeper, than to relax in the mansions of godless millionaires for a thousand. For You are the sunshine of my life; making me feel favored and honored. You do not withhold Your approval from those who live the way they should. So the millions who magnify You O LORD Eternal can count their blessings when they put their full trust in You.” Psalm 84:1-12

Reflection: A young man named William Kirkpatrick, son of a school teacher and musician, came from a small town in Pennsylvania, USA. His interest in music caused him to move to Philadelphia where he worked as a carpenter while going to school. Every spare moment he spent learning music. During this time he met a church soloist who, unfortunately, did not share his enthusiastic love for God. He became burdened for his new friend, and wanted to inspire him to rededicate his life to Jesus. So Kirkpatrick wrote a song and gave it to his friend. After learning the song, the soloist decided to sing it one night at a revival meeting. He had a wonderful voice, and began to sing so beautifully: “I’ve wandered far away from God, now I’m coming home; the paths of sin too long I’ve trod, Lord, I’m coming home.” As he went on, the soloist became so convicted by the words of the song, that when he finished he went straight to the altar and repented of his waywardness. The Psalmist felt a similar desire to return to the place where he first felt God’s presence and Spirit. Some are taught it’s best to cancel out the past and start all over. But that’s like a runaway child asking to come home and start all over again like a baby. Rather, it is coming home, asking forgiveness, and picking up the torch where it was dropped, but this time going off in the right direction. It is good to know that God is so forgiving, so caring, and so understanding, that He will not wait until you decide to return, but will go to great lengths to send you a message that He wants you to come home.

In his famous work, “Guide for the Perplexed,” written between 1186-1190 AD, Jewish philosopher and theologian Moses Maimonides writes in Chapter 50 how by faith we cannot only understand what we hear spoken by another person’s lips but also comprehend that which is apprehended by the soul. Thereby we are convinced that the object of our belief is real. He then compares the monotheistic belief of Judaism that there is but one God, and He alone is God, with the Christian belief that there is one God with three attributes. In other words, that He is three in one. However, since God is Spirit and has no corporeality, He cannot reveal Himself in any form. So Christians, says Maimonides, declare His unity with their lips, but assume plurality in their thoughts. He goes on, “For belief is only possible after the apprehension of a thing; it consists in the conviction that the thing apprehended has its existence beyond the mind exactly as it is conceived in the mind.” So we can see, that the concept of the Trinity was already known in Jewish circles over a thousand years ago. But we also see that while Maimonides gives the definition of faith, he rejects it as plausible when matched with human logic. This should help us understand why so many Jews missed the Anointed One when He came. They believed in the Messiah with their lips, but just couldn’t accept Him with their hearts. But they are not alone, there are many people today who accept what they’ve heard that there once was a man named Jesus of Nazareth, but cannot bring themselves to accept the message with their hearts that He is the Messiah, the Son of the Living God. But their lack of faith does not change who God is, He will always be the same: yesterday, today and forever! – Dr. Robert R. Seyda

