Psalm 93
Floods
Back when we went through the book of Numbers we got to the section where the Tabernacle had been set up. The people old enough for war had been counted, the Levites had been assigned their duties as well as where they were to camp in relation to the Tabernacle. The twelve tribes were also assigned their camping places and instructed as to how they were to break camp and set out for the Promised Land. Whether camping or traveling, God had arranged everything so that His presence (represented by the Tabernacle) would always be in the center of the people. He would always be with them no matter where they were.
Aaron and his sons were also given their duties and instructed in how they were to minister to the people and one year after they were set free from slavery in Egypt they celebrated the Passover. God’s presence represented by a cloud came and covered the Tabernacle. It must have been an awesome sight and awesome to know God was going to be with them always for soon they would be setting out for the Promised Land.
The same pattern is repeated when Solomon built the temple which replaced the Tabernacle. Through all that took place, when Solomon dedicated the Temple, God made sure the people understood that God was in the midst of His people and they were to have Him with them always.
This is where Psalm 93 comes in. Psalm 93 speaks of the power, majesty, and strength of God, but it also speaks of two types of floods that will come. Even though the nation is now established in the Promised Land, they will encounter “floods” that will come against them and test their faith in God. Such was the case when Assyria surrounded Jerusalem in our study of 2 Kings 18&19 and Isaiah 36&37. The Assyrian army camped around Jerusalem must have looked like flood waters to the people looking down from the wall of the city.
The Assyrian invasion is a picture that illustrates the Great Tribulation and the final battle between our Lord and the antichrist. Hezekiah sets the example of Israel turning to the Lord and the Lord delivers the city and the people.
One hundred years later, or so, Jerusalem will again be threatened by a “flood.” Egypt will march out against Assyria and Judah will become involved. Babylon will be rising to power. All of this will result in the region becoming very unstable. The people of Judah will think back to when God delivered Jerusalem from the Assyrians. They think God did this because Jerusalem was where the temple was located. However, over the years, there was a different kind of flood that had come against them which slowly eroded away their relationship with God. It was a flood of words coming from the popular thinking of the time. So, over time the Temple had become, to them, an idol and sadly the people were presuming that they could live any way they wanted and God would protect them because they had the Temple of God in Jerusalem. Jeremiah 7
Though God was with them, they were not really with God in their hearts. The outcome of this was that, although God gave warning after warning, God allowed the Temple, the very thing they were trusting in, to be destroyed!
Today there is no longer a temple in Jerusalem. The Apostle Paul tells us that as true believers, our body is the Temple of the Holy Spirit. In the Temple, God dwelt in the “Holy of Holies” or the “Most Holy Place.” The Law, God’s provision, His power, and His mercy flowed from the Most Holy place through the priesthood to the people. The people related to God by observing the Law and by worship. This the people did by faith.
The Greek word Paul used for temple means the “Holy of Holies” or the “Most Holy Place.” In other words when we became believers in Christ Jesus and gave our life to Him, God took up residence in our heart. Jesus is our High Priest. We are to relate to God in the same way, obedience based on faith and worship. God dwelling in our heart should show and make a difference in our life. Verse 5 of Psalm 93 says, “…Holiness adorns Your house…” NKJV
In our lives there will be times when the “floods” of life rise against us. It is in those times we will find out if God is really at the center of our life and if we are truly trusting in Him or just saying we are. God will allow “floods” to show if we have allowed our relationship with God to be eroded away. Jesus gives us a good example of erosion in Matthew 15.
Jesus said in Matthew 7:24&25 NKJV, “Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house and it did not fall for it was founded on the rock.” The house is built by faith in Jesus and obedience because we trust in His Word. John 1 tells us that Jesus is the Word of God.
Hearing the Word is not enough. It must be put into practice. It is great to hear how majestic God is but we must trust Him no matter what floods come against us if we are to get to our Promised Land. Paul warns us in 1 Corinthians 10 what the outcome will be if we are just hearers of the Word and not doers. Jeremiah 7, Matthew 15, 1 Corinthians 10, and James 1, is our homework for today. We have God’s Word to us and He is faithful. He has promised to never leave us nor forsake us so my prayer is that we will be faithful to Him and not be fair weather Christians.
What adorns your heart?
Pastor Dave