These words were originally written to be sung, according to
the superscript. The description written "above" verse one in
our Bibles.
While some of the more liberal Bible expositors believe the
Psalm depicts some other City than Jerusalem (Dan to the north
is suggested by several) we conservatives hold to the view that
Jerusalem is the focus. After all, based on verse 1
(Great
is the LORD, and greatly to be praised in the city of our
God, in the mountain of his holiness)
the main city of worship in Israel was Jerusalem! In fact, twice
in Psalm 48 is she called "the city of our God," here and in
verse eight. And the Temple rested on Mount Zion in the "City of
the great King." The word "great" used for God means "BIG!"
While the adverb "greatly" means "exceedingly, much," a whole
lot of praise is due His Name! Catholics believe "His Holiness"
(their Pope) resides in Rome. Christians believe God (the
perfection of Holiness, the definition of Holiness, the
Originator of Holiness, Holiness Personified) lives in
Jerusalem! (As well as in Heaven and everywhere else.) Remember
that the Jews (their men) were required to go to Jerusalem (3
times a year) to worship the Lord, at the Feasts of Passover and
Pentecost and Tabernacles.
In verse 2 some of Jerusalem's physical characteristics are
mentioned. (Beautiful
for situation, the joy of the whole earth, is mount Zion,
on the sides of the north, the city of the great King)
The noun "situation" means "height." As in Psalm 125:2
(As the mountains are round about
Jerusalem, so the LORD is round about his people from
henceforth even for ever) the City is said to be
elevated. But the "joy" of the whole earth? But in Zechariah
12:2 God says: "Behold, I will make
Jerusalem a cup of trembling unto all the people round about,"
but that's in the Tribulation. In the Millennium (especially)
the City will be a "joy" to the whole earth! Jesus will be
there! Reigning as King of all creation!
I am told Jerusalem, the best part of the City, is built on
the "north" side of Mount Zion. But better yet, the expression
"sides of the north" seems to
suggest Heaven itself, that direction. I'm basing this
conclusion on Ezekiel 14:13. And the "great King," while David
might be in the peripheral view, is the Lord Jesus Himself,
eventually anyway.
Then verse 3 (God
is known in her palaces for a refuge)
pictures God as a "Refuge," using the Hebrew noun "misgab,"
Found only 17 times in the Bible, it means "a high tower." A
place of "defence." A "fort" in a safe, inaccessible place! Here
those who live in "palaces" (also called "castle" once in the
Old Testament) love and lean on the Lord too! The Nation's
leaders worship our great God!
What a city is envisioned here.
What leaders are in view as well.
And what plans, mighty plans, God yet has for that place! I'm
just going to call Jerusalem the future "capital of the world!"
With a Supreme Leader wisely guiding the affairs of humanity!
Oh yes, I do mean Jesus.
--- Dr. Mike Bagwell
Let's pray that America will some day again have leaders who
flee to the Lord God Almighty as our Refuge!
LESSON 3, PSALM 48, VERSES 4-6:
Today we are
going to notice a "slice" of Psalm 48. A Psalm "for the sons of
Korah." It seems to me, the whole Poem, to be centered around
the theme of a City! Jerusalem, to be precise.
A City so
awesome, so impressive, so "fearful" to her enemies that they
(her attackers) actually "flee" from her!
Let me show
you. "For, lo, the kings were assembled,
they passed by together. They saw it, and so they
marvelled; they were troubled, and hasted away. Fear took
hold upon them there, and pain, as of a woman in
travail." Psalm 48:3-6, our Text.
The "it"
these Kings saw is Jerusalem. Based on the Psalm's initial
paragraph anyway, verses 1-3. It is characterized as the "City
of the great King." It too is "beautifully situated" at "Mount
Zion!" Yes, this is Jerusalem, folks.
I think here
(in these 3 verses) "history" is summarized. The "spirit" of our
Text has been repeated time and time again throughout the ages.
Kings,
enemies, have "assembled" against Jerusalem, against God's
people. As described here, this is an evil confederacy! But
these foes did not stay to attack the City! They "passed by,"
using "abar" in Hebrew, "went back" home in reality!
The very
sight of the City was "amazing," with "marvelling" here meaning
"astonished, astounded." Reminds me of verse 2, "beautiful for
situation." They admired God's Land.
But then
immediately they "were troubled!" Apparently great fear comes
when one attacks God's property! "Bahal" means "disturbed,
alarmed, affrighted, thrust out!" And "hasted away" means "to
flee," often "with trembling!"
"For, lo, the kings were assembled, they
passed by together. They saw it, and so they marvelled;
they were troubled, and hasted away. Fear took hold upon
them there, and pain, as of a woman in travail."
The noun for "fear" is "raad," only found 6 times in the
entire Old Testament! It is from a root word meaning "to quake,
to shake, to shudder violently!" And this aura of "panic" is
said to have "taken hold" of them. "Achaz" means "to grasp, to
seize, to catch," very graphic!
Then they "hurt," with "pain!" Where "chiyl" means "agony,
sorrow, writhing, anguish!" As a "woman in travail." And the
word so translated means "bringing forth" a baby!
Again and again God has miraculously protected His people,
His Capital City!
In Job 15 Eliphaz says, echoing our theme today:
"The wicked man travaileth with pain all
his days, and the number of years is hidden to the
oppressor. A dreadful sound is in his ears: in
prosperity the destroyer shall come upon him. He believeth not
that he shall return out of darkness, and he is waited for of
the sword." Doomed, and they know it! Fearful!
This is what our Text is portraying.
"Safety is of the Lord!" So says
Proverbs 21:31, just more completely. "The
horse is prepared against the day of battle: but safety
is of the LORD."
Yes, Jerusalem is special!
At least, I know of no Psalm written in praise of Atlanta, or
New York or Houston! Or London or Moscow or Athens! Or folks, of
even Rome!
And when our Lord Jesus was on earth, He too loved this City!
He wept over her and His Words are recorded in the Bible.
"O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that
killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee,
how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a
hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would
not!" Matthew 23:37
This City so very important, her welfare, that we Christians
are admonished: "Pray for the peace of
Jerusalem: they shall prosper that love thee." Psalm
122:6, a "blessing" for just praying for that unique Metropolis!
Wow!
--- Dr. Mike Bagwell
LESSON 4, PSALM 48, VERSE 7:
Does God
"control" the weather?
The answer to
that query could involve a whole book, I suppose. Just giving
Bible illustrations of such events. But today I need to confine
myself to the "weather" and one single verse, if possible.
Psalm 48:7
says, directly to God: "Thou breakest the
ships of Tarshish with an east wind." And surprisingly,
this statement is made in a Chapter about the City of Jerusalem!
In a Hymn dedicated to "the sons of Korah!"
So far, the
whole Psalm has praised a City, Jerusalem. Where worship takes
place, somehow involving these men, these specific "sons of
Korah." For example: "Great is the
LORD, and greatly to be praised in the city of our God
(Jerusalem), in the mountain of his holiness. Beautiful
for situation, the joy of the whole earth, is mount Zion
(The Temple), on the sides of the north, the city of the
great King. God is known in her palaces (David's Residence) for
a refuge." Psalm 48:1-3
Then the
"defense" of that City becomes the focus.
"For, lo, the kings were assembled, they passed by together.
They saw it, and so they marvelled; they were troubled,
and hasted away. Fear took hold upon them there, and
pain, as of a woman in travail." Psalm 48:4-6, as a
writer quipped yesterday. "They came. They saw. But they did NOT
conquer!" Look, it's obvious that even a confederacy of Kings, a
conglomerate of enemies, can NOT overrun Jerusalem, apart from
God's allowing such an event. (He did in 586 BC and again in 70
AD, but because of the flagrant, rebellious sins of the Jewish
people.)
Then, in this
context, verse 7 speaks to our hearts. Still, I think,
continuing the theme of Divine Protection.
"Thou breakest the ships of Tarshish with an east wind."
Psalm 48:7
"Tarshish"
here must be understood as a foreign land. Some kingdom "at war"
with the Jews. Remember Jonah and Tarshish? It's some commercial
center of the day, its name meaning "yellow jasper." Some type
of precious metal, clearly. The older commentators suggest
"Spain" here, others "England." But does it matter?
They hate
Israel. And they amass a fleet of warships and sail against her.
And they are destroyed, by Almighty God!
"Thou breakest the ships of Tarshish with
an east wind." The verb "breaketh" is "shabar," meaning
"to crush" in pieces. Not much left of this navy!
"Ships" is a
simple little noun, spelled "aniyah," ultimately derived from "anah,"
meaning "to meet, to encounter, to seek a quarrel!" (See
Second Kings 5:7, for that last, underlined definition.) Here's
a warmongering armada. But slated for annihilation. They
attacked the wrong people!
I realize
Jerusalem is not on the coast, folks. But other key cities of
Israel might be in view as well. Then again, this navy might
just be a "symbol" of any army that would accost God's Chosen
People, the Israelites.
Also the
Psalmist might be illustrating here, teaching a general
principle. IF God can destroy whole navies, then He can
certainly protect His people. In any city, anywhere.
Yet more, to
spiritualize the passage a bit, if we trust in the money, the
materials, the wealth this world can "import" into our lives.
God can also destroy those vehicles as well! He, our Lord,
demands (and deserves) all our love. Using the ships now as a
"types" of financial avenues of pleasure.
By the way,
the expression "ships of Tarshish" might "date" the Psalm as
well. To the time of Solomon. "And all the
drinking vessels of king Solomon were of gold, and all
the vessels of the house of the forest of Lebanon were of
pure gold: none were of silver; it was not any
thing accounted of in the days of Solomon. For the king's ships
went to Tarshish with the servants of Huram: every three years
once came the ships of Tarshish bringing gold, and
silver, ivory, and apes, and peacocks." Second Chronicles
9:20-21
Here's
another quote, further adding "local color" to our Text.
"And after this did Jehoshaphat king of
Judah join himself with Ahaziah king of Israel, who did very
wickedly. And he joined himself with him to make ships to go
to Tarshish: and they made the ships in Eziongeber. Then
Eliezer the son of Dodavah of Mareshah prophesied against
Jehoshaphat, saying, Because thou hast joined thyself with
Ahaziah, the LORD hath broken thy works. And the ships were
broken, that they were not able to go to Tarshish."
Second Chronicles 20:35-37, sound "forbidding" really!
Wow!
But quickly
now, HOW did God "break" those strong ships? Back to Psalm 48,
verse number 7. "Thou breakest the ships
of Tarshish with an east wind."
With the
"wind!"
Can God
control the wind?