Sometimes our best intentions result in unintentional discord and disharmony. Abraham is well-known for his devotion to God and his willingness to be obedient to God’s call. But there are several instances where his human faculties got in the way of his spiritual faith and it brought humiliation and heartbreak. For instance, when he lied to Pharaoh in Egypt about Sarah being his sister. Even though she was his half sister, his intention was to pass her off as being unmarried and was blessed with many livestock and servants because Pharaoh thought he was her brother (Gen. 12:10-20). But unbeknownst to Abraham at the time, an even bigger mistake was made earlier. When his father Terah left Chaldea, he also brought his son Nahor and his other son Haran’s orphaned child, Lot. Apparently there were a few things that concerned Abram about leaving Lot with his father, so when God called him to move on, without asking God he took his nephew Lot with him as he headed out for Canaan and Egypt. This would turn out to be a big error. No sooner had they returned to Canaan from Egypt, when Lot and his herdsmen begin to quarrel and fight with Abram’s herdsmen. So Abram had to step in and offer Lot the opportunity of choosing the best grazing land and he’d take the more sparse area. After Lot left, Abram thought his nephew was now out of his hair. But then he got word that Lot and his family had been carried off into captivity by the king of Babylon. So Abram had to round up a 318 volunteer army and go rescue his nephew. Things when well for awhile, until three visitors told Abram that the city where Lot and his family chose to live was so wicked, that God was planning to destroy it. So again Abraham has to rise to the occasion and tried to save Lot and his family through prayer. He bargained with God to save the city, but was unsuccessful because not even 10 righteous men, enough to start a synagogue, could be found among its citizens. But these same visitors went to Sodom and warned Lot to get out, which he did just in the nick of time. But it was not without cost, because Lot lost his disobedient wife in the process. Then in desperation while camping out in a cave, Lot’s two daughters decided that since their mother was gone, the only way to continue the legacy of their father was to get pregnant with him through incest. They were successful in that regard, but their idea was a bad one. One daughter gave birth to a son named Moab, and the other daughter to a son who became known as Ammon. They eventually became the heads of the Moabites and Ammonites, which ended up being enemies of their grand uncle Abraham’s descendants through Jacob. Had Abraham left his nephew back in Haran with his father Terah, he may have saved himself and Israel all the trouble that followed. Sometimes we may do things that sound good or look good, but no doubt it will always be best if we ask God first for guidance. No pun intended, but that may end up saving us a Lot of trouble.

NEVER FORGET, GOD IS IN CHARGE –

While Jehoshaphat was trying to bring Judah back from the brink of destruction by instituting a new judicial system, building up Judah’s defenses, tearing down all the idols and reestablishing worship to God as the centerpiece of his administration, a large force of surrounding nations decided to invade Judah. God had given Jehoshaphat such success and blessed him with so much wealth and power that they feared he would try to expand his kingdom, and they wanted to stop him before he got started. He learned that sometimes God’s blessings can cause others to become resentful, but this did not cause him to walk away from God’s will and purpose for his life.

“O One True God say something; don’t just stand there with your mouth closed, do something my divine King. Don’t You see that these out of control people hate us, and their hatred for us is all because of Your favor? They conspire to take away the rights of those You hold dear. They want to eliminate us from society and end our influence to the point no one will remember us. Their intentions are firm, and they’ve even made a pact against You. O One True God, cause them to start going around in circles, like a pile of dead leaves whirling in the wind. Make it so hot for them they will feel like they’ve been caught in an inferno that is overtaking them to the point they will become terrified by Your rebuke. Cause them to lose face so that they will come to know who they are dealing with, O LORD Eternal. Make the failure of their efforts public, so that they run off and hide in disgrace. Yes, let them learn that You and You alone are the LORD Eternal, the Most High God over heaven and earth.” Psalm 83:1-5,13-18

Reflection: No too many years ago at a meeting of the American Psychological Association, Jack P. Lipton and R. Scott Builione presented their findings on how the members of various sections of eleven major symphony orchestras view each other. Some saw percussionists as insensitive, unintelligent, and hard-of-hearing; yet, very fund-loving. They described strings players as arrogant, stuffy, and nonathletic. They overwhelmingly chose “loud” as the primary adjective to describe brass players. They held woodwind players in high esteem, but described them as quiet and meticulous, though a bit egotistical. Lipton and Builion wondered how a group with such divergent personalities and perceptions could get along and make such wonderful music together. The answer: regardless of how those musicians viewed each other, they all subordinated their feelings and biases to the leadership of the conductor. It was through his leadership and guidance they were able to make music that caused the audience to applaud. The Psalmists found himself learning a similar lesson. Because there was so much discord all around him, at first he appealed to the Heavenly Conductor to dismiss them all. But God’s silence was a signal for him to listen. God directs the affairs of this world and his chosen are members of His orchestra. Sometimes we all need to subordinate our biases and feelings and let Him be the conductor. How else are we going to prove to the world that the Most High God is in charge!

