You Are His Beloved
INTERESTING FACTS : Elbridge Gerry, SIGNER OF THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE; MEMBER OF THE CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION; FRAMER OF THE BILL OF RIGHTS, GOVERNOR OF MASSACHUSETTS, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES
He called on the State of Massachusetts to pray that . . .
"with one heart and voice we may prostrate ourselves at the throne of heavenly grace and present to our Great Benefactor sincere and unfeigned thanks for His infinite goodness and mercy towards us from our birth to the present moment for having above all things illuminated us by the Gospel of Jesus Christ, presenting to our view the happy prospect of a blessed immortality. And for our unparalleled ingratitude to that Adorable Being Who has seated us in a land irradiated by the cheering beams of the Gospel of Jesus Christ . . . let us fall prostrate before offended Deity, confess sincerely and penitently our manifold sins and our unworthiness of the least of His Divine favors, fervently implore His pardon through the merits of our mediator. And deeply impressed with a scene of our unparalleled ingratitude, let us contemplate the blessings which have flowed from the unlimited grave and favor of offended Deity, that we are still permitted to enjoy the first of Heaven's blessings: the Gospel of Jesus Christ."
Daily Reading : PSALMS 108 - 114
TEXT : Psa 108:1 A Song or Psalm of David. O God, my heart is fixed; I will sing and give praise, even with my glory. Psa 108:2 Awake, psaltery and harp: I myself will awake early. Psa 108:3 I will praise thee, O LORD, among the people: and I will sing praises unto thee among the nations. Psa 108:4 For thy mercy is great above the heavens: and thy truth reacheth unto the clouds. Psa 108:5 Be thou exalted, O God, above the heavens: and thy glory above all the earth; Psa 108:6 That thy beloved may be delivered: save with thy right hand, and answer me.
THEME : TRUST IN GOD
Psalm 108, nearly identical to Psalm 57 is again, one of giving praise to God. As noted, the two Psalms start in concord with the expression to "sing and give praise." However, the phrase "my heart is fixed" is repeated twice in verse one of Psalm 57. Because of the greatness and goodness of God, and because He has set His love on you, your heart should be "fixed" [lit. "to stand erect;" meaning firm, prepared, determined, etc.] as well. Set your heart today to praise Him - for all His benefits and goodness. As stated below, Charles Spurgeon says this Psalm was to be sung as Israel's national anthem.
Psalm 108 - A Song or Psalm of David, - To be sung jubilantly as a national hymn, or solemnly as a sacred Psalm. We cannot find it in our heart to dismiss this Psalm by merely referring the reader first to Psa_57:7-11 and then to Psa_60:5-12, though it will be at once seen that those two portions of Scripture are almost identical which the verses before us. It is true that most of the commentators have done so, and we are not so presumptuous as to dispute their wisdom; but we hold for ourselves that the words would not have been repeated if there had not been an object for so doing, and that this object could not have been answered if every hearer of it had said, "Ah, we had that before, and therefore we need not meditate upon it again." The Holy Spirit is not so short of expressions that he needs to repeat himself, and the repetition cannot be meant merely to fill the book: there must be some intention in the arrangement of two former divine utterances in a new connection; whether we can discover that intent is another matter. It is at least ours to endeavour to do so, and we may expect divine assistance therein.
We have before us the warrior's morning song, with which he adores his God and strengthens his heart before entering upon the conflicts of the day. As an old Prussian officer was wont in prayer to invoke the aid of "his Majesty's August Ally," so does David appeal to his God and set up his banner in Jehovah's name. [C.H. Spurgeon]
God, your God is worthy of your highest praise. When our national anthem is sung at ball fields throughout the USA, people applaud. That is appropriate. More so, when their team does well they shout and clap. How much more, with these two ideas combined - applauding the national anthem and shouting for your team, would this apply to the LORD? In other words, your heart should be fixed on His singular goodness using this Psalm and others to be your personal anthem. Your heart must be fixed on this principle of life - sing and give praise to God, for He ALONE is worthy!
" ;O God, my heart is fixed - Prepared, suited, ready. "My heart is fixed; O God, my heart is fixed:" indicating that there "might" have been some doubt or vacillation caused by the circumstances then existing, and the repetition would have respect to that, as if the psalmist had been unsettled and wavering for a time, but was at last firm. In such circumstances it would not be unnatural to "repeat" the assertion, as if there were no longer any doubt. In the beginning of a psalm, however, where there had been no previous expression or feeling of doubt so far as appears, there would be no propriety in repeating the assertion.
