Psalm 67:1-2:
1GOD BE merciful and gracious to us and bless us and cause His face to shine upon us and among us--Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]!-- 2That Your way may be known upon earth, Your saving power (Your deliverances and Your salvation) among all nations.
The word translated "God" here is the Hebrew word, "`elohiym", which is a plural word that refers to the Godhead (Father, Son and Holy Spirit). The phrase "His face" is the Hebrew word, "paniym", which is also a plural word which means: face, faces, presence or person. The prayer is that the person and presence of each member of the Godhead would shine on and within our lives so that His ways and His saving power would be known! What a powerful and unselfish prayer that is! I also want the Light within me, the powerful presence of the Spirit of God, to shine so that the people I come in contact with will be drawn to HIM!
As we begin in Hebrews today, I want to share a few interesting things I found in The Bible Exposition Commentary. There are three words that are very important to the study and understanding of the Letter to the Hebrews. They are:
- Better - found 13 times in showing the superiority of faith in Jesus over religion.
- Perfect - found 14 times in showing our standing with God through the New Birth
- Eternal - meaning FOREVER
When you combine these three important words, you discover that Jesus Christ and the Christian life He gives us are better because these blessings are eternal and they give us a perfect standing before God. The religious system under the Mosaic Law was imperfect because it could not accomplish a once-for-all redemption that was eternal.
The Book of Hebrews exalts the person and the work of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. When you realize all that you have in and through Him, you have no desire for anyone else or anything else!
As we go through each day, keep these things in mind!
Hebrews 1:3:
3He is the sole expression of the glory of God [the Light-being, the out-raying or radiance of the divine], and He is the perfect imprint and very image of [God's] nature, upholding and maintaining and guiding and propelling the universe by His mighty word of power. When He had by offering Himself accomplished our cleansing of sins and riddance of guilt, He sat down at the right hand of the divine Majesty on high,
THAT is the wonderful Lord and Saviour that we love and serve! He is definitely worthy of ALL praise and adoration! AMEN!
In Isaiah 47-48 we see Isaiah prophesying 150 years ahead of time what God would do to Babylon. God's people had rebelled over and over and refused to return to Him, so He had allowed Babylon to take them captive. Babylon, instead of recognizing that the One, True God was the reason for their success, became prideful and treated God's people unjustly. God would have none of it! He used Isaiah to warn them of what was to come! He says this in Isaiah 47:6:
6I was angry with My people, I profaned My inheritance [Judah]; and I gave them into your hand [Babylon]. You showed them no mercy; upon the old people you made your yoke very heavy.
And then this in verses 9-11:
9But these two things shall come to you in a moment, in one day: loss of children and widowhood. They shall come upon you in full measure, in spite of the multitude of [your claims to] power given you by the assistance of evil spirits, in spite of the great abundance of your enchantments. 10For you [Babylon] have trusted in your wickedness; you have said, No one sees me. Your wisdom and your knowledge led you astray, and you said in your heart and mind, I am, and there is no one besides me. 11Therefore shall evil come upon you; you shall not know the dawning of it or how to charm it away. And a disaster and evil shall fall upon you that you shall not be able to atone for [with all your offerings to your gods]; and desolation shall come upon you suddenly, about which you shall know nothing or how to avert it.
Isaiah 48 is an exhortation to Israel to remember God's prophecies concerning them. He declares himself in verse 12:
12Listen to Me, O Jacob, and Israel, My called [ones]: I am He; I am the First, I also am the Last.
This is WHO HE IS! This is a Truth they should have treasured! We should, too! Then we find this promise in verse 17:
17Thus says the Lord, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: I am the Lord your God, Who teaches you to profit, Who leads you in the way that you should go.
The word "profit" is the Hebrew word, "ya`al", which means: to ascend, to be valuable, useful and benefited, to gain. Then verse 18 says this:
18Oh, that you had hearkened to My commandments! Then your peace and prosperity would have been like a flowing river, and your righteousness [the holiness and purity of the nation] like the [abundant] waves of the sea.
Apparently they did not heed the Word of God and He could NOT cause them to profit! Just knowing what God's Word promises will NOT get the promises to YOU! You and I have to get the Word of God inside of us so that faith will grow and then we can obey that Word with expectant hope and eager anticipation that the Word WILL WORK for us! Count on it!
Shalom in Him!