He did at the
Exodus! "And Moses stretched out his hand
over the sea; and the LORD caused the sea to go back by
a strong east wind all that night, and made the sea dry
land, and the waters were divided." Exodus 14:21
And Isaiah
28:7 comes close to calling the wind God's property!
"He (the Lord) stayeth His rough wind
in the day of the east wind."
The words "ruach"
(in Hebrew) and "pneuma" (in Greek) are both used of the SPIRIT
of God. And both mean "wind!"
God seems to
imply that the "east wind" is particularly harsh, judging and
bitter! "I (the Lord) will scatter them as
with an east wind before the enemy; I will shew them the
back, and not the face, in the day of their calamity."
Jeremiah 18:17
And in
Ezekiel 27:26, with God again controlling the winds, the wicked
City of Tyre is judged, her money grabbing ships are.
"Thy rowers have brought thee into great
waters: the east wind hath broken thee in the midst of
the seas."
Listen to
this "snippet" from Hosea 13:15 as well.
"An east wind shall come, the wind of the LORD
shall come up from the wilderness."
Proof!
God does
mandate the wind!
And when
Jesus came, He being God the Son, He too was "Master" of the
winds! "But
the men marvelled, saying, What manner of man is this, that even
the winds and the sea obey him!"
Matthew 8:27
We've been
all over the Bible today it seems. And our "launching pad" was
one little Psalm 48 verse. "Thou breakest
the ships of Tarshish with an east wind."
Indeed, He
does.
--- Dr. Mike Bagwell
LESSON 5, PSALM 48, VERSE 8:
I've thought
and prayed and come to this conclusion. Though only one
commentary in the scarce literature about this family of Psalms
(those written "for the Sons of Korah") even "hints" at what I'm
about to say.
It looks
like, at least with some of these 11 or 12 Chapters of
Scripture, there's a "travel" pattern built into the series.
These people just may be "pilgrims" on their way to worship God,
maybe at Passover ("Unleavened Bread") or Pentecost ("Feast of
Weeks") or Tabernacles. As they were commanded in Deuteronomy
16:16-17. "Three times in a year shall all
thy males appear before the LORD thy God in the place which he
shall choose; in the feast of unleavened bread, and in the feast
of weeks, and in the feast of tabernacles: and they shall not
appear before the LORD empty.
Every man shall give as he is
able, according to the blessing of the LORD thy God which he
hath given thee."
There seems
to be some sort of (even if loosely so) a progression in these
Psalms. This makes them somewhat like the "Songs of Degrees,"
Psalms 120-134.
Having said
that, specifically notice today's Verse in Psalm 48, verse 8.
"As we have heard, so have we seen in the
city of the LORD of hosts, in the city of our God: God will
establish it for ever. Selah."
Doesn't this,
as has most of the Psalm thus far, present Jerusalem in a
wonderfully good light? "The City of the Lord of Hosts." Then
"the City of our God." A place "God will establish for ever!"
They're
marching to "Zion," folks!
To worship
and adore their God!
Our God!
"As we have heard, so have we
seen in the city of the LORD of hosts, in the city of our
God: God will establish it for ever. Selah."
They have
"heard" of the place! Personally I heard so much and even read
so much about ... New York City. Now I've been able to go there
a few times. I think it's one of the premier Cities of all the
earth!
But my
experience is nothing compared to what a godly Jew feels toward
Jerusalem. This verse is typical: "If I
forget thee, O Jerusalem, let my right hand forget her
cunning. If I do not remember thee, let my tongue cleave to
the roof of my mouth; if I prefer not Jerusalem above my chief
joy." Wow, Psalm 137:5-6.
They've
heard! "Glorious
things are spoken of thee, O city of God. Selah." Psalm
87:3, word for word.
But according
to verse 8 they have also now "seen!" The verb "raah" used here
means they "carefully beheld" (same word used of a shepherd
"watching" over his flock). They "looked intently" on the
Metropolis!
They heard.
They came.
They saw.
And they
worshipped!
Whom did they
so adore?
"The Lord of Hosts," in Hebrew
"Jehovah Tzsaba," the "Lord of the armies" literally! Either
"angels" or warring, glorified "saints!" Jesus is
Commander-in-Chief!"
Furthermore,
God "owns" Jerusalem, to the Old Testament mind.
"As we have heard, so have we seen in
the city of the
Lord of hosts, in the city
of our God:
God will establish it for ever. Selah." The preposition
"of" (here found twice) suggests God is the Creator and
Protector and Deed Holder to the Place! The "Possessor!"
In one sense
God owns the whole earth, too! Psalm 24:1 still thunders:
"The earth is the LORD'S, and the
fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein."
Amen!
Then not only
the "history" of Jerusalem is remarkable. Also her "future!"
Still today's verse, Psalm 48:8. "God will
establish it forever. Selah."
"Establish"
translates "kun" in Hebrew, "to make firm, to stablilize, to
cause to endure!" A guarantee from Almighty God, about a
municipality's durability, this special Municipality!
Then "for
ever" is "ad olam" (again, Hebrew) as the Psalmist would have
written it. It means "to everlasting!" Literally, "to the point
at which one can see no further!" Beyond imagination, that long!
I do not know
how long San Francisco will exist. Or Los Angeles. But I do know
Jerusalem is eternal! She will enjoy life both on this
earth, and I suggest, on the "new earth" as well. I speak in
terms of Isaiah 65:17 and Isaiah 66:22. As well as Revelation
21:1. "And I saw a new heaven and a new
earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed
away; and there was no more sea."
Wow!
Hats off ...
to Jerusalem!
The Place
where God was worshipped, the Place God abode ... in those times
long ago. Where His Temple rested. Where His Glory hovered!
--- Dr. Mike Bagwell
By the way,
and this is a big "jump," if you are saved in this Age of God's
Grace, in this "Church" dispensation, God the Holy Spirit has
made your "body" into a temple! He lives inside you! Paul
informs us: "Your body is the temple
of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God,
and ye are not your own. For ye are bought with a price:
therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which
are God's." First Corinthians 6:19-20, surely enough has
been said!
LESSON 6, PSALM 48, VERSE 9, THAT TO
"THINK" AT CHURCH:
Today's Psalm
48 Verse is short, one of the most succinct in the whole
Chapter. Here it is in the King James Version:
"We have thought of thy lovingkindness, O
God, in the midst of thy temple." Psalm 48:9
This adds
another degree of intensity to the spirit of worship
exhibited in this majestic little Composition. Already the
Psalmist has exclaimed, "Great is the
Lord." And also "greatly to be
praised!" Even the City where God is (primarily)
worshipped is included in the exaltation, Jerusalem,
"the city of our God" and
"beautiful for situation!"
So it's quite
fitting that their proper "attitude," their prevalent mental
"inclination" be indicated as well. In other words, we are being
told what the Jews "thought" when they so worshipped the Lord.
When they attended the great Festivals, Feasts, worship weeks at
the Temple.
Again,
"We have thought of thy lovingkindness, O
God, in the midst of thy temple."
"What to
think at Church," what an idea!
Solomon in
Ecclesiastes had a suggestion. "Keep thy
foot when thou goest to the house of God, and be more
ready to hear, than to give the sacrifice of fools: for they
consider not that they do evil. Be not rash with thy mouth, and
let not thine heart be hasty to utter any thing before
God: for God is in heaven, and thou upon earth: therefore
let thy words be few." Ecclesiastes 5:1-2
Paul too
indirectly addresses the issue. "Be filled
with the Spirit; speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and
spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the
Lord; giving thanks always for all things unto God and the
Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ." Ephesians
5:18-21
Paul
definitely taught us how NOT to do it! "When
ye come together in the church, I hear that there be
divisions among you; and I partly believe it." First
Corinthians 11:18, shameful!
Back to the right way, based on data given the Sons of Korah,
Psalm 48 style.
"We have
thought of thy lovingkindness, O God, in the midst of thy
temple."
The verb rendered "have thought" here is "damah." Six times
(out of 29) it is translated with the "thought" motif. But 14
times in the Old Testament it is expressed "like" and 5 more
times "liken!" Once it's "compared." Once more it's "devised!"
In other words, we have "blended" our minds, become "alike"
in thought! It's sort of the "one mind" and "one accord"
attitude of the New Testament!
Then, God's "lovingkindness" is a explication of the Hebrew
noun "chesed." Pronounced "kheh-sed'," the textbooks say.
It means God's "goodness," His "Mercy" or great "favor!" I
tell folks it's a "first cousin" to the New Testament word
"Grace!" Usually with the idea of Someone Big being sweet and
gentle to someone little! Importance loving insignificance!
Wow!
At Church ... ponder God's Goodness to you!
"In the midst of the Temple," in all you do at the House of
God.
The Bible ... telling me how to think!
Yes!
Again, Paul did, unashamedly. "Finally,
brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are
honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things
are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever
things are of good report; if there be any virtue,
and if there be any praise, think on these
things." Philippians 4:8
And our Lord is astounded that some men do not think of Him
more! "The wicked, through the pride of
his countenance, will not seek after God: God is
not in all his thoughts." Psalm 10:4, not in "all
His thoughts."
This is an amazing verse, folks.
It sets an example for each of us to emulate.
"We have thought of thy lovingkindness, O
God, in the midst of thy temple."
Practice this golden bit of advice next time you're in Church.
Amen.
--- Dr. Mike Bagwell
LESSON 7, PSALM 48, VERSE 10:
It's about
worship, today's Psalm 48 verse. Almost as if the Psalm has been
"building," reaching a "climax." I do believe that a group of
Israelites, in this 14 verse chapter, has been en route to
Jerusalem, marching upward to the City of God.
Why?
To worship
Him!
Thus, having
safely arrived and having observed the beauties of the
surroundings (primarily the City herself), they burst into
loquacious worship! "According to thy
name, O God, so is thy praise unto the ends of the earth:
thy right hand is full of righteousness." Psalm 48:10
God's
"praise," in Hebrew spelled "tehillah," means "song, hymn, fame,
renown, glory," an expression of amazement at the Person and
Work of Almighty God! "Tehillah" is derived from the verb "halal,"
which means "to shine, to flash forth light!"
The idea
here, and it's translated this way in the Bible too, is
"celebration!" Actually "boasting," bragging, on the One you
love!
They've come
to magnify and extol their God!
In His City,
Jerusalem.
In His House,
the Temple.
And their
praise will not merely be based on emotion, either. But on
fact, on the "Name" of God!
The Hebrew
noun for "name" is "shem," meaning "reputation, fame," being
derived from "sum," a little verb meaning "set in place,
appointed, fixed, conspicuous!" The Name of God!
