Shalom,


The introduction to Psalm 76 says this:


To the Chief Musician; on stringed instruments. A Psalm of Asaph. A song.


"On stringed instruments" is the Hebrew word "negiynah" or "negiynath" and it means: instrumental music; a stringed instrument; a poem set to music; an epigram. An epigram is any witty, ingenious, or pointed saying tersely expressed. A short, often satirical poem dealing concisely with a single subject and usually ending with a witty or ingenious turn of thought. Some examples of epigrams:

• "Thinking is often claimed but seldom proven" - T. Merrill
• "In peace sons bury their fathers, but in war fathers bury their sons" - Croesus
• "I want to know God's thoughts; the rest are details" - Albert Einstein
• "Not everything that counts can be counted, and not everything that can be counted counts" - Albert Einstein
• "Even if you're on the right track, you'll get run over if you just sit there" - Will Rogers
• "Plough deep while sluggards sleep" - Benjamin Franklin
• "Keep your face to the sunshine and you cannot see the shadows" - Helen Keller
• "I may disagree with what you say, but I shall defend to the death your right to say it" - Voltaire
• "The past is history, the future a mystery, and now is a gift. That's why we call it the present" - Anonymous

You can see this a little better in the Message Bible. Psalm 76:

1  God is well-known in Judah;
in Israel, he's a household name. 
2 He keeps a house in Salem,
his own suite of rooms in Zion. 
3 That's where, using arrows for kindling,
he made a bonfire of weapons of war. 


4 Oh, how bright you shine!
Outshining their huge piles of loot! 
5 The warriors were plundered
and left there impotent.
And now there's nothing to them,
nothing to show for their swagger and threats. 
6 Your sudden roar, God of Jacob,
knocked the wind out of horse and rider. 


7 Fierce you are, and fearsome!
Who can stand up to your rising anger? 
8 From heaven you thunder judgment;
(from THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language © 2002 by Eugene H. Peterson. All rights reserved.)

Don't you just LOVE learning something new about the Word of God? I do!

In the King James Version of the Bible, Romans 4:19-20 says:

19 And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sara's womb: 20 He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God.

This makes it sound like Abraham was so strong in faith that he didn't even notice his own body. Let's see what the Amplified Bible says:

19 He did not weaken in faith when he considered the [utter] impotence of his own body, which was as good as dead because he was about a hundred years old, or [when he considered] the barrenness of Sarah's [deadened] womb. 20 No unbelief or distrust made him waver (doubtingly question) concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong and was empowered by faith as he gave praise and glory to God

Do you notice the vital difference? The word "not" is not in the original text. The translators thought that they were helping the Word make more sense by saying that Abraham didn't even think about his own body. That is not even realistic! We all know how very loudly our bodies can speak! What Abraham DID do was deny his body the authority! No matter WHAT his body was telling him, or Sarah's, He chose God's Word above all else! The symptoms and negative situations will always show up. Denying them is not faith. Recognizing them for what they are and then refusing to give them place is faith and WILL produce, if we don't give up and quit! AMEN!

Here is an old song from Hillsong called Faith:

The lyrics are below:

I'm reaching for the prize.
I'm giving everything.
I give my life for this.
It's what I live for.

Nothing will keep me from.
All that you have for me.
You hold my head up high.
I live for you.

Greater is He that's living in me
Than he that is in the world.

Faith...I can move the mountain.
I can do all things through Christ, I know,
Faith...Standing and believing.
I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me.

Shalom in Him!