Psalm 47
Scripture:
Psalm 47:7-8
For God is the King of all the earth; sing to him a psalm of praise.
8 God reigns over the nations; God is seated on his holy throne.
Observation:
This is an enthronement psalm declaring God as King over the whole earth. The Hebrew word translated as “God” appears 8 times in this Psalm. God is referred to as “king” or the one who reigns 4 times.
The point is that God is King – not just over Israel but over all the people of the earth.
While the original writers of this Psalm would have written about God (Yahweh) as King, this Psalm points prophetically to Jesus defeating the power of death and ascending to heaven to sit at the right hand of God. (Ephesians 1:20-22)
Because of this Good News, we, God’s people, are commanded to celebrate. We are told to clap, shout, and sing!
Understanding:
We aren’t accustomed to a kingdom mindset in America. In our view of government, we tend to think things should go according to what seems right to us – we choose by a democratic or popular vote.
But the truth is, God is the One who is in control. He is King over the whole earth – every people and every nation, whether they acknowledge Him or not.
This isn’t a passive or ceremonial rule. Verse 8 says “God is seated on his holy throne.” Being seated signifies that the battle has been won, and Christ is actively reigning. His throne isn’t empty; it’s His throne, and it’s holy.
Hebrews 4:16 calls this holy throne a “throne of grace where we may receive mercy and grace in our time of need.”
Psalm 89:14 declares that “righteousness and justice are the foundation of this holy throne.”
Life Application:
This is a Psalm that can help us refocus and gain strength and clarity during these turbulent times. Regardless of what things look like on the earth, the fact is that God is on His throne.
God is in control. Nothing can change that, but if we don’t acknowledge it, we aren’t able to access the fruit in our lives that comes from this truth.
As God’s people, we aren’t praying for victory, we are praying from victory. We can choose to declare that victory now regardless of what circumstances may look like.
As we trust in Christ’s finished work on the cross, we will experience His grace and justice in our lives as He “works all things together for our good” (Romans 8:28)
That’s a great reason to clap, shout and sing!
-Julie Cole
Julie Cole is the Director of Spiritual Formation and Soul Care at The King’s University. She’s a licensed marriage and family therapist and a licensed Open Bible minister desiring to inspire people to connect with God and to see His hand in both the miraculous and the mundane. She and her husband, David, live in Trophy Club, Texas, and have four children and six grandchildren.
Deuteronomy 32 - 11.19.21
Scripture - What stood out?
Deuteronomy 32:5 (ESV)
They have dealt corruptly with him;
they are no longer his children because they are blemished;
they are a crooked and twisted generation.
Observation - What does it say?
Joshua had just been commissioned to be Israel’s next leader. This is Moses’s farewell song to the nation he has led for 40+ years. The song is a very moving warning to the people he loves.
Understanding - What does it mean?
Moses does not pull any punches in this his farewell song/speech to the nation he has been leading, appointed by God Himself. I had read the chapter a third time asking God to highlight something for me and it just hit me as I read verse five. ‘Wait, Moses sir, which generation are you calling a twisted generation? Surely, not this new group who is about to enter the promised land right?’ As I have read this chapter over and over again I have not got the sense that Moses was referring to a single generation of Israelites (and here the term Israelites for me is fairly synonymous with humans at this point). The sense I got here was that multiple generations, possibly even the one that was listening to his final song, were crooked and twisted.
And so I am reminded of my mother o’ Lord. My loving mother who will not stop hounding me to lose weight!
She has tried the loving gentle approach by nearly cooing: Kenneth I love you. Lose some weight, ok? I love you. Bye!
She has tried the logical approach: Kenneth, I love you but you need to lose weight. The health problems you will face in the future are too many. Please, please lose weight ok? I love you.