In Scripture
He is called by a number of Names, too. Each (Jehovah, Elohim,
Adonai, and many more) suggests another beautiful Attribute of
our Heavenly Father.
"According to thy name, O God, so is
thy praise unto the ends of the earth: thy right hand is
full of righteousness."
I think
they're saying that God is "true" to His Name!
Then God's
"Strength" (the implication of His "Right Hand") will be seen as
"full of Righteousness!" This is
the only time in all the Bible that this precise "string" of
words is found, "full of righteousness." Here "full" means to
the point of "overflowing!"
I'm writing
this particular Lesson an a Saturday morning. Go to Church
tomorrow and praise God's Name! Think of His Character and His
Mighty Works and glorify Him!
Then brag on
Him because He has never, not once, done anything wrong! He is
full of Rightness!
"Righteousness" here means "justice."
By God's Own
Standard too, because He is above all! He is the "Only" God, the
only True God! Isaiah 45:5 says so, among other places in
Scripture. "I am the LORD, and
there is none else, there is no God beside me."
Amen!
--- Dr. Mike Bagwell
Stop right
now, and tell Him, God in Heaven, that you too love Him and
thank Him for His Truth and Righteousness and Salvation! You
will be enacting the spirit of our powerful little verse today!
LESSON 8, PSALM 48, VERSE 11, GOD'S
JUDGMENTS:
I'm not sure
I've ever seen a Psalm that places any more detail on a
"location." On a city, the City of Jerusalem. Including today's
verse, Psalm 48:11. "Let mount Zion
rejoice, let the daughters of Judah be glad, because of thy
judgments." The "judgments" being mentioned here belong
to the Lord, of course.
"Mount Zion"
is a synonym for that holy place, earlier in the Psalm called
"the City of our God." Then "the mountain of His Holiness."
Plus, "the joy of the whole earth." Also, "the city of the great
King!" Again, it's Jerusalem!
By the way,
"Zion" in Hebrew ("tzsiyon") means "parched, dry place!" As if
in the desert. But God has taken this geographical location and
transformed her into a place of beauty! Isaiah 35:1-2 comes to
mind. "The wilderness and the solitary
place shall be glad; and the desert shall rejoice, and blossom
as the rose. It shall blossom abundantly, and rejoice even with
joy and singing." Yes, today Jerusalem is no longer
barren!
That's the
same thing that happens to us when we are "saved!" Once dead, we
now live. Once sterile, we now bear fruit! One dry, we now
bubble with the flowing Presence of the Holy Spirit!
In today's
verse this City is "rejoicing!" It means she is "glad, merry."
If cities can "mourn" their dead (as in war) so can they rejoice
(in good times). A place that has been attacked so many times
(and will yet again, more than once apparently) ... will
ultimately be the happiest place on earth! In the universe!
Because of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Our verse for
today again: "Let mount Zion rejoice, let
the daughters of Judah be glad, because of thy judgments."
Now in
mid-verse it appears that the city is being equated with her
people. What is a city, socially speaking, other than her
citizens anyway? A pair of parallel lines are written.
"Let Mount Zion rejoice." Then the
twin sentence, "Let the daughters of Judah
be glad." But "be glad" (in Hebrew "giyl") really
pictures someone "spinning round and round!" That emotionally
happy!
But here, in
one English sentence, what has caused such commotion, such
delight, such joy? "Because of Thy (God's)
righteous judgments!" Because the Lord has dealt
correctly with sin and wickedness! Because God has rewarded
proper living!
Back in verse
9 we delighted in God's "lovingkindness!" But to be balanced,
God is not merely "kind." He is also "just," One Who punishes
(severely) sin! Hence verse eleven's "judgments."
Similarly
linking these two traits of the Almighty, Romans 11:22 says:
"Behold therefore the goodness
(as in His lovingkindness) and
severity (as in His judgments)
of God." Amazing!
"Judgments"
such as those back in verses 4-7 of our Text, of Psalm 48.
"For, lo, the kings (of the earth) were
assembled, they passed by together. They saw it (Jerusalem),
and so they marvelled. They were troubled, and hasted
away. Fear took hold upon them there, and pain, as of a
woman in travail. Thou (Lord) breakest the ships of Tarshish
with an east wind."
Armies
obviously came to attack, but were routed by angelically induced
fear (apparently) and then whole navies decimated by God's "east
wind!"
Judgment!
I understand
praising God's lovingkindness!
But His times
of wrath too?
Yes,
especially when He annihilates the Enemy of the Jews!
Which He will
ultimately do, at Armageddon!
"Let mount Zion rejoice, let the daughters
of Judah be glad, because of thy judgments." Amen!
Another verse
about God's judgments comes to mind.
"Thy righteousness is like the great mountains; thy
judgments are a great deep: O LORD." Psalm 36:6,
too "deep" to understand sometimes! Here God is every bit as
"righteous" as He is filled with "judgment!" He does no wrong!
Yes, the most
often occurring adjective in all the Bible in reference to God's
"judgments" is "righteous!" Nearly a dozen times!
It's
acceptable, maybe even an act of worship, to delight in God's
judgments! As in Psalm 97:8-9. "Zion
heard, and was glad; and the daughters of Judah rejoiced
because of thy judgments, O LORD. For thou, LORD, art
high above all the earth: thou art exalted far above all gods."
Wow!
I'm beginning
to really love Psalm 48, appreciating it more than ever. As a
part of the "Korah" collection, it certainly does adore God's
amazing Grace. Remember that the sons of Korah (Numbers
16) were not slain with their rebellious father when he rebelled
against Moses! They were somehow (inexplicable) spared! And
thereafter each time they are mentioned in Scripture ... looks
like they are trophies of God's Grace!
Praise the
Lord!
--- Dr. Mike Bagwell
LESSON 9, PSALM 48, VERSES 12-13,
SAFETY:
The "physical
aspects" of a city!
Today's Text,
two verses from Psalm 48, describe Jerusalem (around 1000 BC) in
detail! Except in reference to her "towers" and "bulwarks."
(Nehemiah chapter 3 lists and discusses the City's ten "gates!")
Let me show
you. "Walk about Zion, and go round about
her: tell the towers thereof. Mark ye well her bulwarks,
consider her palaces; that ye may tell it to the
generation following." Psalm 48:12-13
Beginning
with the (Hebrew) imperative verb "sabab" (not "halak" as one
might suspect), the people are expected (instructed, mandated)
to "encircle" the City, admiring her beauty!
Remember,
"Zion" is often a loose synonym for the whole metropolis, all of
Jerusalem.
Much like the
Jewish army (in Joshua chapter 6) "marched around" Jericho again
and again (except in war) ... the Israelites are now asked to
"march around" her (but in admiration and patriotic glee). In
astonishment!
The verb "go
about" is "naqaph," rare in the Old Testament (only 19 times
total) and often meaning "to inclose, to compass, to go around."
"Walk about Zion, and go round about her:
tell the towers thereof. Mark ye well her bulwarks, consider her
palaces; that ye may tell it to the generation
following."
Continuing a remarkable string of five imperatives, the verb
"tell" follows. Which is "saphar," 23 times translated "to
number" in the Bible! In other words, "count" the fortifications
of Jerusalem! Look how well defended she is! The noun "towers"
translates "migdal," used this exact way (as "towers") 47 out of
50 times in Scripture. Once it's rendered as "castles!" Likely
"high places," things (protrusions) built on top of the city
walls, really. Of course these "towers" are manned by soldiers,
constantly. "Safety" is the underlying theme here.
Then "mark" her bulwarks. "Shiyth" means "to set" usually,
but twice it is translated "regard," meaning "to think upon"
something or even on a group of things. Perhaps even considering
their permanence. Their having been "appointed" or "ordained" by
God!
"Bulwarks," the noun "cheylah" in Hebrew (only found here in
all the Bible, a true "hapax legomenon"), means a "strong place"
(for the army to defend the city). Extra thick spots in the
city's walls, or even more highly raised locations (for archers
to mount and shoot down on an approaching enemy!)
Stretching the available synonyms, "consider" is the Hebrew
verb "pasag" (yet another hapax legomenon) perhaps meaning "to
inspect." But this time it's not military objects, places of
defense, but her "palaces" in view!
Again our text:
"Walk
about Zion, and go round about her: tell the towers thereof.
Mark ye well her bulwarks, consider her palaces; that ye may
tell it to the generation following."
The noun (used 32 times in God's Word) here rendered
"palaces" (spelled "armon") means "castles" once, in Proverbs
18:19. Still, these are spacious dwellings are built on top
of the city walls, and are easily converted to military outposts
if necessary!
Jerusalem, heavily fortified!
Heavily armed!
Protected!
Glorious!
So beautiful, so meaningful, so impressive ... future
generations are to be told of her beauty and might!
"That ye may tell it to the
generation following." To your children and
grandchildren!
Wow!
Now if the "security" of Jerusalem be "spiritualized" just a
bit (not to be done in reference to prophecy) ... these verses
could "hint" at the same "security" we Believers enjoy in our
"Zion." In our place of worship! In our "position" in Christ
Jesus!
Eternally secure, I mean.
"My sheep hear my voice, and I know
them, and they follow me: and I give unto them eternal life; and
they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them
out of my hand. My Father, which gave them me, is greater
than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of
my Father's hand." Jesus, in John 10:27-29. More
"protected" than any set of "towers" can make you!
Romans 8:35-36 poses a question. "Who
shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall
tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or
nakedness, or peril, or sword?" Then immediately follows
the answer. "Nay, in all these things we
are more than conquerors through him that loved us. For I am
persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor
principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to
come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be
able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ
Jesus our Lord."
Amen!
Secure!
Protected by the God Who saved us!
--- Dr. Mike Bagwell
LESSON 10, PSALM 48, VERSE 14:
This Lesson
reaches the final verse of Psalm 48, but not the final thoughts
about the Sons of Korah. In fact, we may analyze yet another
Psalm dedicated to this group of men.
But first,
today's verse: "For this God is our
God for ever and ever: he will be our guide even unto
death." Psalm 48:14, the apex, the high point, of the
whole Poem.
"This God ..."
The God Who
owns that City, Jerusalem, the grand subject of Psalm 48.
The God Who
is worshipped there!
The God Whose
Name will be associated with Jerusalem for ever!
"And the name of the city from that
day shall be, The LORD is there." Ezekiel
48:35
The God Who
can dispel and defeat armies!
The God Who
is worthy to be praised!
The God Who
is kind!
The God Who
is Righteous! "In those days shall Judah
be saved, and Jerusalem shall dwell safely: and this is the
name wherewith she shall be called,
The LORD our righteousness." Jeremiah 31:16
The God Who
will judge the whole earth!
