The God of Jacob and of Judah

Psalm 114:1–8 (ESV): 

When Israel went out from Egypt, 

the house of Jacob from a people of strange language, 

 2  Judah became his sanctuary, 

Israel his dominion. 

 3  The sea looked and fled; 

Jordan turned back. 

 4  The mountains skipped like rams, 

the hills like lambs. 

 5  What ails you, O sea, that you flee? 

O Jordan, that you turn back? 

 6  O mountains, that you skip like rams? 

O hills, like lambs? 

 7  Tremble, O earth, at the presence of the Lord, 

at the presence of the God of Jacob, 

 8  who turns the rock into a pool of water, 

the flint into a spring of water. 

This psalm refers to the nation of Israel in several ways to emphasise different aspects of their experience. One of these is the ‘house of Jacob’.  This refers to those who entered Egypt during the years that Joseph was second in command in that nation. When he invited his family to come and reside in Goshen with permission of the Pharaoh. Therefore it is appropriate that this psalm links the nation’s escape from Egypt to the people who entered it. For these are the ones from whom all the Israelites have descended from since being there. What once started off in Egypt as a poor, withering family due to famine, had become a vast and prospering people, significant enough to become a nation! Thus demonstrating something of the perfect plan, power and purposes of God, even in their slavery and oppression. Even though the Israelites were downtrodden and ill-treated for generations, they had become numerous, so much so that the current Pharaoh and Egyptians now considered them a threat. So, referring to the people of Israel as the house of Jacob tells a story. It is a reminder of what God has done and can do. For His might and power are always the pervading authority no matter the circumstances! 

The people who left Egypt are also named as Judah, the leading tribe of the nation of Israel. Judah was known for it’s power, strength, and for the fact that the promised Messiah would come from them. This is the tribe that ‘became his sanctuary’, a place of safety, security and the presence of God thereby signifying His holiness and strength. Once the nation arrived at the Promised Land, the holy town of Jerusalem where the temple was built was in Judah, centrally located, just as God is central to the nation of Israel, His chosen people.

We can see that through simply identifying different names for Israel, this psalmist connects the Israelites past to the the future promises of God. It reminds us of God's favour, His work through the trials, and His assurance that wherever His people are, He will be at the centre, providing His holiness and strength, and always fulfilling His promises. Where God's people are, there He is, whatever they are going through, He has a plan, whoever seems to be in power, He is more powerful and He looks over and cares for His own. 

This psalm continues to tells us that at the mere sight of this nation, ‘the sea looked and fled’ and ‘the mountains skipped like rams’. For ‘the presence of the Lord’ is with His people. Do you know that the presence of God is STILL with His people, as magnificent and powerful today as it was then? 

God can and does still do miraculous and incredible things through and for His people. He is still redeeming people from slavery, providing for their needs, helping them escape and endure oppression, causing natural phenomena to protect and guide them. God can and does mighty works today in the lives of those who follow Him, whether it is following Him to another town or nation, through difficulty or into freedom and blessing, you can still see God working today. 

Therefore expect the unexpected, pray big and keep following Him for who knows how you will see God’s might and power displayed next -  He is the God of Jacob, the God of Judah, and the God of those who follow Him. So, you can trust Him with whatever season of life you are in, and in all circumstances.

Praise the Lord!

 Psalm 113:1–9 (ESV): 

113 Praise the Lord! 

Praise, O servants of the Lord, 

praise the name of the Lord! 

 2  Blessed be the name of the Lord 

from this time forth and forevermore! 

 3  From the rising of the sun to its setting, 

the name of the Lord is to be praised! 

 4  The Lord is high above all nations, 

and his glory above the heavens! 

 5  Who is like the Lord our God, 

who is seated on high, 

 6  who looks far down 

on the heavens and the earth? 

 7  He raises the poor from the dust 

and lifts the needy from the ash heap, 

 8  to make them sit with princes, 

with the princes of his people. 

 9  He gives the barren woman a home, 

making her the joyous mother of children. 

Praise the Lord! 

When should you worship?

