8.10.2015

Psalm 136 & 146

136
This Psalm thanks God for making heaven and earth, sun and moon, day and night.  It then retells God dividing the Red Sea, bringing Israel out of Egypt, through the desert, and into Canaan, defeating Pharaoh, Sihon and Og along the way.
The most distinctive feature of this Psalm is that the second line of every verse is "for His steadfast love endures forever."  This gets VERY repetitive to say, making the point in the very experience of reading it, that we get tired of God quickly, while He continues His love to us.

146
I praise God and don't trust in princes.  Hoping in God is better.
It's Yahweh who does everything: opening eyes, freeing prisoners, protecting travelers, lifting up the oppressed.
He will always reign.


How is this about Jesus
He is the same, yesterday, today and forever.  He was the rock that followed Israel in the desert (1 Cor. 10:4-5).
He is the prince of peace in whom we can completely trust.


Application
Ordered priorities of our trust in leaders is important.  We trust Jesus more than parents, presidents or pastors, for good reason!  This doesn't mean NO trust in earthly leaders.  This is an example of something that happens fairly often in Scripture, where a flat prohibition is given, when it intends to prioritize.  Jesus says to hate father and mother - He means compared to Himself.  Paul says women should not adorn themselves outwardly - he means the inner character is more important.

We should have an expectation that earthly leaders will keep their oath of office, but not be crushed and shattered when they fail.

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