(Each of the
foregoing traits of God is enumerated in Psalm 48. I've merely
summarized the highlights.)
Now our verse
again, Psalm 48:14. "For this God is
our God for ever and ever: he will be our guide even
unto death."
This God will
exist "for ever and ever," being
eternal! In Hebrew "olam le ad" means "from one point of
eternity continuing to perpetuity!" Never ending! Into infinity!
Without cessation!
And He will
be "our" God too, Israel professes!
"And God said moreover unto Moses, Thus
shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, The LORD God of your
fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and
the God of Jacob, hath sent me unto you: this is
my name for ever." Exodus 3:15
Yes, a
"personal" God, just as Jesus offers "personal" salvation to
people yet today, through His shed Blood on the Cross of
Calvary.
Look at the
level of commitment here! "For this God
is our God for ever and ever: he will be our guide even
unto death."
The noun
"guide" is "nahag," meaning "one who drives!" One who "leads."
At times it can mean "one who carries!" And once in the King
James Version, "one who brings in!"
Study the
word "guide" in the Bible, as it's associated with God. Many
times He is referenced this way. As in
Psalm 31:3. "For thou art my rock
and my fortress; therefore for thy name's sake lead me,
and guide me."
How long will
He "guide" us! "For this God is our
God for ever and ever: he will be our guide even unto
death."
In Hebrew "al
muth."
Where "al" is
the preposition, "unto" but in an "upward" direction!
Heavenward, in reality!
And "muth,"
the noun, literally means "death," occurring hundreds of times
this way in Scripture.
God will not
leave us "alone," even when we die! He will "guide" us through
that valley too! Yes, Psalm 23:4 comes to mind.
"Yea, though I walk through the valley of
the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art
with me." The Lord as our Shepherd!
The sons of
Korah, to whom this Psalm is dedicated, know about death. Their
father died tragically and needlessly at the Hands of a
righteous God. The earth "swallowed" him alive, for the sin of
rebellion!
"And the earth opened her mouth, and
swallowed them up, and their houses, and all the men that
appertained unto Korah, and all their goods."
Numbers 16:32
But the
"sons" were spared!
And when
death finally comes their way, to the boys, God will be their
Comfort and Guide and yes ... Companion!
Folks, that's
Grace!
--- Dr. Mike Bagwell
This too,
there's not a reason in the world why we cannot claim this verse
in our lives. "For this God is our
God for ever and ever: he will be our guide even unto
death."
Amen.
LESSON 11, PSALMS FOR THE SONS OF
KORAH, MORE TO COME:
Today we're at "intermission"
or perhaps "halftime" in our journey through the Psalms labeled
"for the Sons of Korah." We now look toward Psalms 84, 85, 87
and 88. I prayerfully intend to choose one of these and
analyze it verse by verse.
These Psalms are unique,
mysterious, and beautiful as well! If I had to state a recurring
theme it would be this: Jerusalem! Or maybe better yet,
Worship, which most purely occurred in Jerusalem
back in those days.
For example, Psalm 87 is
geographically specific. Look at it with me a moment. I am going
to capitalize every phrase or clause that speaks of Jerusalem,
that place.
A Psalm or Song for the
sons of Korah
His
foundation is in the
holy mountains. 2 The LORD loveth
the gates of Zion
more than all the dwellings of Jacob. 3
Glorious things are
spoken of thee, O city of God. Selah. 4 I will
make mention of Rahab and Babylon to them that know me: behold
Philistia, and Tyre, with Ethiopia; this man was born
there. 5 And
of Zion it shall be said, This and that man was born in her:
and the highest himself
shall establish her. 6 The LORD shall count,
when he writeth up the people, that
this man was born there.
Selah. 7 As well the singers as the players on
instruments shall be there:
all my springs are in
thee.
If this is not a poem of
praise ... to a City, because that City is the place
where God has established his House ... then I am badly
mistaken!
Such is typical for the Psalms
"for the Son of Korah." Psalm 84 is another such specimen,
divinely inspired of God. Written by the Holy Spirit!
Tomorrow, the Lord willing,
we'll begin a verse-by-verse trek through Psalm 84, every one of
its 12 verses. The trait I've just shown you in Psalm 87 will
continue there as well.
I'm praying many of you will
join us.
Let's also learn more about
these Sons!
Living illustrations of the
Grace of God, they are!
But really, we are too!
--- Dr. Mike
Bagwell
Until tomorrow!
LESSON 12, PSALM 84,
INTRODUCTION:
Two thoughts
this morning.
Concerning
one of the exemplary Psalms written "for
the sons of Korah." Psalm 84 contains both traits that
have appeared and reappeared through this specific corpus of
literature.
The first of
the characteristics is the emphasis on geography. The
focus on a City, I believe Jerusalem. On the Temple there where
God has chosen to locate His House.
The second
feature is the overarching theme of worship! Adoration of
Almighty God.
Now, prior to
our discussing the Psalm in some detail, let me show you these
two patterns as visible in the Text. I'm underlining the
geography and capitalizing the worship motifs.
Psalm 84
To the chief
Musician upon Gittith, a Psalm for the sons of Korah
How amiable
are thy tabernacles, O LORD of hosts! 2
My soul longeth, yea, even fainteth for the courts of the
LORD: my heart and my flesh crieth out for the living God.
3 Yea, the sparrow hath found an house, and
the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young,
even thine altars, O LORD of hosts,
my King, and my God.
4 Blessed are they that dwell in thy house:
they will be still
praising thee. Selah. 5 Blessed is the
man whose strength is in thee; in whose heart are
the ways of them. 6 Who passing through
the valley of Baca make it a well; the rain also filleth the
pools. 7 They go from strength to strength, every
one of them in Zion appeareth before God. 8
O LORD God of hosts,
hear my prayer: give ear,
O God of Jacob.
Selah. 9 Behold,
O God our shield,
and look upon the face of thine anointed. 10 For a
day in thy courts is better than a thousand. I had
rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God, than to
dwell in the tents of wickedness. 11
For the LORD God is a sun and shield: the LORD will give grace
and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk
uprightly. 12 O LORD of hosts, blessed is the man
that trusteth in thee.
This should be an exciting "trip." Twelve Verses of inspired
Text, inerrant as well, mistake free!
By the way, the noun "Gittith," used in the title, the
superscript, of the Psalm means "wine press" in Hebrew. Likely
this at least indicates the Passage was sung and incorporated
into the worship services of Israel ... during the Fall of the
year, when the grapes were being harvested. That's when the sine
presses were in use!
That would be during the Feast of Tabernacles. Which was a
celebration of the harvest, of God's goodness in abundant crops!
Also Tabernacles looks forward, I think, to the Second Coming of
Jesus. To the Millennium, when the crops will be more plenteous
than ever!
Tomorrow, Lord willing, more.
In the meantime, read Psalm 84 carefully, more than
once if possible. Record it and let your own voice saturate you
in its beautiful truths! That's what I plan to do too.
--- Dr. Mike Bagwell
LESSON 13, PSALM 84, VERSE 1:
Here's a
short word-for-word "quote" from an old commentary on Psalm 84.
I thought it was well worth sharing. "It
matters little when this Psalm was written, or by whom; for our
part it exhales to us a Davidic perfume, it smells of the
mountain heather and the lone places of the wilderness, where
King David must have often lodged during his many wars. This
sacred ode is one of the choicest of the collection; it has a
holy radiance about it, entitling it to be called The Pearl
of Psalms."
The first
verse beautifully reads: "How
amiable are thy tabernacles, O LORD of hosts!"
Psalm 84:1, undoubted
uttered by a thrilled worshipper as he or she looked upon the
Temple in Jerusalem! Maybe for the very first time, maybe after
a lifetime of pilgrimages to that unique Place.
The noun
"tabernacles" translates the Hebrew word "mishkan." It basically
means "a dwelling place." Really it's derived from the word "shakan,"
meaning "to dwell continually." And this is the root for the Old
Testament concept "Shekinah Glory!"
The Glory
Cloud of God Almighty, indicating His Presence, that
hovered over the Tabernacle and Temple, that led the Jews
through the vast wilderness all those years!
God's
"tabernacles!"
As to the
plural number? Both in English and Hebrew, likely a reference to
the Outer Court and Inner Court! Or the Holy Place and the
ineffable Holy of Holies!
Yes,
"How
amiable are thy tabernacles, O LORD of hosts!"
The adjective
"amiable" is "yediyd," very unusual! Only found 9 times in the
whole Bible. It's from the same root as the main Hebrew word for
"love," spelled "dod." It's from a semantic background meaning
"to boil!" Fervent love! Red-hot for the Lord God Who saved us!
And the
vocative, "Lord of Hosts" implies God as a Warrior! As the
General of all the forces of Heaven! In classic Exodus 15:3
style. "The LORD is a man of war:
the LORD is his name."
Wow!
Next time you
go to Church, though obviously in a lesser sense than our Text
specifies, think of God's House there where you worship
as a "special" place.
As being
lovely, simply for the fact it represents a meeting place
for the children of God in your area.
One more
time, in amazement, wonder, excitement! "How
amiable are thy tabernacles, O LORD of hosts!"
Amen!
--- Dr. Mike Bagwell
LESSON 14, PSALM 84, VERSE 2:
I really need
to cover more than one verse a day! But Psalm 84:2 is too
"sweet" to slight in any way.
"My soul longeth, yea, even
fainteth for the courts of the LORD: my heart and my flesh
crieth out for the living God."
The Psalmist
is "hungry" to worship His Lord! He had other "meat" to eat, as
did His Lord years later, in John 4:32.
Three verbs
adorn this sentence, each written in a different "stem" in
Hebrew. "Longeth" is a "niphal," simply meaning that it's
"passive" in voice. "Fainteth" is in the more common "qal" stem,
just indicating "active" voice. And "crieth out" is a "piel"
verb, meaning "intensive" or "intentional" action.
Wow, what
variety!
Bringing
every possible feeling and action and human trait to Almighty
God, worshipping truly in spirit and truth!
"My soul longeth, yea, even
fainteth for the courts of the LORD: my heart and my flesh
crieth out for the living God."
Again, Psalm 84:2
"To long" ("kasaph") means "to
yearn." To desire something so strongly some might interpret it
as greed! "To crave deeply!"
"Fainteth" translates "kalal" in
Hebrew, meaning "to spend up" something, here physical strength!
"Exhausted," really.
And "crieth out" is "ranan," here
suggesting "to shout out loud!" Although the word is most often
translated either "sing" or "rejoice" in the Old Testament! Of
its 52 occurrences.