It can be easy to think that worship is for a gathering of believers, and it is often associated with singing, but here we are told, ‘From the rising of the sun to its setting, the name of the Lord is to be praised!’ God certainly deserves to be worshipped all day long, so what is this form of praise that we can continue all day, for surely no-one can be expected to sing to God all day?! 

To praise something means to express approval or admiration for. So praise can take many forms. It can be in the way you; talk about others/God, express gratitude, read the Bible, dance, play music, listen to teaching, think about God, pray, behave, and the way you carry out tasks. As you can see there are many ways that you can praise God. It involves what your mind is doing, and what your motivation is for what you are doing. You can wash dishes and be admiring God, or take out the rubbish and be considering God’s words. You can even be doing something that you don’t like doing, but you know that it will bless others, so you do it as a sacrifice of praise because that is your motivation. This is how it is possible to praise God throughout the day. You can display your admiration and approval of God in your workplace, community, area of study, at home, around family, friends and strangers, from the moment you wake up til you go to sleep. For true praise means that you carry the concern of honouring God in your life in every area of it. So, during your daily life, are you praising God? It is normal to think of other things too, not every thought will be directed to Him, the dishes do need washing and the rubbish needs dealing with, work needs to be done and people cared for. Yet you can carry out these activities with an attitude of praise to Almighty God. For this psalm doesn't just invite or encourage God's praise, but it commands it. For someone who follows God, worshipping Him is not optional, this psalm tells you to; Praise the fact He is Lord, praise His name, praise His glory, praise Him because He is above all things, praise Him as He transforms lives of poverty and barrenness to honour and fruitfulness. However you do it, praise Him. God deserves it. Even if you consider one aspect of God, one verse, or one thing He has done, it will lift your spirit and you will be directing praise to where it is due, to The Lord. How about considering that, ‘The Lord is high above all nations’ or, ‘who is like the Lord our God’ throughout your day? I wonder what will be revealed to you in the process and how grateful and in wonder you will be of Him. 

When you set your mind to admire God in your day, you are joining with people all over the Earth in praising Him, as well as the hosts of heaven to consider the greatness of God! You are not alone in your praise. God is getting approval and admiration from across the World and beyond. There are many who are lifting Him up, extolling Him and honouring Him, remembering Him and enjoying thinking about Him. From princes to the poor, the childless to parents - they all praise the Lord and have reason to be joyful because of Him. Are you joining with them in praising God, 'from the rising of the sun to its setting'?

Do you fear the Lord?

Psalm 112:1–10 (ESV): 

1 Praise the Lord! 

Blessed is the man who fears the Lord, 

who greatly delights in his commandments! 

 2  His offspring will be mighty in the land; 

the generation of the upright will be blessed. 

 3  Wealth and riches are in his house, 

and his righteousness endures forever. 

 4  Light dawns in the darkness for the upright; 

he is gracious, merciful, and righteous. 

 5  It is well with the man who deals generously and lends; 

who conducts his affairs with justice. 

 6  For the righteous will never be moved; 

he will be remembered forever. 

 7  He is not afraid of bad news; 

his heart is firm, trusting in the Lord. 

 8  His heart is steady; he will not be afraid, 

until he looks in triumph on his adversaries. 

 9  He has distributed freely; he has given to the poor; 

his righteousness endures forever; 

his horn is exalted in honour. 

 10  The wicked man sees it and is angry; 

he gnashes his teeth and melts away; 

the desire of the wicked will perish! 

‘Blessed is the man who fears the Lord, who greatly delights in his commandments!’ What does it really mean to live as one who fears the Lord and delights in His commandments? A person who fears the Lord is not just a good, happy person who says that they know there is a God. The person who ‘fears the Lord’ is someone who is in awe of God and faithfully obeys Him, in the big and that small matters. Are you such a person? 

It is important to consider this as the psalm states, ‘blessed is the man who fears the Lord’. There is an automatic, guaranteed favour upon those who fear God. This includes a blessing upon their children - they will be mighty, plus their generation will be blessed! All because a person fears the Lord. So if you want to make an impact in the world, want your children to be mighty, and you want to have a positive influence in your generation - learn how to fear the Lord! Helpfully, this psalm gives some indicators as to what someone who fears God looks like, so that you can be someone who is blessed of God who influences generations.

