In What Do You Rejoice?

“I have rejoiced in the way of Your testimonies, As much as in all riches.

I will meditate on Your precepts, And contemplate Your ways. I will delight myself in Your statutes; I will not forget Your word.” Psalm 119: 14 – 16

Comparisons often help in understanding a thing. This text makes a comparison between the love of money and the love for the word and will of God. This is broken down into four aspects of rejoicing.

First, “I will meditate in Your precepts.”

To meditate is to reflect over and over on a certain concept. Biblical meditation involves reflection where you ask the Holy Spirit to illuminate your understanding.  Meditation includes thinking, picturing, speaking, feeling and studying. Meditation is the Holy Spirit using all faculties of your heart and mind. 

A precept is the maximum of moral conduct, a rule of conduct. Further distilled, it is simply stated as a command from God. To experience this, get in a quiet place and think about it with continued interest. Think! Few spiritual exercises are more valuable than meditation.

Second, I will “contemplate your ways.” 

To contemplate means to view with continued interest, to observe thoughtfully.  This takes time and is aided by the right environment. When did you last take time to contemplate God’s way of doing a thing, to ask yourself “How would you God like this done or how He like this thing viewed?”

The word “ways” is translated from orach, referring to a well-trodden path. This is a path walked by many and clearly visible; having been taken many times before, the outcome of the way is predictable.

Third, “I will delight myself in your statutes.”

Delight appears 10 times in English versions of Psalm 119 (verses 14, 16, 24, 35, 47, 70, 77, 92, 143, 176).  The object of delight is God’s law.  The Hebrew word translated as “delight” is sus which can also be translated “rejoice” or “exult.” 

To put the Hebrew word for delight into street talk it means to get a kick out of.

The more we meditate and contemplate the more we delight.

God’s statutes are a reference to a law or command. Out of which command have you gotten a kick lately?

Finally, “I will not forget Your word.”

To forget something you must first know it. Knowing God’s word requires committing it to memory. It is practical to memorize parts of God’s Word. Memorization is brain exercise. The mind becomes trustworthy when trusted. Like a muscle it requires exercise to develop.

Forget can also be translated “mislay” due to a to lack of attention. If you delight yourself in something you are not likely to forget it.

Even if a passage is not memorized, familiarity with its meaning is advantageous. Get the primary mental picture of what a passage means. 

If you meditate on God’s Word and fix your eyes on His well trodden path you are sure to grow to delight in His Word.

If you get in the Word this is a sure way to get the Word in you.

History Is His Story

How much does it matter where you’re born? It all depends. Under article two of the United States Constitution if you want to be president of the United States it matters where you’re born! That became a pretty high profile issue in the last two presidential contests.

Critics are now saying Jesus was born in Bethlehem of the Galilee. The claim is utter deception based on a cacophony of lies. The intent is to show His birth did not fulfill the prophecy regarding Him being the Messiah. 

According to the Old Testament, Judean Bethlehem was the City of David where the future messiah would be born. “The Bethlehem that’s the only Bethlehem that matters is David’s Bethlehem,” Paula Fredriksen, an American scholar of the historical Jesus, says. “And David’s Bethlehem quite specifically is in Judea.” Numerous others concur. 

Attempts to discredit the birth of Jesus continue to emerge and be discredited.

Follow this closely. Efforts have long been made to elevate Mary to the status of divinity.  If she was, she was divine.  If she was divine and Jesus was conceived of the divine Holy Spirit, then He had no human parent; and thus was not human.  The true miracle of the person of Jesus is that He was the God/man-man/God.  He was God in flesh and blood. As much God as though He were not man and as much man as though He were not God.  He had to have both natures in order to reconcile, that is, bring God and man together.  He was “made of woman.”

A requirement of a modern mediator is that he must be equal to both parties.

Only Jesus, not Mary was. The efforts on behalf of Mary are made in good faith, but are not good. They rob Jesus of His role spoken of as: “For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus.” (I Timothy 2:5)

In going down such blind alleys as these the main point is missed as in this news story. “”The story is told that on that December day in 1903, after the Wright brothers were successful in getting their “flying machine” off the ground, they telegraphed the message to their sister Katherine: “We have actually flown 120 feet. Will be home for Christmas.” Katherine hurried to the editor of the local newspaper and showed him the message. He glanced at it and said, “How nice. The boys will be home for Christmas.” Nice story, wrong response.

To only say nice things about Mary and Jesus is to miss the point.

He came to be our Mediator, to bring us and God together.

Have no resentment that there is only one mediator. As undeserving as we are there is reason to marvel there is one. Make certain He is your mediator.

The Marvel of Mary

Consider the conversation between the angel Gabriel and the peasant girl Mary.

Knowing the promise of God and holding the hope related to the Messiah, she understood the meaning.  However, how could she be a part of all this, she was not even married? When told she would conceive and bear a son she asked, “How can this be?” Gabriel anticipating her quizzical nature spoke again:

“And the angel answered and said to her, ‘The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God.’”  (Luke 1:35).

During the era of the Old Testament the Holy Spirit worked in the lives of a few persons, but the doctrine of the Holy Spirit was not taught. When Gabriel spoke of the Holy Spirit she might well have said, “The Holy what?” Even that took faith.