Here too the "courts" of the Lord
(meaning an "enclosure" or even a small "village") are equated
to "the Living God" Himself! He abides at His House, in His
Courts! This is Old Testament typology again.
To place this "picture" in
current Christian life, it depicts a Believer, man or woman, "in
love" with God, eager to worship! Faithful to Church!
This kind of fervor, linked to
the Sons of Korah, speaks well of their testimony. But more
about them later.
What about your testimony? And mine?
When it comes to "hunger" for the House of God? To
genuine "determination" based on "desire" ... in reference to
adoring the One Who saved us?
One more time.
"My soul longeth, yea, even
fainteth for the courts of the LORD: my heart and my flesh
crieth out for the living God."
Amen!
--- Dr. Mike Bagwell
Also see the areas of life, the
totality of self, involved in this "lust" (used in a good sense,
that level of intensity) to worship God. One's "soul" and "heart"
and "flesh" as well! Totally involved!
LESSON 15, PSALM 84, VERSE 3:
What a pretty
little verse is before us today! Psalm 84:3, which again paints
an inviting picture of worship at the House of God.
And it
involves a little animal too!
"Yea, the sparrow hath found an house, and
the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young,
even thine altars, O LORD of hosts, my King, and my God."
Psalm 84:3
Admiration
for a bird!
One that
lives around the Tabernacle, the Temple of Israel!
The noun
"sparrow" is "tzsippor" in Hebrew, translated "bird" 32 of its
40 appearances in Scripture. "Fowl" 6 more times and "sparrow"
only 2 times. Any little flying bird may be indicated, one that
"sings" no doubt!
The noun
"house" is "bayith," a "dwelling." Or "home." It's translated
"family" 3 times as well! The verb "hath found" hints at a
casual discovery, something that "befell" the little bird.
Blessed be the day I found God's House!
Then the noun
"swallow" is "deror," a rare word, used only twice in all the
Bible! From an seldom used root meaning "to move rapidly!" To be
at "liberty!"
The noun
"nest" is "qen," meaning a "room" also. "To lay" (spelled "shiyth")
means "to put, to set," to fix in place. Rearing the babies at
God's House, admirable indeed!
The word
"young" involves a verb meaning "to shoot out, to break
through," as when the egg shell is broken at the birth of these
little chicks!
Truthfully,
the author of this Psalm (David I like to think, though it's
really anonymous) wants to be in Jerusalem, at the Place of
worship, and cannot. Maybe he was with the Jewish army at war.
Maybe he was fleeing from Saul! Perhaps a younger man watching
the sheep! So he at least praises the little birds who can
"fly" to that City and flit around God's Temple, raising their
families there!
"Yea, the sparrow hath found an house, and
the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young,
even thine altars, O LORD of hosts, my King, and my God."
The "House" of God is now equated to the "Altars" of God!
There were two of them, the Brass Altar at the entrance to the
Tabernacle. And the Golden Altar in the Holy Place. Both picture
Jesus! As human (both structures were made of wood) yet Divine
(overlaid with precious metals).
And what an array of names for our Master, Creator, Redeemer!
He is here "Lord of Hosts" and
"King" and also
"God!"
"Lord of Hosts" means "Master of the armies" too! Another
reason I wonder if the writer is a man of war!
And "King" makes me imagine that maybe an earthly king
(David) is adoring the Heavenly King, our Almighty God!
And "God, "spelled "elohiym," suggests a Triune God!
Wow, what theology is embedded here!
I read earlier today that in many ancient temples ... birds
were protected. If they lived there they must be allowed safety!
We too can flee into the Arms of a loving God ... and be
eternally secure!
By the way, "altar" comes from a Hebrew word meaning "to
slaughter, to kill, to sacrifice!"
All this grace, all this beauty, all this safety, all this
good will, because of the Blood of the Lamb of God! Voluntarily
shed for us at the Altar of Calvary!
"Yea, the sparrow hath found an house, and
the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young,
even thine altars, O LORD of hosts, my King, and my God."
Amen!
--- Dr. Mike Bagwell
LESSON 16, PSALM 84, VERSES 4 AND 5:
Today's
Lesson centers around the word "blessed." As in Psalm 84:4-5.
"Blessed are they that dwell in thy
house: they will be still praising thee. Selah. Blessed is
the man whose strength is in thee; in whose heart
are the ways of them."
In Hebrew the
concept of "blessedness" usually is expressed by the word "esher."
It basically means "happy," because God has "smiled" upon you.
But "esher" is derived from a root word, "ashar," which means
"to go straight, to advance, to make progress!" Sounds like,
Biblically speaking, one can only be "happy" as he or she "walks
right in the Eyes of God!"
Wow!
Our two
verses today are "parallel," as it much of Hebrew poetry. This
man is "blessed" for two reasons. First, because he dwells in
God's House. Second, because his strength comes from God. He is
not self-sufficient, independent to the point of rebellion.
To "dwell" in
God's House, in the Jewish Tabernacle or Temple, means "to
abide" there. To "remain," not being an "in and out" kind of
person. Permanence, as in Psalm 23:6. "And
I will dwell in the House of the Lord for ever."
And look at
the by-product of dwelling in God's House,
"They will be still praising thee." Now we have a blended
state of blessedness and happiness for sure! Here "praising"
translates "halal," Hebrew for "boasting" in God! Delighting in
Him! Bragging on the Lord!
"Blessed are they that dwell in thy
house: they will be still praising thee. Selah. Blessed is
the man whose strength is in thee; in whose heart
are the ways of them."
"Selah" is probably a musical indicator, many of these poems
being written for their choir to sing as Israel worshipped. It's
meaning, "to pause." Stop and think, in other words. It's
called a "rest" by the song leader.
The noun "strength" is spelled "oz." It means "might, power,
boldness!" Its verbal heritage hints at being "victor" in a
contest! Having prevailed in battle! Hardened for war!
The last clause of verse 5, however, is enigmatic.
"In whose heart are the ways of
them." The only help I can offer is to define the
noun "ways." It's certainly not the usual word for a "way." Yes,
"mesillah" means "a "highway." It is birthed from a verb, "salal,"
meaning "to raise up, exalt, to life." Hinting at a roadway that
is built or paved higher than the ground itself.
This man, then is on a journey! It's in his heart to travel
... to Jerusalem! To God's House! To worship His Lord! He's a
pilgrim ... a stranger ... heading for the City of God!
Now, to me anyway, things seem clearer.
This is as lovely a couplet of worship verses as exists in
all the Old Testament. Read and ponder them one more time.
"Blessed are they that dwell in thy
house: they will be still praising thee. Selah. Blessed is
the man whose strength is in thee; in whose heart
are the ways of them."
It might not hurt to write them on a 3x5 card and memorize
them. Have the family do so as well. And quote them together
driving to Church Sunday!
"Blessed
are they that dwell in God's house: they will be still
praising Him. Selah (to us, like Hallelujah). Blessed is
the man whose strength is in our Lord; in whose heart
are the ways to Zion."
Amen!
--- Dr. Mike Bagwell
LESSON 17, PSALM 84, VERSE 6:
The Verse is
lovely, Psalm 84:6. It actually shares with us a major facet of
the Christian lifestyle! "Who
passing through the valley of Baca make it a well;
the rain also filleth the pools."
Wow!
I see here a
man, a traveler, going through a desert, a vast and barren
stretch of wilderness. And instead of merely worrying about
himself, just having his own water pouches full, he "digs a
well" ... for those who come after him to enjoy!
Furthermore,
in keeping with the context of the whole Psalm, of this whole
series of "Korah" Psalms ... the traveler is on his way to the
House of God, to worship!
Then note
this, the Verse is saturated with "word pictures" about "water."
"Who
passing through the valley of Baca make it a well;
the rain also filleth the pools."
Like the
"well!" And the "rain!" Plus the "pools" too!
A "valley"
is, of course a "low" place in life! It's parent word means
"deep." Each of us has been there! The discouraging times we
occasionally face!
But observe
that he does not "stay" in the valley. He's passing through! The
Hebrew word used here is "abar," same as Passover Night and that
death angel, the delivering potency of the blood of a little
lamb! (We make it "through" our hard times also ... because of
the Blood of God's Son, the Lamb!)
This is
interesting. "Who
passing through the valley of Baca make it a well;
the rain also filleth the pools."
The noun
"well" is "mayan," hinting at a "spring" of water. It's didn't
say he "dug" that well either, while of course he did. But the
verb employed for "make" is "shiyth," meaning "to appoint, to
regard, to fix, to set one's mind to something!" He made a great
thing of that well! Focused on it and (no doubt) pointed many
others to it!
Living for
His brethren!
And as as we
work to serve others ... God also helps in the process!
"The rain also
filleth the pools." Heaven sent water!
The noun
"rain" in Hebrew is "moreh," only used 3 times in all the Bible,
this specific word! It is however derived from a major word, "yareh,"
meaning "to throw, to cast down (like God dropping multiple
showers of blessings on His potential worshippers, those
marching to Zion). "Yarah" also means "to teach," 42 different
times in the Bible! God "teaching" through those blessings,
through the rain!
"Filleth" is
the relatively rare "atah." meaning "to cover, to enwrap, to
clothe!" Sounds like the Holy Spirit indwelling us! He is also
typified by water! Moving water, living water!
And the noun
for "pools" is exciting. It's spelled "barakah" and literally
means "blessing!" Only once in the whole Bible is it rendered
"pools," right here! Whereas 64 times it is translated "blessing
or blessings."
Wow again!
May we all
live this way! Loving and thinking of others, especially those
who are headed the "same direction" we are, to Jerusalem!
"Who
passing through the valley of Baca make it a well;
the rain also filleth the pools."
Yes!
Think of
someone today to whom you can be a blessing. For whom you can
"leave a well" in the valley!
In a used
bookstore just this week I found a little volume discussing the
"one to another" verses in Scripture! Psalm 84:6 would have been
a good frontspiece for that author to have used! One more time,
"Who
passing through the valley of Baca make it a well;
the rain also filleth the pools."
Consider what
God just said to us ... He then will give us further
understanding of all this verse is revealing!
"Consider what I say; and the Lord give
thee understanding in all things." Second Timothy 2:7,
based on Proverbs 2:6. "For the LORD
giveth wisdom: out of his mouth cometh knowledge and
understanding."
Amen!
--- Dr. Mike Bagwell
LESSON 18, PSALM 84, VERSE 7:
The Verse for
today, Psalm 84:7, shows a definite "progression." Something
that happens in the life of a worshipper of Almighty God, as he
or she goes to the Temple time and time again.