One of the first elements that is expressed of such a person is, ‘Light dawns in the darkness for the upright’. Oh dear, that doesn’t sound much fun does it?! There will be darkness for the one who fears God. At times it will feel scary, confusing and difficult for there will be dark times. Yet when the upright one demonsrtates grace, mercy and righteousness, light will dawn (v4). This is not saying the light will obliterate the pain and difficulty of the dark times, but that one who fears God will come to notice a measure of light. A direction, help and hope which will, in time, transform the darkness just like the dawn does. For the dawn doesn’t remain a glimmer, but it is the beginning of the assurance that a new day is arriving. For the righteous person, when they remain gracious, merciful and righteous throughout the difficult dark times, they demonstrate their faith and fear of the Lord God through conducting themselves in a right manner. Their faith and godly conduct brings an undeniable hope and assurance that is set not on what is around them, but who they know is above them. The person who fears God is someone who is seen as faithful and good throughout the good and the bad seasons. This reminds me that the New Testament says, ‘by their fruits you shall know them’ (Matthew 7:16). This means that you can tell what type of person someone is, not for what they say, but by the results of their words and actions. For when someone produces good fruit, it is because they are healthy and good on the inside. Their faith is genuine and their fear of God real. This psalm expresses the same thing. You can tell if a person lives the faith they profess if they continue to pursue righteousness, grace and mercy throughout the tough times. When you are under pressure, and see that you are in the darkness, do you maintain your integrity? Do you steadfastly believe and trust in God, remaining righteous, gracious and merciful to those around you, ready to forgive and love? This is the way of the one who fears the Lord.

The one who fears God also considers carefully how they handle money. ‘It is well with the man who deals generously and lends; who conducts his affairs with justice.’ Being a good steward of the resources you have is important to God, and so it should be to you too. Do you deal fairly with money? Are you honest about the taxes you pay, the way you lend or borrow? Do you pay people back, and are you generous with what you have? If someone were to look at your bank account today, how would you feel, and what would they see? Your bank account reveals what you value as you spend money on the things that you deem necessary and important. So, does the way you handle money reflect the values of God? He wants to give His righteous ones ‘wealth and riches’, could God trust you with handling such favour well, for the glory of His kingdom?

Next, how do you respond to bad news? Whether that is national, international, or personal bad news. What is your reaction?  Some people become full of fear and grief and these emotions dictate their response. Although it is natural to have emotional responses to the things that occur, is your faith affected? ‘For the righteous will never be moved’. No matter what hits the one who fears the Lord, their trust in God, faith and faithfulness will not falter. They will get emotionally and physically impacted, but they do not let their emotions overcome them. Instead their emotions are overcome by faith. Their hearts are firm not because of circumstance, not because they do not feel anything, or that they do not experience difficulties, but because they trust in God more than anything else. So what directs your responses when tragic news comes? You can be overwhelmed, hurt and disappointed, but do those emotions direct your actions, or does faith in God? Even when it does not make sense to you, even when you are in deep pain, what is the guiding factor in your responses - are feelings or faith in control? You can have a heart that is steady and free from fear (v8) when the only One you fear is the Lord God as then you will never be moved.

The one who fears the Lord will also demonstrate concern and support for others, namely the poor. Do you notice those people and show care to them? This psalm simply says that the one who fears God, ‘has given freely to the poor’. They pay attention to those less well off than themselves, and give to them without expecting anything in return. Throughout scripture we can see that God highly values the poor. He has deep regard and consideration for them, and so as one who fears Him, your response should reflect His. God has been generous, loving and giving to each of us, and so by taking care of others who need it, we have the great privilege of demonstrating a small part of who God is by generously sharing what He given you. 

In all of your affairs, as someone who fears the Lord, conduct them in righteousness, and generosity. Do what is right. There are no elements of life that are excluded from God’s expectation that you behave in a righteous manner. He expects those who fear Him to live lives of integrity, no matter the twists and turns they experience. When a man or woman of God lives in this way, they show that they are moved only by Almighty God. People can try and catch them out, but only righteousness, generosity, grace and mercy are revealed. No wonder their generation and future generations are blessed! ‘Blessed is the man who fears the Lord’! - will that be your story?

