September 6, 2023 — Psalm 129

“Often have they attacked me from my youth” —let Israel now say— “often have they attacked me from my youth, yet they have not prevailed against me. The plowers plowed on my back; they made their furrows long.” The LORD is righteous; he has cut the cords of the wicked. May all who hate Zion be put to shame and turned backward. Let them be like the grass on the housetops that withers before it grows up, with which reapers do not fill their hands or binders of sheaves their arms, while those who pass by do not say, “The blessing of the LORD be upon you! We bless you in the name of the LORD!”

Why Psalm 129 was made one of the “Songs of Ascents” is unknown. It speaks to the fact that Israel had often been roughly and severely treated; and it contains a prayer that those who were the enemies of Zion might be punished in a proper manner. It would seem probable that it was composed during a time of trouble and persecution, and that the main purpose was to refer to the fact and to find consolation and support. The principle on which it is founded is that there is nothing to be dreaded as the result of trial, we should not try to avoid the trials of life because the trials will not win the day — because the Lord is righteous.

In the Commentary on the Gospel According to Luke, the bishop of Milan expresses wonder at the gifts that G-d adds to G-d’s forgiveness: “See how good God is, and disposed to forgive sins: not only does he give back what he had taken away, but also grants unexpected gifts.” And St. Ambrose writes, “it is one of the greatest graces of the Lord, that the very ones who denied him confess him. No one therefore should lose confidence, no one should despair of receiving the divine recompenses, even if he is remorseful of past sins. God knows how to change his mind, if you know how to amend your guilt”.

That last phrase gives us hope: that G-d does change G-d’s mind when we are willing to amend our ways and seek forgiveness. See how good G-d is, indeed.

Let us Pray:

Lord Jesus, your death broke the bonds of sin and death, and by your wounds we are healed. Send us your blessing, and strengthen us by your power and grace, that we may praise you now and forever.

Amen.

Pastor Dave

September 5, 2023 — Psalm 128

“Happy is everyone who fears the LORD, who walks in his ways. You shall eat the fruit of the labor of your hands; you shall be happy, and it shall go well with you. Your wife will be like a fruitful vine within your house; your children will be like olive shoots around your table. Thus shall the man be blessed who fears the LORD. The LORD bless you from Zion. May you see the prosperity of Jerusalem all the days of your life. May you see your children’s children. Peace be upon Israel!”

“I’m so blessed.” We hear this phrase often in our culture. In fact, we hear it so often I am not sure that it means the same thing for every person. I am not so sure that it’s a genuine feeling. In other words, I wonder what exactly it means to be blessed. For instance, you rarely hear people use this phrase when they are enduring severe health issues or a family tragedy. In most instances, to say that we are blessed simply means it is just another word for happy. It’s a word that we use to describe the feeling of getting more than we expected. Again, the issue is not the usage of the word, but rather, how we don’t use the word. You see, if we fear and love the Lord, yet, struggle with some kind of suffering, are we still blessed?

The Hebrew word translated blessed is bârak. We are literally commanded to bless the Lord. This Hebrew word means we are to kneel in adoration. So, understood in its original context, the person who fears and loves the Lord should bless the Lord through our worship — which we do with gladness. The blessing will be found in the act of worship. Let that sink in. Bowing low to our Lord IS the blessing, which we return to the Lord because the Lord has blessed us.

In this case, it is right to conclude that prosperity leads to happiness which leads to worship. Suffering leads to joy which also leads to worship. The common denominator is blessing the Lord. The blessing itself is found in the act of our souls bowing to our Lord in humble adoration. The blessed understand how the Lord has blessed us, and as such we offer our blessings in return, through worship and praise and prayer.

Let us Pray:

Gracious God, giver of life in its fullness, you take no pleasure in human want but intend your bounty to be shared among your children. Let your church be a fruitful vine, raising up sons and daughters who care for others and cherish the earth, for the sake of our children’s children; through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord.

Amen.

Pastor Dave