Psalm 117

Reading for August 26, 2012      Psalm 117

When sin entered God’s creation, God began a plan of redemption, a way of restoring his creation to Paradise. Abraham was called by God to be set apart, to be the first of God’s people in His plan of redemption. However, God’s plan of redemption was for all creation, not just the Israelites. Isaiah’s prophesy of God’s Messiah says, “You will do more than restore the people of Israel to me. I will make you a light to the Gentiles, and you will bring my salvation to the ends of the earth” (Isaiah 49:6).

Jesus, God’s Messiah, affirmed this prophesy when He said, “And I tell you this, that many Gentiles will come from all over the world—from east and west—and sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob at the feast in the Kingdom of Heaven” (Matthew 8:11).

The Apostle Paul affirmed this prophesy for the New Covenant church when he wrote, “For Christ himself has brought peace to us. He united Jews and Gentiles into one people when, in his own body on the cross, he broke down the wall of hostility that separated us… He made peace between Jews and Gentiles by creating in himself one new people from the two groups. Together as one body, Christ reconciled both groups to God by means of his death on the cross, . . .” (Ephesians 2:14-16).

I believe the greatest mission of the church today, is to fully embrace God’s vision of redemption and live by the truth of God: “There is no longer Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male and female. For you are all one in Christ Jesus. And now that you belong to Christ, you are the true children of Abraham. You are his heirs, and God’s promise to Abraham belongs to you” (Galatians 3:28-29).

When we live this way, we’ll join the psalmist in praising God,

“Praise the Lord, all you nations.

    Praise him, all you people of the earth.

For he loves us with unfailing love;

    the Lord’s faithfulness endures forever.

Praise the Lord!”

Psalm 117

 

Sē’lah

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What word or phrase in today’s reading of the Psalms

 attracts your attention?

Reflect on that word or phrase.

What insights come to you?

How does this passage touch your life today?

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(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

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Reading for August 27, 2012      Psalm 118