I will sing and give praise -Even with my glory - This is not in Psa_57:1-11. It is literally here, "truly my glory." In Psa_57:8, however, the expression, "Awake up, my glory," occurs, and this seems to correspond with that language. It means here that it was his glory - his honor - thus to be employed in giving praise to God. It was worthy of all that there was elevated in his nature; of all that constituted his glory; of his highest powers. At no time is man employed in a mo re noble and lofty work than praise." [Albert Barnes]
Every musical instrument, in theory, is designed to mimic the human voice. Thus, they should be employed to accompany the voice in giving praise to God. What a power there is in music! For this reason, J.S. Bach, even though he was a Church musician, wrote his music exclusively for God. At the beginning of each composition Bach would write either - I.N.J. (In Nomine Jesu-"In the Name of Jesus"), or J.J. (Jesu Juva-"Jesus Help Me"). At the end of each work he finally inscribed an acronym of one of the five solas of the reformation - SDG (Soli Deo Gloria-"To God alone, be the glory). No wonder so many classical musicians love Bach!
Like Handel- whose "Messiah" is one of the most explicitly Biblical works of all time, Bach was dubbed "the Fifth Evangelist" by famed missionary Albert Schweitzer, an accomplished organist, and Bach enthusiast and expert. Without doubt, Bach's c ompositions stand alone. This is due to his desire that "God Alone" received the glory from his works.
Renowned Bach biographer - Christoph Wolff writes in his seminal work on Bach - "Johann Sebastian Bach: The Learned Musician" the following -
"For Bach, the ultimate rationale for being a musician, that is, a performer-composer, was not to pursue some sort of mental construct but "to make a well-sounding harmony to the honor of God and the permissible delectation of the soul." He then adds - Bach continues, paraphrasing from Niedt's Musicalische Handleitung, that "the end and ultimate cause, as of all music, so of the thoroughbass, should be none else but the glory of God and the recreation of the soul/mind [Gemüth]. Where this is not observed, there is no real music but only a devilish blare and hubbub." [1]
Thus, you should be the Sixth Evangelist in proclaiming praise to God in singing and playing your music.
"Awake, psaltery and harp." As if he could not be content with voice alone, but must use the well-tuned strings, and communicate to them something of his own liveliness. Strings are wonderful things when some men play upon them, they seem to become sympathetic and incorporated with the minstrel, as if his very soul were imparted to them and thrilled through them. Only when a thoroughly enraptured soul speaks in the instrument can music be acceptable with God: as mere musical sound the Lord can have no pleasure therein, he is only pleased with the thought and feeling which are thus expressed. When a man has musical gift, he should regard it as too lovely a power to be enlisted in the cause of sin. Well did Charles Wesley say : -
"If well I know the tuneful art
To captivate a human heart,
The glory, Lord, be thine.
A servant of thy blessed will.
I here devote my utmost skill
To so und the praise divine.
"Thine own musician, Lord, inspire,
And let my consecrated lyre
Repeat the Psalmist's part.
His Son and Thine reveal in me,
And fill with sacred melody
The fibres of my heart."
"I myself will awake early." I will call up the dawn. The best and brightest hours of the day shall find me heartily aroused to bless my God. Some singers had need to awake, for they sing in drawling tones, as if they were half asleep; the tune drags wearily along, there is no feeling or sentiment in the singing, but the listener hears only a dull mechanical sound, as if the choir ground out the notes from a worn-out barrel-organ. Oh, choristers, wake up, for this is not a work for dreamers, but such as requires your best powers in their liveliest condition. In all worship this should be the personal resolve of each worshipper: "I myself will awake." [C.H. Spurgeon]
Thus, you must praise God wherever, whenever, and among whomever you may be. Let your praise cause others to extol Him also!
"I will praise thee among the people of the Jews; nay, I will sing to thee among the nations of the earth. Whatever company we are in we must take all occasions to speak well of God; and we must not be shy of singing psalms, though our neighbours hear us, for it looks like being ashamed of our Master. 5. We must, in our praises, magnify the mercy and truth of God in a special manner (Psa_108:4), mercy in promising, truth in performing." [Matthew Henry]
TRUTH FOR TODAY : "YOU ARE HIS BELOVED!"
