Psalm 44:1:
1 WE HAVE heard with our ears, O God; our fathers have told us [what] work You did in their days, in the days of old.
Psalm 44 is another "skillful song, didactic or reflective poem". Remember that this means it is meant to teach us and to cause us to reflect, or think about it. The next two verses will explain just why the land of Israel, ALL of it, belongs to the Jewish people!
2 You drove out the nations with Your hand and it was Your power that gave [Israel] a home by rooting out the [heathen] peoples, but [Israel] You spread out. 3 For they got not the land [of Canaan] in possession by their own sword, neither did their own arm save them; but Your right hand and Your arm and the light of Your countenance [did it], because You were favorable toward and did delight in them.
It was NOT because Israel warred with every nation and took their land from them! It was GOD Himself Who caused Israel to have victory over all of the heathen people! GOD chose the land. GOD gave the land to Israel. GOD is the ONLY One Who can take it away, and He WILL NOT! Not now that He has brought the Jewish people back! It is all in the Word of God and those who WANT to know God's will and God's plan will find it all right here! AMEN! My prayer is verse 4:
4 You are my King, O God; command victories and deliverance for Jacob (Israel).
God WILL answer THAT prayer! Here are a couple of maps that show what God intended for the borders of Israel!
The areas promised to Abraham!
An older map of the areas of the Twelve Tribes.
A newer map of the lands that the Tribes actually possessed of all that God had instructed them to take!
In 2 Timothy, Paul is instructing and encouraging the young Pastor Timothy about his role as a minister of the Gospel. The examples that Paul gave reveal seven aspects of the Christian minister. I found these in the Bible Exposition Commentary. They are:
- The Steward (2 Timothy 2:1-2).
- The Soldier (2 Timothy 2:3-4, 8-13).
- The Athlete (2 Timothy 2:5).
- The Farmer (2 Timothy 2:6-7).
- The Workman (2 Timothy 2:14-18).
- The Vessel (2 Timothy 2:19-22).
- The Servant (2 Timothy 2:23-26).
Go back and look at these verses again and let the Holy Spirit minister to you about YOUR role in the ministry of the Gospel! Then I exhort you to be a doer of these next two verses! Verse 8:
8 Constantly keep in mind Jesus Christ (the Messiah) [as] risen from the dead, [as the prophesied King] descended from David, according to the Good News (the Gospel) that I preach.
Keep your focus on the fact that we serve the Risen LORD! HIS plan, HIS purpose, and HIS priority must be foremost in our hearts and minds! Then, with that attitude, we can be doers of verse 15:
15 Study and be eager and do your utmost to present yourself to God approved (tested by trial), a workman who has no cause to be ashamed, correctly analyzing and accurately dividing [rightly handling and skillfully teaching] the Word of Truth.
With the right attitude towards God and His Word, our study time will be so much more effective! We will see more clearly, hear more clearly, and be in better position to become a very effective minister! And remember that we are ALL called into the full-time ministry; the Ministry of Reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5:18)! Letting the world know the Good News! AMEN!
Isaiah 5-6 begin with Isaiah singing about the LORD to the people. He reminded them of what God had done for them, then he spoke of their sins against Him by their disobedience to his Word. In Isaiah 6 he is explaining his own calling so that they would understand why he was the one bringing the warning to the people. Isaiah loved his God and he loved God's people. Think of YOUR pastor as you read this! He may not always deliver the message you would prefer to hear, but he SHOULD be delivering the message that you NEED to hear! Pay attention to HOW you hear and WHAT you hear, so that the message will not be of no effect, as it many times was with Isaiah's people! Bring joy to your pastor AND to Jesus by becoming a doer of that Word and you will be blessed!
Shalom in Him!
