Psalms 117-118

Sunday's Bible Reading: Psalms 117-118

Psalm 117
1 Praise the LORD, all you nations;
extol him, all you peoples.
2 For great is his love toward us,
and the faithfulness of the LORD endures forever.
Praise the LORD.

Thoughts on Strength . . .
If anyone believes that counting is always a good thing to do, certain portions of Scripture pretty much squelch that idea. Counting resources and measuring strength on the basis of numbers got King David in a heap of trouble (2 Samuel 24). God wanted David to trust in him, not in the strength of his army, so David's census-taking of all his fighting men was an affront to God. In some of his songs (including one in today's Bible reading), David acknowledged that it was not good to trust in anyone but God:

8 It is better to take refuge in the LORD
than to trust in man.

9 It is better to take refuge in the LORD
than to trust in princes. . . .

14 The LORD is my strength and my song;
he has become my salvation. —Psalm 118:8-9, 14 (see also Psalm 20:7).

For David, this was one of those times like we all have . . . we know the right thing to do yet we do the wrong thing. Our minds tell us what is right, but our hearts urge us to do something different.

As soon as the dastardly deed of counting was completed, David realized what a tragic mistake (sin!) he had made. David repented immediately, and God received his confession. But God did not spare David the consequences. He did however give him a choice of punishment: three years of famine in the land; three months of fleeing from his enemies; or three days of plague on the land.

David chose door number three—three days of plague. His reason sounds spiritual, but there's a hint of selfishness in it as well. "Let us fall into the hands of the Lord," David said—thus involving his whole nation in punishment for sin that he alone committed—"but do not let me fall into the hands of men" (2 Samuel 24:14).

Obviously it's good that David trusted God's mercy—though it's kind of ironic considering the sin he was being punished for . . . trusting in men rather than God.

David finally felt guilty for his choice when he saw the angel striking down the people: "I am the one who has sinned and done wrong," he said to the Lord. "These are but sheep. What have they done? Let your hand fall upon me and my family."

But by the time David got around to interceding on behalf of his people, God's mercy had finally kicked in.

The three-day plague on Israel killed 70,000 people before God said "Enough!" to the angel of affliction.

The spot where God's wrath ran out was the place where Araunah the Jebusite threshed his wheat—a flat spot near the top of Mount Moriah. God told David to make a sacrifice in that spot, so David bought the threshing floor, and David's son Solomon later built the temple in that place (2 Chronicles 3:1). Thus it became the place where God's wrath would run out for centuries to come—through temple sacrifices—until the ultimate sacrifice of God's perfect Lamb.

A picture on this website shows the threshing floor of Araunah, which is now covered by the Dome of the Rock, the Muslim mosque built on the Temple Mount.

Earlier this week (Tuesday) we read about Solomon's building of the temple (1 Kings 6), its high quality of materials and craftsmanship, and also its detailed ornamentation. The temple was not just functional, it was also beautiful.

"Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
his love endures forever." Psalm 118:29