BIBLICAL OATH FOR JUDGES –

King Jehoshaphat was one of Judah’s most dedicated kings. After starting his reign he traveled around the country, going as far north as Ephraim and then south to Beersheba. He saw so much idolatry; graft and corruption that he decided to cleanse the land of these ungodly abominations. So he appointed judges and warned them against accepting bribes or being afraid of rulings that require courage. The sons of Asaph were so impressed that they wrote this song to be sung as a stark reminder to the judges to honor Jehoshaphat’s commitment to truth and fairness.

“Our One True God is present in each courtroom; He wants to administer justice through good judges. Therefore, stop letting your biases and favoritism to lawbreakers become a pattern. Rule in favor of victims who are poor and alone; it’s your duty to protect those who are abused and abandoned. Don’t let the guilty get away with crimes against helpless and destitute people. Some judges just don’t get it; they refuse to accept evidence presented in the case. They seem out of touch with reality, and their rulings are causing our society to collapse. We call you judges, ‘Your Honor,’ because we expect you to have the highest qualities. But remember, you’re human too, and the day will come when you give up the bench like all those before you. So we call on our One True God, ‘Exert Yourself in our judicial system, because everyone on earth is depending on You’.” Psalm 82:1-8

Reflection: In the opening lines of the American Declaration of Independence we find this resolution: “We hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” In the original draft, the words actually read, “We hold these truths to be sacred and undeniable.” While we humans may find this concept impossible to enforce in every situation, it does reflect the way God sees and handles man’s affairs. God set out His legal system in Ezekiel 18:1-23, telling us He will treat everyone according to their own actions and responsibilities. Although God stated that the person who knowingly sins will pay the price for their actions, He also says that if they turn from their evil ways and start living according to His ways they can be saved. This promise was given to everyone regardless of their wealth, influence, fame, or heritage. Surely God is just! The psalmist presented a strong argument that is just as valid and legal in our day as it was back then. Therefore we join the psalmist in calling on God to intervene and straighten out the crooked ways permeating our present judicial system. But we do not have to wait for some divine intervention in the judiciary, we can begin with ourselves, and how we treat each other.

MOST IMPORTANT CALL –

“Get loud and be happy as you sing songs to the One True God of all believers. Get even louder when the drums start to beat and the strings reach a crescendo, in response to the beautiful music being played. Let the trumpets announce, ‘It’s celebration time!’ This is what God expects from His people and what He asks us to do amidst people who do not speak our language. For He says, ‘I took away your burden and freed you from your cares, when you secretly cried out to Me from your heart. Yes, I answered you openly with power, after you passed the test of faith I required of you’.” Psalm 81:1-7

Reflection: A mother and father asked their son to follow this simple rule whenever he left the house to go visit a friend: As soon as you arrive, call us and let us know you arrived safely. On one visit the boy forgot to call. So when he got home his parents warned him that the next time it happened he’d be forced to return home immediately and be grounded for a week. Sure enough, on his next visit the telephone remained silent. So the father went to the phone to call the house where the boy had gone. As he dialed the number he asked God for wisdom, and the Holy Spirit spoke to his heart and said, “Treat him like I would treat you.” The phone at the other house rang once and the father quickly hung up. Seconds later the father’s phone rang, and when he answered he heard his boy exclaim, “I’m here, Dad! We started playing and I forgot to call. But as soon as I heard the phone ring I knew it was you and that’s why I’m calling back right away to let you know I’m okay.” No one should think that our heavenly Father just waits for a chance to punish us whenever we step out of line. Most likely, He’ll ring more than once as a signal for us to call Him back. The Psalmist knew that the people of Jerusalem stopped calling God back years earlier, even though God warned of punishment if they did not listen to His advice. So in a way the Psalmist is pleading with the people to take what was happening to them as God’s wake-up call. If a father with a human heart stands ready to understand his son’s mistake and forgive him for letting himself be distracted, and through such inattention lapse into disobedience, how much more will our heavenly Father, with a heart full of divine compassion be ready to forgive us. He may ask us to sit in the corner for a while and think about what we have done, but in the end He will wipe the slate clean when we acknowledge our error and ask His forgiveness. When was the last time you called your heavenly Father? He might be waiting to hear from you right now. So go ahead and call Him.

