It’s a “not my will, but thine be done,” morning! I’ll use Psalm 29:1-4 for Temple worship today.
My Shepherd met me in His green pastures and laid me down in Psalm 108. The Mind of the Spirit engaged the spirit of my mind in verses 9-11:
Psalms 108:9 Moab is my washpot; over Edom will I cast out my shoe; over Philistia will I triumph.
Psalms 108:10 Who will bring me into the strong city? who will lead me into Edom?
Psalms 108:11 Wilt not thou, O God, who hast cast us off? and wilt not thou, O God, go forth with our hosts?
This Psalm connects Psalm 57:7-11 (see Psalm 108:1-5), and Psalm 60:5-12 (see Psalm 108:6-13) to create Psalm 108. The passages are quoted almost word-for-word. The variations are slight, but significant when examined closely. It’s good to take all the passages together when contemplating Psalm 108, and ponder what in the borrowed Psalms adds insight to the new one, and what in the new one adds clarification, or fresh insights from David’s prior psalms. But I won’t present that work here.
In fact, I don’t believe it’s the LORD’s pleasure for me to break down the Psalm. For this devotion, one key thought emerged that I believe He wants me to share.
The prophecy concerns God’s deliverance of His people from their enemies, whom He regards as His enemies (Acts 9:4-5—Selah!).
God begins His response by asserting His Sovereignty, first over the land and the ruling tribes, Ephraim, Manasseh, and Judah. He will divide Shechem (west of the Jordan) and take the measure of Succoth (Succoth means booths and pays homage to Israel’s deliverance from Egypt and their gathering on the East of Jordan). Gilead reminds us of the balm of Gilead (Genesis 37:25) and speaks of the selling of Joseph to Ishmaelites who sold him to Potipher’s house, to prison, and to glory over all the world. The “balm of Gilead” is the Old Testament equivalent of our Romans 8:28—all things work together for good, for while his brethren meant it for evil, GOD meant it for good (Genesis 50:20).
Shechem was assigned to Ephraim, and Succoth to Manasseh (Psalm 108:8). Ephraim and Manasseh belong to God, and Judah is His lawgiver.
Moab is God’s washpot—the basin in which He washes His feet, and He casts His shoe over Edom. Moab is a child of Abraham’s nephew, Lot, by one of his own daughters (Genesis 19:37). The Moabites descended from this relative of Abraham and opposed Israel’s inheritance of the Land of Canaan (Numbers 22-24; Judges 3, and 2 Samuel 8). David subdued the Moabites and prophesied their usefulness to God as a washbasin.
God casts His shoe over Edom. In the ancient Near East, the gesture of removing one’s shoe and handing it to another was a public token of an agreement, particularly for the transfer of title to property (Ruth 4:7-8). God declaring His Sovereignty over Edom in this gesture, signifying His release of Esau (Romans 9:13; consider this principle in Romans 1:17-32—Selah!).
These, Moab and Edom, represent enemies from within the family of Abraham. Next, God declares He will triumph over Philistia, the Gentile enemies of Israel (Psalm 108:9.
Along the still waters, I understood that David is asking who will lead him into the strong city, the fortified city of Edom (Psalm 108:10). He answers his own question: “Wilt not thou, O God?” (Psalm 108:11a). He pleads with GOD for help, because God had cast off His people. The expression Cast off translates a word that means to push aside, to reject, in the sense of being removed from service or from use.
David pleads with GOD to restore His favor. He says, in effect, you have declared these prophecies, and how will You accomplish them unless you have mercy and restore us to your service? David is bold to assume God had no other recourse, but it is a boldness that arises from faith. David believed that God had chosen His people to take the sword to His enemies. So he reasoned from faith: We are presently cast off, you have purposed to execute your judgments in the earth, showing your Sovereignty to all your enemies, therefore I must believe you are prepared to restore us to your service, else, “who will bring me into the strong city? who will lead me into Edom?” (Psalm 108:10).
I must believe that GOD intends to revive His church again, else Who will open the doors of the Gospel that it might be preached to all the world, to every nation (Matthew 24:14). For this prophecy is scheduled for fulfillment in these Last Days (Hebrews 1:2), leading up to the time of the end (Daniel 8:17). I have carried prayer of Psalm 85:6 in my heart since 1972.
In the valley, I tended the coals in my heart that burn the incense of this prayer, carrying with it my affections toward things above. Jesus called to me, as He does every morning: “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me” (Luke 9:23).
At the table, He anointed my head with His oil of gladness and filled my cup with His sufficient grace. Goodness and mercy came along, bid me rise, and followed me as I followed Him!
Praying for revival! 🙏
Going live asap.
0 Comments