Here's what I
mean: "They go from strength to strength,
every one of them in Zion appeareth before God."
Psalm 84:7, word for word.
Before
analyzing the words, let me share with you what I think we're
being told. Simply this fact ... if a person goes to God's House
(which at that time was located at "Zion"), goes faithfully and
consistently, he will "grow" in "strength" incrementally!
Worship
builds stamina!
The act of
listening to God's Word, via preaching or teaching (at Church in
our day) ... will build our strength in the Lord!
Increase our faith! Develop our Christian lifestyle!
Yes!
"They go from strength to strength,
every one of them in Zion appeareth before God."
The verb "appeareth"
is "raah," but in its passive form. Literally, "was seen." Or
"were seen" since the subject is plural, "they." Seen and
observed, like a shepherd viewing his flock! Yes, God knows (and
sees) when we worship Him, even en masse!
And the verb
"go" is "yalak" in Hebrew. Quite often meaning "to walk." They
are on a trip, from their individual homes to the Temple
(earlier the Tabernacle) in Jerusalem!
In reality,
"marching to Zion!"
Now to the
nouns, "strength" and "strength." Identical words, as one might
think, even in Hebrew. Spelled "chayil," its meaning is
distinct. "Might, efficiency, ability!" And here are a few of
the ways the word is translated in the King James Bible, "army"
(56 times), "man of valour" (37 times), an entire "host" (29
times), armed "forces" (14 times), "valiant" (13 times), and
"strength" (12 times).
Wow!
What going to
Church and worshipping the Lord can achieve!
"They go from strength to strength,
every one of them in Zion appeareth before God."
A statement of Truth. One might rightly
even consider it a promise from God! A by-product of obedience!
Let's all go to Church Sunday!
--- Dr. Mike Bagwell
No wonder the New Testament, in like spirit, asks us to
appear (along with our brothers and sisters in Christ) before
the Lord congregationally! At Church, a place of assembly!
"Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves
together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one
another." Hebrews 10:25 where "exhorting" means
"encouraging!" That is, "strengthening" one another!
LESSON 20, PSALM 84, VERSE 10:
I've head
this verse quoted, part of it, since childhood. Psalm 84:10,
still praising the House of God, really the God Who dwells
there! "For a day in thy courts is
better than a thousand. I had rather be a doorkeeper in the
house of my God, than to dwell in the tents of wickedness."
These words
are here spoken directly to the Lord Himself, His Very Presence
being enjoyed!
The noun
"courts" (in Hebrew "chatzser") means an "enclosure." It is also
translated "village" (41 times) and "town" (only 1 time) in the
Bible. The Tabernacle or Temple "yard" is in view likely.
One day
worshipping Almighty God is better, to this believing Jew
anyway, than 1,000 days anywhere else, doing any other thing!
The term
"doorkeeper" (in Hebrew "saphaph") is used only here in the
Bible. Actually "be a doorkeeper" is a verb, an intensively
reflexive verb, Hithpoel stem! Doing the least job in the Church
is better than doing the best job in the world!
Temporarily
serving the Lord is far superior to permanently serving the
Devil! "To dwell" (another one time only word in this verse)
means to live somewhere long enough to "pile up" possessions and
wealth! Just standing at the "door" of the Lord's House is more
to be desired than dwelling in a Fifth Avenue "penthouse" of any
other Metropolis on earth!
Here we may
have a comparison also to dwelling in God's "Tent" (the
Tabernacle of the wilderness) ... as opposed to the lavish
"tents" of some well-to-do but ungodly man or woman!
"Wickedness"
is a rather strong word here ("rasha") as well, meaning
active debauchery, spreading and growing and even
contaminating others!
"For a day in thy courts is better
than a thousand. I had rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my
God, than to dwell in the tents of wickedness."
Just to stand at the door and "peek" inside ... to behold the
beauty of the Lord ... is thrilling! Better than anything the
world has to offer!
By the way, the Sons of Korah did serve at the Lord's
House, as doorkeepers! "And the porters
were, Shallum, and Akkub, and Talmon, and Ahiman, and their
brethren: Shallum was the chief; who hitherto waited
in the king's gate eastward: they were porters in the
companies of the children of Levi. And Shallum the son of Kore,
the son of Ebiasaph, the son of Korah, and his brethren, of the
house of his father, the
Korahites, were over the work of the service, keepers of the
gates of the tabernacle: and their fathers, being
over the host of the LORD, were
keepers of the entry." First Chronicles 9:17-19
Going to worship the Lord!
What an honor!
Listen to David, his greatest desire.
"One thing have I desired of the LORD, that will I seek
after; that I may dwell
in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the
beauty of the LORD, and to enquire in his temple."
Psalm 27:4
Wow!
--- Dr. Mike Bagwell
LESSON 21, PSALM 84, VERSE 11:
The Verse is
a classic! One of the loveliest in all God's Word. Psalm 84:11
promises: "For the LORD God is a
sun and shield: the LORD will give grace and glory: no good
thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly."
Wow!
Notice that
more than one Name for God is used. "Jehovah," (God the great "I
AM") is twice represented by LORD
in our Text. And "God" here translates "Elohiym," suggesting the
Trinity!
Then two
Traits of God are given, realities of His Person. He is a
"sun." In Hebrew "shemesh" means
something "brilliant!" It hints at God's Ability to give "light"
and "warmth." Like the Cloud of Glory, the "Shekinah" Presence
of God! That Cloud, which led Israel all those years in the
wilderness, both warmed them in those cold desert nights and
guided them through the days!
By the way,
the "sun" is the "center" of our galaxy too! Just as Jesus
should be the Focus of our lives!
"For the LORD God is a sun and
shield: the LORD will give grace and glory: no good thing
will he withhold from them that walk uprightly."
The Lord too is a "shield."
Spelled "magen," the noun means "a smaller hand-held defensive
weapon," actually designed to give victory in ultra close
combat! Protection! God said to Abraham, literally, in Genesis
15:1 ... "Fear not, Abram: I am thy
shield, and thy exceeding great reward."
We do have a Light to guide us
Home to Heaven ... and a Shield to keep us safe all the way!
Watch-care from above, the
sun ... and security all around, the shield!
This same God will
"give" (in Hebrew, "keep on
giving") Grace and Glory as well. An unending supply!
Grace for today.
Glory for tomorrow.
"Grace"
means "favor, kindness, mercy!"
And "Glory"
means the "weight" (in Hebrew "kabod") of "all God is!" The sum
total of His Essence. The Reality of His Being!
But there's more!
"No good thing will he (God)
withhold from them that walk uprightly."
This implies that God might
"withhold" bad things! Divert harmful things! (Here's that
shield again!)
"Good"
translates "tob" in Hebrew ("tov"), that which is "pleasant,
agreeable, excellent, precious." What a multiple definition!
Walking
"uprightly" means "with a whole heart." An undivided
heart, a non-hypocritical heart! "Tamiym" means "complete,
entire, sound, full," also "without spot or blemish!"
This verse consists of a litany
of promises!
"For the
LORD God is a sun and shield: the LORD will give grace
and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that
walk uprightly."
Someone ought to memorize it!
And treasure it!
And enjoy it!
And then, live it!
--- Dr. Mike Bagwell
LESSON 22, PSALM 84, VERSE 12:
The Chapter
(Psalm 84) began by calling God "the Lord
of Hosts." Now today, eleven verses later, it calls
Him "the Lord of Hosts" once again!
Plus, two
more times in the interior of the Psalm is God so called. A
total of four times. Let me show you. You will notice only one
small variation.
Verse 1 ...
"How
amiable are thy tabernacles, O LORD of hosts!"
Verse 3 ... "Yea, the sparrow hath
found an house, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she
may lay her young, even thine altars, O LORD of hosts, my
King, and my God."
Verse 8 ... "O LORD God of
hosts, hear my prayer: give ear, O God of Jacob. Selah."
And then Verse 12 ... "O LORD of hosts,
blessed is the man that trusteth in thee."
Wow!
The only other Psalm to use this Name for God four times is
Psalm 80, but it has nineteen verses, not just twelve!
But watch this fact. Psalm 80 is clearly a Psalm of
REPENTANCE! This is typical, its fourth Verse:
"O LORD God of hosts, how long wilt thou
be angry against the prayer of thy people?" Then Verse 7:
"Turn us again, O God of hosts, and cause
thy face to shine; and we shall be saved." Plus Verse 14:
"Return, we beseech thee, O God of hosts:
look down from heaven, and behold, and visit this vine; and the
vineyard which thy right hand hath planted, and the branch
that thou madest strong for thyself." Then the
Psalm's last Verse, the nineteenth: "Turn
us again, O LORD God of hosts, cause thy face to shine; and we
shall be saved." See?
It's about repentance, all right, seeking forgiveness and
restitution. Calling on the Lord of Hosts, the God of all the
"armies" of Heaven! Psalm 80 is, the whole beautiful thing!
And, subsequently, Psalm 84 (the only other Psalm to call
God, "the Lord of Hosts" four
times) is about WORSHIP! Read again the verses I mentioned,
showed you, above. Here they are, sort of summarized: God's
House is "amiable," loving and pleasant! God is both Lord and
King! Blessed are even the birds who live near God's Dwelling
place! And He hears and answers prayer, too! And this is a God,
the only real God, Who can be trusted!
Folks, this is WORSHIP! Lifting high the Name of God, adoring
Him, expressing verbally His Value in one's life!
Now watch the "sequence."
Psalm 80 ... repentance!
Psalm 84 ... worship!
That's the way it must happen. REPENT, get right with God,
sins covered, forgiven. And you will be immediately overwhelmed
with joy and thankfulness. Which will result in WORSHIP!
Wow once again!
The Psalm's last verse, Verse 12. "O
LORD of hosts, blessed is the man that trusteth in thee."
We are indeed "blessed" (in Hebrew, "esher" meaning "happy")
to know the Lord and "trust" in Him! And "trust" is "batach"
meaning "to be confident" in God or "to feel secure" in Him!
Psalm 84, really a good "pattern" for worship!
If you too (like the Sons of Korah) have been graciously
forgiven ... worship the Lord today with all your heart!
--- Dr. Mike Bagwell
LESSON 23, KORAH'S FAMILY TREE:
The "family
tree" of Korah, does the record of those early generations
exist? At least the "stump" of it does! The very Sons of Korah
are named in Exodus 6:24. "And
the sons of Korah; Assir, and Elkanah, and Abiasaph: these
are the families of the Korhites."
To this verse
we shall return momentarily.