There is coming a Day when all people will sing praise to God. That is, specifically, His Beloved whom He hath redeemed from the hand of the enemy. [Psa_107:2 Let the redeemed of the LORD say so, whom he hath redeemed from the hand of the enemy.] In that Day, no one will have to be told to praise God, for all His Beloved will sing gratefully, freely, and without reservation! His praise will be equal to and in accordance with His great mercy!
"Be thou exalted, O God, above the heavens: and thy glory above all the earth." Let thy praise be according to the greatness of thy mercy, Ah, if we were to measure our devotion thus, with what ardour should we sing! The whole earth with its overhanging dome would seem too scant an orchestra, and all the faculties of all mankind too little for the hallelujah. Angels would be called in to aid us, and surely they would come. They will come in that day when the whole earth shall be filled with the praises of Jehovah. We long for the time when God shall be universally worshipped, and his glory in the gospel shall be everywhere made known. This is a truly missionary prayer. David had none of the exclusiveness of the modern Jew or the narrow-heartedness of some nominal Christians. For God's sake, that his glory might be everywhere revealed, he longed to see heaven and earth full of the divine praise. Amen, so let it be." [C.H. Spurgeon]
The Psalmist says that thy beloved "may" be delivered. However, you have ALREADY been delivered [past tense]! In addition, you are being delivered [present tense]. Further, you will [yet] be delivered [future tense]! As Article 5 of the Arminian Articles state -
"...those who are incorporated into Christ by a true faith, and have thereby become partakers of his life-giving Spirit, have thereby full power to strive against Satan, sin, the world, and their own flesh, and to win the victory; it being well understood that it is ever through the assisting grace of the Holy Ghost; and that Jesus Christ assists them through his Spirit in all temptations, extends to them his hand, and if only they are ready for the conflict, and desire his help, and are not inactive, keeps them from falling, so that they, by no craft or power of Satan, can be misled nor plucked out of Christ's hands, according to the Word of Christ, 1Jo_10:28: 'Neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.'" [The Five Arminian Articles. A.D. 1610.]
You, and multitudes of others are the Beloved of Christ. It is He who will insure you will never perish or fall!
"That thy beloved may be delivered - The word rendered "beloved," and the verb rendered "may be delivered," are both in the plural number, showing that it is not an individual that is referred to, but that the people of God are intended. This is taken without any alteration from Psa_60:5. In that psalm the prayer for deliverance is grounded on the afflictions of the people, and the fact that God had given them "a banner that it might be displayed because of the truth," - or, in the cause of truth. See the notes at that psalm. In the psalm before us, while the prayer for deliverance is the same, the reason for that prayer is different. It is that God is exalted; that his mercy is above the heavens; that his glory is above all the earth, and that he is thus exalted that he may interpose and save his people. Save with thy right hand, and answer me - The Hebrew here is the same as in Psa_60:5, where it is rendered "and hear me." [Albert Barnes]
Perhaps, the best examples of those who know they are beloved of Christ, are found in the annals of life when God's people are tested, tried, and tempted. Thus, in the setting of torture or torment, as the faith of the person suffering is tried by fire, the proof of Christ always delivering His Own is proven. Christ said He would build His Church, and the Gates of Hell would NOT prevail against it. [The Church is you, not bricks, mortar, stone and concrete]. Thus, He will build you, and no one can impede or successfully destroy you. [Mat_16:18 And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.]
A good example of this building of His Church is found in the life of one the Protestant reformations heroes. John Fox records the shooting and ultimate death of a Protestant, French prince. Let it stand as an encouragement to you - you are His Beloved, and not even death can destroy you!
On the twenty second day of August, 1572, commenced this diabolical act of sanguinary brutality. It was intended to destroy at one stroke the root of the Protestant tree, which had only before partially suffered in its branches. The king of France had artfully proposed a marriage, between his sister and the prince of Navarre, the captain and prince of the Protestants. This imprudent marriage was publicly celebrated at Paris, August 18, by the cardinal of Bourbon, upon a high stage erected for the purpose. They dined in great pomp with the bishop, and supped with the king at Paris. Four days after this, the prince (Coligny), as he was coming from the Council, was shot in both arms; he then said to Maure, his deceased mother's minister, "O my brother, I do now perceive that I am indeed beloved of my God, since for His most holy sake I am wounded." Although the Vidam advised him to fly, yet he abode in Paris, and was soon after slain by Bemjus; who afterward declared he never saw a man meet death more valiantly than the admiral. [Foxes Book of Martyrs]