Wondrous works

 Psalm 111:1–10 (ESV): 

1 Praise the Lord! 

 I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart, 

in the company of the upright, in the congregation. 

 2  Great are the works of the Lord, 

studied by all who delight in them. 

 3  Full of splendour and majesty is his work, 

and his righteousness endures forever. 

 4  He has caused his wondrous works to be remembered; 

the Lord is gracious and merciful. 

 5  He provides food for those who fear him; 

he remembers his covenant forever. 

 6  He has shown his people the power of his works, 

in giving them the inheritance of the nations. 

 7  The works of his hands are faithful and just; 

all his precepts are trustworthy; 

 8  they are established forever and ever, 

to be performed with faithfulness and uprightness. 

 9  He sent redemption to his people; 

he has commanded his covenant forever. 

Holy and awesome is his name! 

10  The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; 

all those who practice it have a good understanding. 

His praise endures forever! 

If you find it too much to consider God and His character, why not start by considering His works? This psalmist repeats the fact that God has performed works which demonstrate who He is and what He cares about. For the things that you; do, give your time to, and put effort into, show what you care about, and something of who you are. If someone were to study what you do and how you do it, they would get a good sense of who you are and what you value. The same is true for the works of God. If you study them, then you will get a good idea of who God is and what He is concerned about. 

This psalm shows us that the things God does are wonderful, great, and are sources of delight for those who consider them. The works of God are ‘full of splendour and majesty’, ‘faithful and just’. When you think about them you cannot fail to see power, love, consideration and perfection in them. Consider; healings, breakthroughs, miraculous provision, overthrowing of evil practices, unmasking of deception, defeated powers that quash the people of God, both in the past and in the present. What do these things show of who God is? For me, it shows that God is powerful, He can overrule any power of nature, interrupt any process and perform incredible, mighty acts of restoration and destruction that no-one could foresee. It shows me that I can trust God with the big and small things because He has influence and can do greater things than i can imagine. God is reliable, kind, and cares about the long-term for His people. He is not interested in short-term gains like we often are. God is not concerned with our comfort but our faith and the benefit of His people as a whole.  These are just some of the conclusions i can draw from the works of God that i have seen and read about. What do you see of God from what you have seen or heard Him do?

When we contemplate and talk about the deeds of God, they inspire praise and awe of Him amongst His people for ‘He has shown his people the power of his works’. It is important that we remind ourselves and others of His works, even sharing the same stories as they help us see God’s nature. By so doing we can help others realise that God is trustworthy, faithful, good, wise, noble, fair, righteous, caring and has great foresight. So, when was the last time you shared a joyful story about what God has done? It can be your story or someone else's or one from scripture that has inspired you. God, 'has caused his wondrous works to be remembered', these stories and experiences are not just for you, but to be shared in order to encourage and build up other brothers and sisters of faith. Recalling what God has done will build faith, joy, hope and bring a natural overflow of praise. It does us good to look at and consider His works. This psalmist tells us that God’s works cause His people delight so that they overflow with gratitude - are you thankful today for the things God has done? For His works are; great, splendid, incredible, majestic, righteous, wonderful, powerful, faithful, just and upright!

This psalm concludes, ‘The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all those who practice it have a good understanding. His praise endures forever!’ Considering the works of God should fill you with awe of Him. The fear of the Lord is a wonder at how great and mighty He is. So as you consider God and the things He does, allow awe and wonder build, as you see and share His wondrous works. Then you will begin to taste what wisdom is.

The lord of The Lord

Psalm 110:1–7 (ESV):  

1  The Lord says to my Lord: 

“Sit at my right hand, 

  until I make your enemies your footstool.” 

 2  The Lord sends forth from Zion 

your mighty scepter. 

Rule in the midst of your enemies! 

 3  Your people will offer themselves freely 

on the day of your power, 

in holy garments; 

  from the womb of the morning, 

the dew of your youth will be yours. 

 4  The Lord has sworn 

and will not change his mind, 

  “You are a priest forever 

after the order of Melchizedek.” 

 5  The Lord is at your right hand; 

he will shatter kings on the day of his wrath. 

