2 Many a time have they afflicted me from my youth: yet they have not prevailed against me.
3 The plowers plowed upon my back: they made long their furrows.
4 The LORD is righteous: he hath cut asunder the cords of the wicked.
5 Let them all be confounded and turned back that hate Zion.
6 Let them be as the grass upon the housetops, which withereth afore it groweth up:
7 Wherewith the mower filleth not his hand; nor he that bindeth sheaves his bosom.
8 Neither do they which go by say, The blessing of the LORD be upon you: we bless you in the name of the LORD.
Key Verse:
2 Many a time have they afflicted me from my youth: yet they have not prevailed against me.
Key Observation:
McGee: “On a certain occasion Martin Luther was asked what were the best psalms. He answered by saying “Psalmi Paulini,” the Pauline psalms. When they wanted to know what the Pauline psalms were, he replied, “The thirty-second, the fifty-first, the one hundred and thirtieth, and the one hundred and forty-third.” He explained that these psalms teach us that the forgiveness of sins is vouchsafed to all who believe without having any works of the law to offer. Therefore, they are Pauline psalms.”
McGee, J. Vernon (1990-01-30). Thru the Bible 1-5 (5 Volume Set) (Kindle Locations 51333-51336). Grupo Nelson. Kindle Edition.
Memory Verse:
5 Let them all be confounded and turned back that hate Zion.
Devotion:
“The plowers plowed upon my back: they made long their furrows.” Has not the world long had its way with Israel? I know that Israel was responsible for much waywardness, and did not follow the Lord wholeheartedly. I know that Christ offered himself to the nation before He became our sacrifice, before we were invited to the feast which they had spurned. But before getting self-righteous about the Jews rejection of Christ, can we honestly say the Gentiles have done any better?
Tozer says: “The Old Testament Jews wanted to do what they wanted to do, and they rejected Jesus because they knew they could not do what they wanted to do if they received Him.” Are we any better? Most of the Gentile world is as without Christ and without hope as they were when our Lord died.
We serve a great God, a God who foreknows and predestines. Did He know of the Jews’ rejection? Did He know of the Gentiles’ rejection? Of course He did. Does not the scripture ask: “When the Son of Man returns, will he find faith on the earth?” Any Christian student of history will readily confess that Christians have not fulfilled their part—that we are called upon to proclaim, and yet we have not even whispered, that we are called upon to testify before kings, and yet we have not even told our own families, that we are called upon to live holy lives, and yet we are often found “rooting around in the world’s pigpen”, as dirty as any others and indistinguishable from the worst examples.
He has known all of this from before time began. He knew and planned my eternal destiny before creation, before the clock started ticking. He knew my wayward heart. And still He chose me! That is wonderful grace, and if you ever get a handle of just how much God loves you, it will propel you to walk in the Spirit.
So, He always knew Israel would be sinful. He always knew they would reject the Son. He always knew—but still He elects. He who elected Israel is the same as He was yesterday. He does not need to tinker or adjust His plan, for everything is exactly as foreseen. So when He says: “4 The LORD is righteous: he hath cut asunder the cords of the wicked.”, He means exactly what He says. The day of judgment is nearly at hand, but the time of mercy is yet a moment longer. What of the great Israelites of old? They believed God and it was reckoned unto them for righteousness. By faith, and only by faith is it possible to please God. “But without faith it is impossible to please Him. (Heb. 11) A favorite hymn of mine is Faith of Our Fathers. Wouldn’t it be grand if we started living the kind of faith in that song?
A.W. Tozer. And He Dwelt Among Us: Teachings from the Gospel of John (p. 71). Kindle Edition.
Faith of Our Fathers
1. Faith of our fathers! living still
In spite of dungeon, fire and sword,
O how our hearts beat high with joy
Whene'er we hear that glorious word!
Faith of our fathers, holy faith!
We will be true to Thee till death!
2. Faith of our fathers! we will strive
To win all nations unto Thee,
And thro' the truth that comes from God,
Mankind shall then be truly free:
Faith of our fathers, holy faith!
We will be true to Thee till death!
3. Faith of our fathers! we will love
Both friend and foe in all our strife,
And preach Thee, too, as love knows how,
By kindly words and virtuous life:
Faith of our fathers, holy faith!
We will be true to Thee till death.
Lyrics: Frederick William Faber
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