We can also
"piece" together Korah's parentage. By the way, Korah's name
means "bald!" In Hebrew the word is spelled "Qorah." From the
verb "qarach," meaning "to make bald."
Korah's
Father was "Izhar," suggesting "shining oil!" It's from a family
of words centered around oil making and the freshness of that
product! (Implying the "Holy Spirit" of God?)
Korah's
Brothers were two in number, "Nepheg" and "Zichri." The first
means "to sprout, to spring forth." And the second means
"memorable, unforgettable." (From the root Hebrew verb "zakar.")
Exodus 6:21 provides this data. Sounds like a good family, so
far.
We even know
Korah's Grandfather's name! Exodus 6:18 calls him "Kohath."
Spelled "qehath" in Hebrew, the name implies an "assembly." The
parent verb means "to ally oneself!" Grandpa lived to be 133
years old!
But get this.
Korah's Great-Grandfather was "Levi," one of the "original" Sons
of Jacob! A great name meaning "joined together."
The potential
for godliness certainly existed in Korah's stock. He's from
"good seed." He had an outstanding heritage. The "lines had
fallen to him in pleasant places," to quote Psalm 16:6.
But now back
to Korah's Sons themselves. And today's Text Verse.
"And
the sons of Korah; Assir, and Elkanah, and
Abiasaph: these are the families of the Korhites."
The name "Assir"
just means "prisoner!" From "asar," an action word, "to tie, to
bind, to imprison."
The name "Elkanah"
means "God has possessed." Or some say with equal authority,
"God has created." Obviously "El" is God's Name "Elohim," just
in a shortened Form. And "qanah" means "to get, to acquire, to
buy, to possess" but also "to create." It's even translated "to
redeem" once in the Old Testament! "To purchase" five times!
And the name
"Abiasaph" means "My father has gathered." In Hebrew "father" is
spelled "ab." And "asaph" means "to gather together, to collect,
to add, increase, augment!"
Now look at
these 3 names. There's a progression in their meanings!
Almost forming a life "testimony" of a sinner saved by Grace!
First (Assir)
a prisoner! Sold under sin!
Then, through
the Mercy of God (Elkanah), "possessed, redeemed, saved!" This
is salvation, folks!
Last (Abiasaph),
"growing" in the things of God! From spiritual infancy to
glorious maturity, under the guidance of God the Holy Spirit!
Wow!
These "Sons
of Korah" tell a story, a story indeed! Of God's great Plan of
Salvation! (The 12 Sons of Jacob, the Tribes of Israel, tell the
same Story. Only in more detail!)
No wonder the
"Korah" Psalms are so full of praise and worship and love of the
House of God!
God was good
to that family! No wonder they loved Him so!
"What
shall I render unto the LORD for all his benefits toward
me?"
Psalm 116:12
Let me add
Psalm 68:19 too. "Blessed be the
Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits, even the
God of our salvation. Selah."
Yes!
--- Dr. Mike Bagwell
One of the
Korah Psalms, the eighty fifth, says it this way:
"Shew us thy mercy, O LORD, and grant us
thy salvation. I will hear what God the LORD will speak: for
he will speak peace unto
his people, and to his saints: but let them not turn
again to folly. Surely his salvation is nigh them that
fear him; that glory may dwell in our land.
Mercy and truth are met
together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other.
Truth shall spring out of the earth; and righteousness shall
look down from heaven. Yea, the LORD shall give that which is
good; and our land shall yield her increase. Righteousness
shall go before him; and shall set us in the way of his
steps." Psalm 85:7-13
Yes, our God,
ineffable as He is, deserves unending worship!
LESSON 24, PSALM 46:1-3 AND THE SONS OF
KORAH:
The opening three Verses of
Psalm 46 provide a powerful little "reminder" to the Sons of
Korah. Their Father had helped lead a "rebellion" against Moses.
Numbers 16 gives us the fullest account of the incident. It's
true that he did not solely lead the insurrection. He had help
from three other men, "Dathan" and "Abiram" plus a man named
"On." Well really, these men were the "ringleaders," they
persuaded 250 more "men of renown" to join their ranks as well!
And their boldness was
flagrant! Their accusations false! To Moses and Aaron they said:
"Ye
take too much upon you,
seeing all the congregation are holy, every one of them,
and the LORD is among them: wherefore then lift ye up
yourselves above the congregation of the LORD?" Numbers
16:3 where Moses and Aaron actually took "nothing" upon
themselves! God "conscripted" them for service! Like Paul many
years later, "necessity" was laid upon them by the Lord God of
Heaven! (First Corinthians 9:16 ... "For
though I Paul preach the gospel, I have nothing to glory of: for
necessity is laid upon me; yea, woe is unto me, if I
preach not the gospel!")
The Lord, not just Moses,
became "upset" at this rebellion! God told Moses that one day
later, after the first verbal attack, He would "consume" all
these people "in a moment!" See Numbers 16:21 for proof.
Then, the rest is history!
Here's what God did. "The earth opened her
mouth, and swallowed them up, with all that appertain
unto them, and they went down quick into the pit."
Numbers 16:30
Wow!
Here's a fuller account.
"And the earth opened her mouth, and
swallowed them up, and their houses, and all the men that
appertained unto Korah, and all their goods. They,
and all that appertained to them, went down alive into
the pit, and the earth closed upon them: and they perished from
among the congregation." Numbers 16:32-33, in what
appears to be an "instant," carefully "controlled" earthquake!
Normally in such a deliberate
judgment, the men's entire families would have been consumed
as well. Think about Achan the thief. Once caught and found
guilty ... "Joshua, and all Israel with
him, took Achan the son of Zerah, and the silver, and the
garment, and the wedge of gold,
and his sons, and his
daughters, and his oxen, and his asses, and his sheep,
and his tent, and all that he had: and they brought them unto
the valley of Achor. And Joshua said, Why hast thou troubled us?
the LORD shall trouble thee this day. And all Israel stoned him
with stones, and burned them with fire, after they had stoned
them with stones. And they raised over him a great heap of
stones unto this day. So the LORD turned from the fierceness of
his anger. Wherefore the name of that place was called, The
valley of Achor, unto this day." Joshua 7:24-26
Achan's whole household ...
dead!
Stoned by rocks!
Burned by fire, incinerated!
Including the sons!
But with Korah, his "sons" were allowed to live!
That's called GRACE, dear
readers!
And it looks like these men,
when grown, these "Sons of Korah," never forgot that the Lord
had been so good to them! All the Psalms bearing their Name
center on thanks and adoration and worship!
Including today's Psalm, today's
verses. Psalm 46:1-3. Listen to this high level of praise!
"God is our refuge and strength, a
very present help in trouble. Therefore will not we fear,
though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be
carried into the midst of the sea; though the waters
thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains
shake with the swelling thereof. Selah." I've boldly
capitalized a line you must notice! Though the earth "be
removed" or "shake!"
Wow!
That's exactly what
happened, too! These boys' Dad and that whole crowd of jealous
insurrectionists! The earth opened her mouth, with some
"geological commotion" I would suggest, and devoured that wicked
confederacy!
Yes, this is "personal!"
A real "testimony!"
In other words ... God is still
God, still a "Refuge" and "Strength," even when the earth is
convulsively obeying His stark Commands!
Though the earth be
moved!
Though the mountains
shake!
God judging sin!
Yet God protecting (sparing) His
Own!
No wonder the Sons of Korah are
known for their fervent worship of God!
They would have already been "in
the pit" apart from God's Goodness and Mercy!
They
had been "saved by Grace!"
Oh, that's right!
We
have too!
Maybe that means you and I
should worship the Lord that whole-heartedly as well! Like Psalm
9 opens, "I will praise thee O LORD
with my whole heart."
In fact, let's quit writing and
reading right now.
And go worship our merciful
Lord!
--- Dr. Mike
Bagwell
LESSON 22,
FURTHER BIBLE PROOF:
How do we
know Korah's sons survived that "earthquake" long ago, when the
earth "opened her mouth" and swallowed hundreds of rebels?
Numbers
26:10-11 records "And the earth opened her
mouth, and swallowed them up together with Korah, when that
company died, what time the fire devoured two hundred and fifty
men: and they became a sign. Notwithstanding the children of
Korah died not."
Wow!
Did you see
it?
"Notwithstanding the children of Korah
died not."
This group of boys, Assir and Elkanah and Elkanah by name,
all lived! The Bible says so! "And the
sons of Korah; Assir, and Elkanah, and Abiasaph: these are
the families of the Korhites." Exodus 6:24, part of
their genealogy!
And of course by the time the these "Korah" Psalms were
written (years later) many children and grandchildren and
even great-grandchildren had been born, really several
generations!
Yes,
"The children of Korah died not."
A group of Jews who normally (under nearly any other severe
judgment of God) would have died ... "died
not!"
That's called GRACE!
That's (their being spared) a classic exhibition of God's
MERCY!
In the OLD TESTAMENT, by the way!
A group of people who could easily have been "in the pit!"
Roasted by fire!
Killed by God!
Yet they were spared!
Again, here's what happened to their rebellious forefather
Korah (and his "company") ... "And it came
to pass, as Moses had made an end of speaking all these words,
that the ground clave asunder that was under them.
And the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed them up,
and their houses, and all the men that appertained unto
Korah, and all their goods. They, and all that
appertained to them, went down alive into the pit,
and the earth closed upon them: and they perished from
among the congregation." But there's more ...
"And there came out a fire from the
LORD, and consumed the two hundred and fifty men that
offered incense." All these verses are from the Book of
Numbers, chapter 16.
But the sons of Korah, unlike Achan's children, unlike Saul's
children, unlike numerous other boys in the history of Israel
... "died not!"
What a reversal!
Therefore I say ... no wonder all the Psalms
associated with these boys are so full of thanksgiving!
So charged with worship!
So thankful for God's Amazing Grace!
Today (especially if you know someone who should be in Hell
... but he or she has been spared) tell them how good God is!
And if you happen to be in that number (that is, if you are
human) join the chorus!
Psalms like this: "Come, behold the
works of the LORD, what desolations he hath made in the earth.
He maketh wars to cease unto the end of the earth; he breaketh
the bow, and cutteth the spear in sunder; he burneth the chariot
in the fire. Be still, and know that I am God: I will be
exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.
The LORD of hosts is
with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah."
Psalm 46:8-11
Hallelujah!
--- Dr. Mike Bagwell
LESSON 23, THE SONS OF KORAH, THEIR
OCCUPATIONS:
We really
know more, Biblically speaking, about the Sons of Korah than I
at first imagined. Not only about their lineage, but also
concerning their employment, their work. They, like their
founding Forefathers, served the Lord full-time!