 6  He will execute judgment among the nations, 

filling them with corpses; 

  he will shatter chiefs 

over the wide earth. 

 7  He will drink from the brook by the way; 

therefore he will lift up his head. 

This psalm is a revelation that David had that there is a power and authority greater than any influence or position anyone can hold on Earth. He starts off by expressing, ‘the Lord says to my lord’, this indicates that David, even as a king, is in submission to someone higher, his 'lord'. David accepted and enjoyed that fact. For he knew that no matter how powerful, rich or renowned he may get, there is another greater than him in heaven. God revealed to David that there is a lord of the Lord. This is Jesus. 

I think it is amazing how God reveals himself to us. David dld not have the knowledge or understanding of what God had planned. He only had Old Testament scriptures to read to find out anything about God. So when God chose to speak to David the words of these psalm, it must have seemed incredible. David could not fully grasp what was being told to him, but we know can see that God spoke to David about His Son Jesus. God did not explicitly reveal what was to come, but he gave David indicators of what the future would hold. These things would have been strange to the ancient Israelite mind, however when David had this revelation of a lord of the Lord, he knew that this information was inspired by God and of importance so he wrote it down. Even though David could not fully understand it himself, he realised that what God was showing him was significant enough to make the effort to record it. This lord, God revealed, was to be a ruler, have power, be holy, bring judgement, be a priest ‘after the order of Melchizedek’ and sit at God’s side, yet drink water like the rest of humanity does. This revelation showed this lord’s humanity, humility and holiness, and Jesus fulfils each of these. 

What a revelation that David had! Here we are thousands of years later, reading in awe that God has been revealing his Son for thousands of years - even to people who cannot fully grasp what it means! David wrote this about one thousand years before Jesus was even born. Then, during his ministry, Jesus confirms these exact words brought to David - that he, Jesus, is the lord of the Lord, (documented in Matthew 22). Isn’t that incredible?! This writing was kept safe for that length of time, Jesus knew it, and we still get to read it 3,000 years later, plus we now understand it and can see how it points to Jesus! 

God has been revealing himself since the beginning of time and God speaks to His people. David, influenced by the Holy Spirit, wrote down this vision of the promised messiah. I am sure that most of what David wrote probably did not make much sense to Him. A lord of the Lord, people freely giving themselves to God, and being clothed in holiness. This would have been difficult for David and those of his time to imagine how this could be possible. For they lived at a time when Israel alone was the holy nation, the only people set apart for God, they alone were His people. So how can any person who chooses to; give themselves to God, become holy, and be one of His people? The Levites, the set apart priests were the holiest people you could get. Yet they had to go through rituals of cleansing to be sanctified, and that just lasted for a short time in order to perform their duties. So, how can there be people ‘in holy garments’ just because they ‘offer themselves freely’? This was so far beyond David’s experience and the Israelites that it must have brought confused hope as well as an awe of God. I bet those that read or heard these words at the time wondered how any of this could be possible. 

How privileged are we that we now live in those foretold days. We can approach God freely, no animal blood required, no cleansing rituals, no set appointments, dates, festivals, times or places. You can offer yourself freely today into the hands of God. You do not have to be from a particular background, culture or nation, or even particularly good, you can freely come into the presence of God and be made holy! For ‘The Lord has sworn and will not change his mind’! The promise that God made to David, was that Jesus would come, and that people can come to him of their own accord and be made holy. You can do that today. You are invited and welcomed into His presence, always and whenever you like, because Jesus has made you holy. God has been planning and preparing for millennia that people like you and I can become holy, without sin, and become His family. Isn’t that awesome?!

Praying for revenge

 Psalm 109:1–31 (ESV): 

Be not silent, O God of my praise! 

 2  For wicked and deceitful mouths are opened against me, 

speaking against me with lying tongues. 

 3  They encircle me with words of hate, 

and attack me without cause. 

 4  In return for my love they accuse me, 

but I give myself to prayer. 

 5  So they reward me evil for good, 

and hatred for my love. 

 6  Appoint a wicked man against him; 

let an accuser stand at his right hand. 

 7  When he is tried, let him come forth guilty; 

let his prayer be counted as sin! 

