Shalom,
As I mentioned yesterday, some scholars believe that Psalm 88 and Psalm 89 were actually 2 parts of one Psalm. The title of Psalm 88 is:
Ps 88:1 Mas'-chil of He'-man the Ez'-ra-hite.
And the title of Psalm 89 is t his:
Ps 89:1 Mas'-chil of E'-than the Ez'-ra-hite.
Some believe that these were brothers or at least from the same family. Maschil means an instructive or didactic poem. In Psalm 88 we have Heman speaking doom, gloom and despair. Then in Psalm 89 we have Ethan answering him with some positive thoughts on the mercy, loving kindness, faithfulness of the Lord. My favorite verses are verses 5-7:
5Let heaven (the angels) praise Your wonders, O Lord, Your faithfulness also in the assembly of the holy ones (the holy angels).
6For who in the heavens can be compared to the Lord? Who among the mighty [heavenly beings] can be likened to the Lord,
7A God greatly feared and revered in the council of the holy (angelic) ones, and to be feared and worshipfully revered above all those who are round about Him?
And also verses 15-18:
15Blessed (happy, fortunate, to be envied) are the people who know the joyful sound [who understand and appreciate the spiritual blessings symbolized by the feasts]; they walk, O Lord, in the light and favor of Your countenance!
16In Your name they rejoice all the day, and in Your righteousness they are exalted.
17For You are the glory of their strength [their proud adornment], and by Your favor our horn is exalted and we walk with uplifted faces!
Let's be rejoicing all day long, every day! What a great attitude we would develop and never be "down" again! AMEN!
There is a lot we could talk about in Luke 1 today, but I believe the most important thing we should look at today is the difference between the way Zachariah received the news from the angel Gabriel and the way Mary did. Verse 18 has Zachariah's question for Gabriel:
18And Zachariah said to the angel, By what shall I know and be sure of this? For I am an old man, and my wife is well advanced in years.
Notice that he asked how he could know that it was true. Note the result of his doubt:
19And the angel replied to him, I am Gabriel. I stand in the [very] presence of God, and I have been sent to talk to you and to bring you this good news.
20Now behold, you will be and will continue to be silent and not able to speak till the day when these things take place, because you have not believed what I told you; but my words are of a kind which will be fulfilled in the appointed and proper time.
Now let's look at Mary's response in verse 34:
34And Mary said to the angel, How can this be, since I have no [intimacy with any man as a] husband?
Mary didn't doubt that it WOULD happen as the angel said, she wanted to know HOW it was going to happen! Quite a different question! And she received a different response in verses 35-37:
35Then the angel said to her, The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you [like a shining cloud]; and so the holy (pure, sinless) Thing (Offspring) which shall be born of you will be called the Son of God.
36And listen! Your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is now the sixth month with her who was called barren.
37For with God nothing is ever impossible and no word from God shall be without power or impossible of fulfillment.
Mary's next response:
38Then Mary said, Behold, I am the handmaiden of the Lord; let it be done to me according to what you have said. And the angel left her.
That's how our Father wants US to respond to everything that He asks US to do! Surrender your will to His will, trusting completely that He ALWAYS has your best interests at heart! Our God is a GOOD and AMAZING God! AMEN!
There is also a lot we could talk about in Numbers 21-22, but the only thing I will mention today is this from verse 30:
30And the donkey said to Balaam, Am not I your donkey, upon which you have ridden all your life long until this day? Was I ever accustomed to do so to you? And he said, No.
Notice who was doing the talking here! Balak wanted Balaam to curse the people of Israel because they were so powerful in their God. Balaam tried stubbornly to go ahead with it even to beating his donkey who would not proceed when he saw the Angel of the Lord. What I want you to see here is that God CAN and WILL use ANYONE or ANYTHING to bless and protect His people. EVEN a donkey! It always amazes me that Balaam doesn't seem to be to excited about the fact that his donkey talked! I hope YOU are a little more alert than that! Keep your sense of awe and wonder at all the wonderful things that God is doing and you WILL see more and more! AMEN!
Shalom in Him!