Further realizing Mary’s difficulty in accepting such an impossibility, Gabriel told her of another impossibility already in progress: “Now indeed, Elizabeth your relative has also conceived a son in her old age; and this is now the sixth month for her who was called barren.” (Luke 1:36)

Her aged cousin Elizabeth, already beyond the age of child bearing, was expecting. 

Gabriel assured Mary, “For with God nothing will be impossible.”  (Luke 1:37)

Mary now believes God’s message to her and responds: “…let it be…” (Luke 1: 38).

“Let it be,” let that be the watchword of your life.  It is a summary way of saying, “Whatever you want, Lord, is OK with me.  Anything you want me to do, I will gladly do it.”  “Let it be.”

Her Son, Jesus Christ, prayed a similar prayer in Gethsemane: “Thy will be done.”

Consider how Mary and Jesus related to each other later in life.

Of Mary it was said, “blessed are you among women!” (Vs. 28b).  Unfortunately some have pushed the appropriate compliment too far and have asserted that Mary was immaculately conceived, that is, that she was also virgin born. Notice how Mary and Jesus related to each other. Later in life Jesus honored her, but played down her role. (Luke 11: 27, 28)

“And it happened, as He spoke these things, that a certain woman from the crowd raised her voice and said to Him, ‘Blessed is the womb that bore You, and the breasts which nursed You!’ But Jesus said, ‘More than that, blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it!’”  (Luke 11: 27, 28)

She honored Him and played up His role by acknowledging her need for a Savior.  Mary called Jesus, “God my Savior.” (Vs. 47)

To Mary, Jesus, not she, was the central character in the Christmas story.  We dare not leave Him out.

Two Responses to Jesus’ Birth

“Then Herod, when he had secretly called the wise men, determined from them what time the star appeared.” (Matthew 2: 7)

“And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.”  Matthew 2: 11)

Historically and currently there are two basic responses to the birth of Jesus.  The same message has been given both.

There was the response of Herod. Magi were heralds who brought news of  the birth of Jesus. Who were they? Magi are not called wise men in the Bible. The term “wise men” was first applied to the Magi by a man who was himself wise, the venerable Bede, an 8th-century British monk.

The Magi were not kings. Were they King Herod would have greeted them as were all heads of state with a royal banquet. Magi were king makers in their home land. They were astronomers who studied the stars.

Herod, who was called the king of the Jews, was on the throne, his paranoia was legendary. Herod had, at this point, killed several of his children, his in-laws, and others he felt were rivals. Herod’s plot was one of – – – ENVY AND EVIL.

Cunningly Herod devised a plot to find and obviously kill the young child. He told the Magi to find the child and come and tell him where he was. In keeping with his character and conduct he doubtlessly desired baby Jesus’ death. Failing to deceive the Magi to report to him, he later killed all the male children born in Bethlehem within the designated time frame.

News of His birth, as celebrated at Christmas, is still responded to with envy and evil by a large segment of our society. Concerted efforts are made to minimize and mock news of His birth and life. 

On a personal basis many still reject Him and refuse to pay Him homage at Christmas.

The response of the Magi was one of – – – – EUREKA AND EXALTATION 

Eureka, they found Him and exaltation, they fell down and worshiped Him. 

To find Jesus is to receptively know Him as He is, Savior and Lord.

To worship Him is to pay allegiance to Him, to submit to Him.

In the captivating trappings of Christmas today may He be found by those who have never established a life transforming relationship with Him. May those who have a saving relation with Him find Him more clearly than ever.

What Does God Require of You? Part Five

“He has shown you, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of you But to do justly, To love mercy, And to walk humbly with your God.” (Micah 6: 8)

“To walk humbly with your God” means to live in conscious fellowship with God.

It is to recognize God’s absolute holiness and submit to His will.

In Scripture the term “walk” often refers to a lifestyle.  To be humble means to be respectfully obedient.

When Elizabeth Barrett married the ultimately famous poet Robert Browning her parents disowned her. She and Robert moved far away to Florence, Italy. She loved her parents and sought reconciliation. Several times a month she would write telling them of her love. After 10 years there came a response. She received a package from her parents which she opened with excitement. Elizabeth’s happy moment rapidly faded when she found inside all of her letters to her parents — unopened.

Elizabeth, like Robert, was a poet. Her letters of reconciliation have been called “some of the most beautiful and expressive in the English language.”  Unfortunately her parents never read them.

Like Elizabeth, our Lord went to extreme measures to achieve reconciliation. Have you left His love letters unread. As Micah said God has shown us what is good. To find what is “good” read and obey His love letters. Accept His offer of reconciliation.

Come to the cross. It is an exhortation to “do justly.” It was sin, human kinds injustice, that put Him there. 

Come to the cross. It is an appeal to love mercy because of the mercy manifested there.

Come to the cross. It empowers one, enabling a walk with God.

God has mercy on us even though we often lack obedience. This verse describes what God wants us to do after receiving the grace of forgiveness: to do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with God. 

To “walk humbly with God” is the basis for loving mercy and doing justice. Because of what God has done, we should fully invest in healing the world around us through mercy and justice.

God has given each of us gifts and abilities to live out the truths in Micah 6: 8. These truths are what He wants out of you as a show of all He has done and is doing for you. 

Consider yourself entering God’s school room for an exam based on Micah 6: 8. How would you do? Here is a prep sheet to prepare for the test.

“…what does the Lord require of you But to do justly, To love mercy, And to walk humbly with your God.”