 8  May his days be few; 

may another take his office! 

 9  May his children be fatherless 

and his wife a widow! 

 10  May his children wander about and beg, 

seeking food far from the ruins they inhabit! 

 11  May the creditor seize all that he has; 

may strangers plunder the fruits of his toil! 

 12  Let there be none to extend kindness to him, 

nor any to pity his fatherless children! 

 13  May his posterity be cut off; 

may his name be blotted out in the second generation! 

 14  May the iniquity of his fathers be remembered before the Lord, 

and let not the sin of his mother be blotted out! 

 15  Let them be before the Lord continually, 

that he may cut off the memory of them from the earth! 

 16  For he did not remember to show kindness, 

but pursued the poor and needy 

and the brokenhearted, to put them to death. 

 17  He loved to curse; let curses come upon him! 

He did not delight in blessing; may it be far from him! 

 18  He clothed himself with cursing as his coat; 

may it soak into his body like water, 

like oil into his bones! 

 19  May it be like a garment that he wraps around him, 

like a belt that he puts on every day! 

 20  May this be the reward of my accusers from the Lord, 

of those who speak evil against my life! 

 21  But you, O God my Lord, 

deal on my behalf for your name’s sake; 

because your steadfast love is good, deliver me! 

 22  For I am poor and needy, 

and my heart is stricken within me. 

 23  I am gone like a shadow at evening; 

I am shaken off like a locust. 

 24  My knees are weak through fasting; 

my body has become gaunt, with no fat. 

 25  I am an object of scorn to my accusers; 

when they see me, they wag their heads. 

 26  Help me, O Lord my God! 

Save me according to your steadfast love! 

 27  Let them know that this is your hand; 

you, O Lord, have done it! 

 28  Let them curse, but you will bless! 

They arise and are put to shame, but your servant will be glad! 

 29  May my accusers be clothed with dishonour; 

may they be wrapped in their own shame as in a cloak! 

 30  With my mouth I will give great thanks to the Lord; 

I will praise him in the midst of the throng. 

 31  For he stands at the right hand of the needy one, 

to save him from those who condemn his soul to death. 

As you read this psalm, you see that David does not hold back. He tells God exactly what he thinks should happen to those who are ‘wicked and deceitful’! He wants them to; be accused and found guilty, lose their job and influence, others to benefit from his work but not him, even that they should die and their children become poor, for generational sin to be counted against them, and for their name to be obliterated from memory! You can easily hear the anger and frustration of David as he lets God know exactly what he thinks of these people and their spiteful actions! Yet David did not act, for if he took vengeance, this would be what it looked like, and he might not know where to stop. At what point would he be then acting in a similar vane to how these people had treated him? So instead of making his own plans for retribution, David approaches God. He did not take revenge or try to argue with those speaking against him. Instead, he did the harder thing of showing great restraint and leaving it in God's hands. 

You too can bring all your fears, frustrations and emotions to God. David determined that the best revenge he could get, and the best output for these destructive thoughts and emotions was to ‘give myself to prayer’. This is the most powerful thing you can do when you feel beaten down, unfairly accused or treated, give yourself to prayer. Don't hold anything back in outpouring to God, David doesn't and you don't need to either - look at what he says! Many of us would be afraid to speak such harshness over anyone, even those who have become enemies. Yet expressing this to God (not to others) is a safe outlet for He alone knows your heart and your pain. He alone knows how best to deal with you and the others involved, so you can trust Him to do what is needed and appropriate. David was wise in this, He went to the only One who will not just react emotionally, but to the One who sees the long view. David knew that God cares for him, is just, powerful and righteous. Therefore He is the best person to deal with injustice, oppression and harm. David trusts that God will do something about this person/people, ‘because your steadfast love is good’. God loves and supports His people. Plus He probably already has a solution and plan worked out, so why get in the way of God sorting the situation out?

David held back his response, choosing to give himself in prayer instead of giving himself to revenge. Is this your response? 