"And
these are they whom David set over
the service of song
in the house of the LORD, after that the ark had rest. And
they ministered before
the dwelling place of the tabernacle of the congregation with
singing, until Solomon had built the house of the LORD in
Jerusalem: and then they waited on their office according to
their order. And these are they that waited with their children.
Of the sons of the Kohathites:
Heman a singer,
the son of Joel, the son of Shemuel, the son of Elkanah, the son
of Jeroham, the son of Eliel, the son of Toah, the son of Zuph,
the son of Elkanah, the son of Mahath, the son of Amasai, the
son of Elkanah, the son of Joel, the son of Azariah, the son of
Zephaniah, the son of Tahath, the son of Assir, the son of
Ebiasaph, the son of Korah, The son of Izhar, the son of Kohath,
the son of Levi, the son
of Israel." First Chronicles 6:31-38, the last
name in this list, "Israel" is also known as "Jacob." Twenty-one
generations, if I've counted correctly!
And these
miraculously spared boys, men, did what for the Lord?
They "sang!"
At the
Tabernacle!
Then later,
at the Temple!
"The service of song," where the
noun "service" is spelled "yad" in Hebrew, the common word for
one's "hand." And "song" translates a word than suggests "while
one travels, moves from place to place," he is "joyfully making
music" unto the Lord! With "hands uplifted" apparently!
Wow!
"And they
ministered before the dwelling place of the tabernacle of the
congregation with singing."
The verb "ministered" is interesting! It's a Piel stem
word (showing "great emotion, intensity," with a "deliberate"
spirit behind such) meaning "to serve" Someone, "to wait" upon
that Person, here musically!
How long did they do this?
Many years, as already indicated.
"Until Solomon had built the house of the LORD in Jerusalem: and
then they waited on their office according to their
order." Here "waited" is a different verb, "amad." It
means "to stand, to remain, to endure!" Faithfulness, an
accurate synonym!
The man currently in charge was "Heman." A name literally
meaning, in Hebrew, "faithful!" Back to our Text:
"And these are
they that waited with their children. Of the sons of the
Kohathites: Heman a singer."
Little wonder the Psalms for the Sons of Korah (Psalms 42-49
and again Psalms 84, 85, 87 and 88) are filled with worship!
With song, either songs of praise or lament, both directed to
the great God of Heaven!
Plus this, still concerning the sons of Korah. For
generations some of these men were also "keepers of the door" at
the House of God! Here's First Chronicles 9:19-20.
"And
Shallum the
son of
Kore, the
son of
Ebiasaph, the
son of
Korah, and his
brethren, of the
house of his
father, the
Korahites, were over the
work of the
service,
keepers of the
gates of the
tabernacle:
and their fathers, being
over the host of the
Lord, were
keepers of the
entry.
And Phinehas the
son of
Eleazar was the
ruler over them in time
past, and the
Lord was with him."
Others are listed too, through the years.
"Concerning
the divisions of the
porters: of the Korhites was Meshelemiah the son of
Kore (Korah), of the sons of Asaph. And the sons of
Meshelemiah were, Zechariah the firstborn, Jediael the second,
Zebadiah the third, Jathniel the fourth." First
Chronicles 26:1-2
"Porters" are "gate" keepers!
So ... whether singing or guarding ... the Sons of Korah were
sincerely serving the Lord at His House!
And Psalm 84, do you remember? "For
Lord, a day in thy courts is better than a thousand.
I had rather be a
doorkeeper in the house of my God, than to dwell in the
tents of wickedness." Verse 10 there.
Amen!
And that's surely why these men are so often mentioned in the
Psalms!
Spared from death, a violent and painful death, they thanked
and praised and worshipped God thereafter for many years!
"Saved," by Grace!
--- Dr. Mike Bagwell
LESSON 24, THE SONS OF KORAH,
CONCLUSION:
This may be
the final Lesson in our "Sons of Korah" Series. Reluctantly I
say that! Really, to study each of these Psalms would take a
year or more. At least that's my feeling this morning.
But now I'm
wondering, "What was the issue that brought such judgment
on the Father of these men? On Korah himself?"
To answer
this we must consult Scripture of course. "Korah" (meaning
"bald," but in the sense of "making oneself bald") was a Jew. A
direct descendant of Abraham and Isaac and Jacob! Through
Jacob's son Levi, to be more specific.
"And these are the names of the sons of Levi according to
their generations; Gershon, and Kohath, and Merari: and
the years of the life of Levi were an hundred thirty and
seven years." Exodus 6:16
This is Levi
whose generations to follow were called "Levites." From this
family God chose all His Priests! And workers for the Sanctuary,
the Tabernacle at first and the Temple later in Israel's
history.
These "sons
of Korah" descended directly through "Kohath" (meaning
"assembly" in Hebrew, from a root word, "to ally oneself"). I
have underlined his Name above in the Exodus 6:16 quotation.
Now here's
how we know our family "line" is correct so far.
"And the sons of Kohath; Amram, and
Izhar, and Hebron, and Uzziel: and the years of the life of
Kohath were an hundred thirty and three years."
Exodus 6:18, where I have now underlined Izhar (meaning "shining
oil, pure oil, freshly pressed oil," then ultimately meaning
"anointed"), the Father of Korah himself.
Here they
are, in chronological order. "Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Levi,
Kohath, Izhar then Korah! "And
the sons of Izhar; Korah, and Nepheg, and Zichri."
Exodus 6:21.
Six
generations from Abraham!
But now
there's more.
Not only are
all these men (since the time of Levi) designated (called) to
serve the Lord with all their time and energy, helping Israel
fervently worship Almighty God ... they have various duties.
Some were
priests, Aaron being the first in line. Aaron, Brother of Moses.
Still though, they were Sons of Levi. The first time Aaron is
mentioned in the Bible, "And the anger of
the LORD was kindled against Moses, and he said, Is not
Aaron the Levite thy brother? I know that he can speak
well. And also, behold, he cometh forth to meet thee: and when
he seeth thee, he will be glad in his heart." Exodus
4:14, yes Moses is of Levi as well.
Aaron the
Priest was a descendant of Amram, Brother of Izhar, Korah's
Father. Thus, Aaron the Priest and Korah the Levite were
"cousins." Their respective Dads were Brothers.
Now, and this
is important, even critical, what kind of work did the
Lord have "Korah" doing? Numbers 3:31 tells us:
"Their charge shall be the ark, and
the table, and the candlestick, and the altars, and the vessels
of the sanctuary wherewith they minister, and the hanging, and
all the service thereof." Sounds very important!
But it was
not the Priesthood!
And somehow
Korah was never satisfied!
He merely got
to handle the furniture. His cousins were able to lead the
worship! To offer the sacrifices! They (in his eyes) were more
important! They had more power! More prestige!
Listen to
Korah's angry accusation against Moses and Aaron.
"Now Korah, the son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of
Levi, and Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, and On, the son
of Peleth, sons of Reuben, took men. And they rose up
before Moses, with certain of the children of Israel, two
hundred and fifty princes of the assembly, famous in the
congregation, men of renown. And they gathered themselves
together against Moses and against Aaron, and said unto them,
Ye take too much upon
you, seeing all the congregation are holy, every one of them,
and the LORD is among them: wherefore then lift ye up yourselves
above the congregation of the LORD?" Numbers
16:1-3
Wow!
Attacking
(although verbally) the men of God!
The very
Priests of Israel!
Was
"jealousy" at the root of this tirade?
Or was it
merely "dissatisfaction" with their "minor" jobs, not in the
"public eye," not like their cousins!
Here's more
information, Moses' response against the rebels.
"And Moses said unto Korah, Hear, I pray
you, ye sons of Levi: Seemeth it but a small thing unto
you, that the God of Israel hath separated you from the
congregation of Israel, to bring you near to himself to do the
service of the tabernacle of the Lord, and to stand before the
congregation to minister unto them? And he hath brought thee
near to him, and all thy brethren the sons of Levi with
thee: and seek ye the priesthood also? which cause
both thou and all thy company are gathered together
against the Lord: and what is Aaron, that ye murmur
against him?" Leviticus 16:8-11
More defiance
from Korah and his crowd. They're really mad!
Whatever the
cause, Korah was killed over the issue!
Killed by
God!
Here's how.
"The ground clave asunder that was
under them: and the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed them
up, and their houses, and all the men that appertained
unto Korah, and all their goods. They, and all that
appertained to them, went down alive into the pit, and the
earth closed upon them: and they perished from among the
congregation." Leviticus 16:31-33
Not happy to
do the "less obvious" things for God!
Upset and
envious over a relative, a brother in the Lord, whom God has
chosen to bless more abundantly that you!
Listen to
them "disrespect" Moses. "We will not come
up. Is it a small thing that thou hast brought us up out
of a land that floweth with milk and honey, to kill us in the
wilderness, except thou make thyself altogether a prince over
us? Moreover thou hast not brought us into a land that
floweth with milk and honey, or given us inheritance of fields
and vineyards: wilt thou put out the eyes of these men? We will
not come up." All Moses sought was a "meeting" with them!
That was
Korah.
But, as we
have repeatedly seen, his sons survived!
They did not
die that day!
And, here's
the point of today's Lesson, THE SONS OF KORAH LEARNED TO BE
HAPPY DOING THE "LESS SIGNIFICANT" THINGS AT GOD'S HOUSE!
They did not
demand to serve as "High Priest!"
They were
thrilled to be "doorkeepers" at God's House!
To be
"porters" at the Temple!
To be
"singers" in the choir!
Even to be in
charge of the "pans" in which food was cooked, aiding worship at
the Tabernacle and Temple!
The "pans!"
Cooking
"bread" for Church!
"And Mattithiah, one of the
Levites, who was the firstborn of Shallum the Korahite,
had the set office over the things that were made in the pans.
And other of their brethren, of the sons of the
Kohathites, were over the shewbread, to
prepare it every sabbath." First Chronicles
9:31-32
Happy ... now
... to do "anything" for their Lord!
That just may
be the fundamental Truth to glean from the lives of the Sons of
Korah!
One verse
from Zechariah comes to mind as I close these Lessons.
"For who hath despised the day of small
things?" Yes, God is in the "small" things too!
Remember the
song, "Little is much when God is in it."
Little is much when God is in it!
Labor not for wealth or fame;
There’s a crown, and you can win it,
If you go in Jesus’ name.
Does the place you’re called to labor
Seem so small and little known?
It is great if God is in it,
And He’ll not forget His own.
When the conflict here is ended
And our race on earth is run,
He will say, if we are faithful,
“Welcome home, My child—well done!”
Amen!
--- Dr. Mike Bagwell
