THE LORD SPOKE (September 2)

Daily Reflections from Scripture:

Old Testament: Psalms 145-150

David said it like no one else. We delight to praise the Lord in the words of the psalms because he expressed it so well. In this one, not only did he employ the full gamut of praise language, he did it in an alphabetic acrostic (22 verses for the 22 letters of the Hebrew alphabet). And he still managed to compose it with a proper introduction (Ps. 145:1-2) and conclusion (Ps. 145:21) with four beautifully balanced stanzas in between:

Ps. 145:3-7 - “the Lord is great and most worthy of praise”
God’s Mighty Acts

Ps. 145:8-13a - “the Lord is gracious and compassionate”
God’s Majestic Attributes

Ps. 145:13b-16 - “the Lord is faithful to all his promises”
God’s Magnanimous Actions

Ps. 145:17-20 - “the Lord is righteous...and loving”
God’s Marvelous Affection

By the way, when King Nebuchadnezzar regained his sanity after his humiliating experience with lycanthropy, he sat down and wrote a proclamation which included his own memoir of the events. He doesn’t give us footnotes and a bibliography, but there’s a high level of probability that he read Psalm 145 for his morning devotions that day! Just compare the contents and vocabulary of Daniel 4 with this psalm and you’ll see for yourself.

• Dan. 4:37 - “I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and exalt and glorify the King of heaven”
• Ps. 145:1 - “I will exalt you my God the King, I will praise your name”

• Dan. 4:2 - “It is my pleasure to tell you about the miraculous signs and wonders that the Most High God has performed for me”
• Ps. 145:11,12,21 - “They will tell of...your mighty acts and the glorious splendor of your kingdom.... My mouth will speak in praise of the Lord.”

• Dan. 4:3 - “His kingdom is an eternal kingdom, his dominion endures from generation to generation”
• Ps. 145:13 - “Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and your dominion endures through all generations.”

Can we not shout it together? “Great is the Lord and most worthy of praise; his greatness no one can fathom.” (Ps. 145:2)


New Testament: Revelation 8

Trumpets were used to lead in battle or to announce important events. Both purposes seem to be at play here as the seven angels signal a series of plagues much worse than the previous seal judgments. As each one sounds out, John watches catastrophic events take place on the earth.

The altar that stands before the throne has not received much attention yet in the book. In fact, it is here that we are first told that it stands “before the throne” (Rev. 8:3) and that it is of gold. Previously, we’d only been told that John saw “the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God and the testimony they had maintained” and they were “under the altar” (Rev. 6:9). Now in chapter eight an angel bearing a golden censer stands before the golden altar to offer incense.

That incense is related somehow to “the prayers of all the saints”. The Greek grammar could be taken to say that the incense and prayers are mingled (as the NIV translates it) or, probably better, it could mean the incense consists of the prayers. The result of their being offered on the altar is immediate judgment on the earth (Rev. 8:5).

As each trumpet is sounded a series of thirty-percent judgments are brought to effect...

• one-third of the earth is burned up
• one-third of the trees are burned up
• one-third of the sea is turned to blood
• one-third of the ships are destroyed
• one-third of the rivers and springs are destroyed
• one-third of the waters turn bitter and cause death
• one-third of the sun, moon, and stars turn dark
• one-third of the day and night is without light

The globe is no longer a happy place to be. Imagine the spreading grief and destruction and death similar to the last tsunami but now covering thirty-percent of the entire earth! And this is still just the beginning. We’re less than half way through the seal, trumpet, and bowl judgments of the book. We haven’t even gotten to the mid-point yet.

If it were to begin today, do you know where you would be in this cosmic scenario?

It’s possible to know!

If you are one of the redeemed, you’ll be there in heaven before the throne to observe it all. If you don’t know Jesus as your savior, if you’re not converted to Christ, if you’re not one of the redeemed - you won’t be there before the throne. You’ll be here. Chances are, you may be among the thirty-percent. Or worse, you might be among the survivors.

Jesus is much more that a fire escape to keep your skin out of hell, but He is that. Why don’t you trust Him now? Receive His offer of salvation. He is reaching out to you and inviting you to come to Him. Talk to Him now!