GOD’S DISCIPLINE IS NOT REJECTION –

Some of the saddest times in the history of Israel occurred when foreign armies invaded and attempted to destroy everything sacred to them. Shishak from Egypt; Sennacherib from Assyria; and Nebuchadnezzar from Babylon were all heathen kings who did not respect the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. The sons of Asaph who served in the temple were affected most of all, because it put them to shame and left their ministry in shambles. But they never lost hope that their dedication to the mission given them would prompt God to spare them and restore them so they could do His will. They realized that even though they lost a battle, the war was not lost forever.

“O Shepherd of Israel, the One who tends His children like a flock; who sits enthroned between the angels; let everyone around us see that you are leading us by displaying Your power by which we are saved. O One True God, take us back; let us feel Your blessed assurance of salvation. O LORD Eternal, the One True God of Heaven’s Army, don’t let the prayers of Your people go unanswered because they angered You. You’ve filled our plates with bread made from tears, and filled our bowls with tears to drink; it turned our neighbors against us so they mock us behind our backs. O One True God of Heaven’s Army, take us back; let us once again feel that blessed assurance that we will be delivered. Be ours again, O One True God; look down on us with compassion. You put us here; You made us what we are. We’ve been hurt; the pain of your rebuke is like fire. So signal the anointed One next to You; the Son You chose; to keep us from straying again. Yes, revive us again so we can lift You up in praise. O One True God, take us back; let us feel Your blessed assurance of salvation.” Psalm 80:1-7, 14-18

Reflection: In the 1970’s, a distraught, hostile man slipped into St. Peter’s Cathedral in Rome, and with a hammer began smashing Michelangelo’s beautiful sculpture, The Pieta. In 1990 an angry man rushed through the Rijks Museum in Amsterdam, Holland, ran up to Rembrandt’s famous painting Nightwatch, and began dousing it with acid. What did the curators do in response to the damage done to these two cherished works of art? Did they throw them away and forget about them? Absolutely not! Using the finest experts, who worked with the utmost care and precision, they made sure that every effort was made to restore these priceless treasures. My mother use to sing this song so beautifully, that it always left me with tears in my eyes, because it reminded me of my own life. It is called:

“The Brush.”

Life started out like a canvas, and God started painting on me,
But I took the paintbrush from Jesus, and painted what I wished to see.
The colors I painted kept running, and the objects were all out of size,
I had made a mess of my painting; my way now seemed so unwise.

Then I gave my painting to Jesus, all the colors, all the pieces so wrong.
In the markets of earth it was worthless, but His blood made my painting belong.
He worked with no condemnation; He never mentioned the mess I had made.
Then He dipped His brush in the rainbow, and signed it, the price has been paid.

When I gave the brush back to Jesus, when I gave the brush back to Him,
He started all over life’s canvas to fill, when I gave to Jesus the brush of my will.

(A low vocal demo can be heard at this link): http://music.christwill.com/accompaniment-tracks/the-brush-127152.html

God’s children are a precious treasure to Him, and the Psalmist believed that their heavenly Father would repair any damage done by disrespectful and godless people, and restore them to their rightful place as one of His masterpieces. He acknowledged that sometimes His beloved were careless and did not esteem all that He had done for them. Nevertheless, just like the art curators, He will work to put back together those things in our lives that have been marred due to carelessness or attacks by others who do not respect what God has done in our lives.