And due to the failure of the two above strategies she has now tried the current approach: Kenneth, you need to lose weight ok? No, at least 30 pounds before you come back to New York. Just do it. Please. Just...lose...weight. Bye. Mind you 3 weeks prior to that she told me I looked like a “fat old man” and that I better lose weight. But the truth is my mom loves me. And she knows. She KNOWS that this is something I have to do.
I believe that Moses loved his people. Moses LOVED his people. And he knew. He KNEW that the best thing for the people he loved was for them to acknowledge, love, and cling to everything the Lord had told them to do.
Life Application - How can I apply this to my life today?
And so this song suddenly isn’t the foundation for a turn or burn speech. While there is an overtone of ‘you better don’t!’ The foundation of this song is a deeply embedded desire and love for one’s child to do what is right. I can see and almost feel the loving embrace of a father, of a shepherd who had dutifully led a flock he so loved. And he was going to do and say whatever it took to keep them aligned to the one thing that mattered - their God, their Rock, their Savior. Moses pulls no punches and delivers God’s message faithfully. Moses is direct, he is honest, and his message is filled with love. Much like God is direct, God is honest, and God is love.
Lord, I don't know how to apply what I learned this morning to my life asap. Show me how to be a little more like You today. Show me to be a little more like your servant Moses. And dare I say, show me to love a little more like my own Mom. In the name of Jesus do I pray, amen.
-kenneth lee
Deuteronomy 31
Scripture
Deuteronomy 31:1-8 NIV
31 Then Moses went out and spoke these words to all Israel: 2 “I am now a hundred and twenty years old and I am no longer able to lead you. The Lord has said to me, ‘You shall not cross the Jordan.’ 3 The Lord your God himself will cross over ahead of you. He will destroy these nations before you, and you will take possession of their land. Joshua also will cross over ahead of you, as the Lord said. 4 And the Lord will do to them what he did to Sihon and Og, the kings of the Amorites, whom he destroyed along with their land. 5 The Lord will deliver them to you, and you must do to them all that I have commanded you. 6 Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.” 7 Then Moses summoned Joshua and said to him in the presence of all Israel, “Be strong and courageous, for you must go with this people into the land that the Lord swore to their ancestors to give them, and you must divide it among them as their inheritance. 8 The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”
Observation
Deuteronomy 31:1-8 we see Moses telling the people that he can no longer lead them into the promise land. He goes on to encourage them that God will go before them as well as Joshua to lead them. He tells them not to be scared, that God is in this. Moses also commissions Joshua to continue what was started and encouraged him that God Will never leave him.
Understanding
As I read this I am reminded how good God is and how faithful He is to His word.
Isaiah 55:11 NIV
11 so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.
God had promised His people that He would lead them out of captivity into a land flowing with milk and honey. Even though it took awhile and the people of God made many mistakes, we see God holding true to His word.
This is also a reminder that it might not always look how we expect it to look, but we can stand on God’s promises. Here we have Moses handing off the torch to Joshua. I can’t imagine what Joshua is going through. This is his spiritual father, this is the one who has been leading this whole time. To hear that Moses is no longer able to lead and that you are to step up. Wow, that is a lot to take in. The awesome thing is God promised to go before him. He also promised to be with Joshua and to never leave him. It shows me that through it all, no matter how it changes, God is faithful and is the one who will guide us and be with us.
The other thing I love and learn from this passage is God always prepares us for what’s to come. God spoke these words to prepare Joshua and the people, so that at the end of Deuteronomy when Moses passes on Joshua is prepared. God allows Joshua a time of mourning and at the beginning of the book of Joshua God commissions him to walk out what He spoke through Moses.
Life Application
What dream has God given to you? What are the plans and promises you need to hold onto? What word do you need to trust God to be faithful in no matter the twist and turns your journey takes?
I pray that we would feel the comforter in this moment. I pray we would hear Him as He reminds us that He goes before us, that He is with us, and that He will never leave us or forsake us.
It’s time we trust Him to accomplish all that He says.
-Justin Eaves