David knew that God can respond in the right way and shut the mouths of his accusers one way or another. If David did it, he might cause more of a mess, so instead he entrusts the outcome to God. David is so convinced of God’s love and response that he ends this petition with praise. Once David has got all then anger and angst of his chest and given it all over to God, he praises Him. God hasn't even responded yet David worships! What a way to end an outpouring of wrath and frustration! To remember who you are talking to, and remember to be grateful for who God is, and the fact that He listens and loves you. Once you have handed over your situation and the people to God in prayer, you too can rejoice that God is going to act in response to the prayer of His beloved child. The outcome may not be imminent, and it may not be what you expect, but you can be assured that God will deal with whatever you bring to Him.

God has promised in his holiness:

 Psalm 108:1–13 (ESV):  

1  My heart is steadfast, O God! 

I will sing and make melody with all my being! 

 2  Awake, O harp and lyre! 

I will awake the dawn! 

 3  I will give thanks to you, O Lord, among the peoples; 

I will sing praises to you among the nations. 

 4  For your steadfast love is great above the heavens; 

your faithfulness reaches to the clouds. 

 5  Be exalted, O God, above the heavens! 

Let your glory be over all the earth! 

 6  That your beloved ones may be delivered, 

give salvation by your right hand and answer me! 

 7  God has promised in his holiness: 

“With exultation I will divide up Shechem 

and portion out the Valley of Succoth. 

 8  Gilead is mine; Manasseh is mine; 

Ephraim is my helmet, 

Judah my sceptre. 

 9  Moab is my washbasin; 

upon Edom I cast my shoe; 

over Philistia I shout in triumph.” 

 10  Who will bring me to the fortified city? 

Who will lead me to Edom? 

 11  Have you not rejected us, O God? 

You do not go out, O God, with our armies. 

 12  Oh grant us help against the foe, 

for vain is the salvation of man! 

 13  With God we shall do valiantly; 

it is he who will tread down our foes. 

From verse 5 this psalm is the same as psalm 60. I wonder why this section has been repeated. So, today, we will look at the listed places more closely to try to understand why the judgements and promises upon these places is so significant. But to begin with lets consider that the first few verses as they are an encouragement to exalt God, to worship Him and give thanks to Him. When you recognise His love and faithfulness, you can trust that what ‘God has promised in His holiness’ He will do. That includes the blessings and curses over people and places, as we shall see as we consider the named areas that are spoken of;

Shechem God proclaims will be divided, and the Valley of Succoth portioned out. These places are situated at one extreme to the other in the Promised Land with Succoth on the East and Shechem on the West. Thereby signifying that God will apportion all of the Promised Land and assign every part of it for His purposes. There is no part that cannot and will not be redeemed in God’s hands. What God wills, happens. Shechem was a special place for the Israelites, being the place where Abram received the promise of the Promised Land, many generations before this psalm was written. It was also a place remembered for sin, when Jacob’s daughter was raped by his son, Shechem. Therefore the reputation of the city was divided, being a place known for worship by Abram and Jacob, but also known as a city of man’s sin. Therefore the promise that this place would be physically divided to represent the divided reputation makes sense. God is promising to outwork physically the division that has begun spiritually. The Valley of Succoth  is promised to be portioned out, the other side of the Promised Land. This was where Jacob stayed for a while after marrying both Leah and Rachel. It was a temporary abode, which is why it has this name which means tents or booths. No longer will this land be a place of temporary living. God decided that it would be a permanent living space for the tribe of Gad. The proclamation over these towns shows that God can change the story and the reputation of places. If God can do this for towns, cities and nations - what do you believe He can do in the lives of individuals? Does that alone not make you want to sing His praise and give Him thanks?!

Next this psalm mentions that Gilead and Manasseh are owned by God. Reuben, Gad and half of the tribe of Manasseh inherited the land of Gilead to the East of the Jordan river. They requested to remain there when they arrived at the Promised Land, and their wish was granted. The land of Manasseh in the Promised Land was apportioned to the other half of that tribe. This shows the unity of the nation. Even though they had different areas to inhabit, they are still one nation. The tribe of Manasseh, though split in it’s inheritance was joined through God’s blessing and kingship. Wherever you are, if you are one of God’s people, you remain one of His people. Different tribes, different locations, different people, but one kingdom under Almighty God, therefore lets 'sing praises to you among the nations.'

‘Ephraim is my helmet’. Ephraim was one of the prominent tribes of Israel and this phrase signifies Ephraim's strength, power and security, all of which are ordained by God. Being a place centrally located in the Promised Land, it was a place of safety, especially as it had one of the 6 cities of refuge within it, plus it housed the Tabernacle. Therefore a place of physical and spiritual safety, a place used to resemble the importance of God being the centre. God established the place of worship and meeting with Himself in the central location of the Promised land, amongst a place and tribe which is strong and secure. What a beautiful image that keeping God at the centre brings these attributes!

Judah is God’s sceptre. A sceptre represents power and leadership both in the military and public domain. God promised in the Old Testament that ‘the sceptre shall not depart from Judah’ (Genesis 49:10), so God is reminding people that He always fulfils His promises, even though it may be generations later. God is steadfast and faithful. God will always work to ensure that His will is done, it may not look like it to us, and there may be waiting involved, but what God determines, He will do. God decided that rule and governance belong to this tribe. Years after entering the Promised Land, Israel saw this in part as King David was of this tribe, so showing God’s steadfastness. Jesus also is from the tribe of Judah, beautifully demonstrating that forever the law, rule and authority still belong to Judah. Jesus is reigning in right power now at the right hand of God the Father in the heavenly realms. Jesus now holds the sceptre - he is the one who reigns, leads and has authority. Are you trusting in Him? 'For your steadfast love is great above the heavens'.

‘Moab is my washbasin’. The area of Moab was a neighbouring kingdom of Israel. So this phrase demonstrates that God is the God and king of all nations. Even the ones who do not honour Him like Moab. God determined that Moab would be minimised in prominence and become a place used in service for His purposes, like a washbasin. This phrase is in line with the sense of a servant who brings a wash basin to clean the feet of guests. Moab is less important than the servant as they are merely the bowl in God’s eyes. Therefore, even when Moab rises in power in history, God always ordained for it to be insignificant due to their lack of recognition of Him and His power. Now, Moab does not exist as God has fulfilled His promise over this place. One whose people used to terrorise His nation now no longer exists, such is the judgement of God. If people choose to reject and deny God, this is fair warning that even if they seem to have moments of success and renown, God will keep His promise to diminish them if they refuse to turn and believe in Him. Such is God's love and faithfulness for His people.

‘upon Edom I cast my shoe’. Shoes are dirty, even nowadays, but at a time when the roads were dusty and dirty with no concrete or pavement, imagine how grimy they would be. God saw Edom as a place worthy of only having a dirty, discarded shoe thrown at it! This demonstrates God’s frustration with the actions of the Edomites. They were meant to be a part of Israel as they were descended from Esau, the brother of Jacob, but as generations went by they showed contempt and hatred for the nation of Israel. Some of the ways Edom showed their dishonour for their kin were by; not allowing them safe passage, raiding them, and rejoicing when Israel was brought low. Therefore God’s judgement was that He would throw His shoe at them. This shows His contempt for their actions, His frustration at how they have treated their brothers. Yet this response seems mild in comparison for what they have done. This is because God gives everyone the opportunity to know His anger at sin and the chance to repent. Edom had treated God’s family with dishonour, so He dishonoured them, but not with the full force of His wrath. Instead, God chose to throw His shoe to express His displeasure and give people the opportunity to turn to Him. He is still doing so, giving people the opportunity to receive salvation.

For many generations the Phiistines had been enemies of God’s people. They seemed to be strong, mighty and authoritative, yet God says He will shout in triumph over them. As David brought down one giant Philistine in his youth, so God used him to wipe out the Philistines when he was king. God shouts in triumph over those who make themselves His enemies and the enemies of His people. So, which side are you on?

So, overall, what can we take from God’s promises for the lands and the peoples? 

- God has a plan that will be fulfilled

- God gives people a chance

- God honours those who love and follow Him, and fights on their behalf

So, today, are you someone who God favours? Are you one of His people, with promises over your life that you are obediently waiting to be fulfilled? Or are you one who is rejected by God and waiting for Him to throw His shoe at you? Be mindful how you live. God’s purposes will always be fulfilled. ‘with God we shall do valiantly’. How would you do without Him?