Psalm 114 is a short Psalm that celebrates “the presence of the Lord” (verse 7). It is a reminder of God’s sovereign choice to separate the “house of Jacob from a people of foreign tongue," to establish them as His chosen people “Israel,” and by His power, to make “Judah His sanctuary and dominion” (verse 2). These expressions suggest God’s authority over all things, and they emphasize the salvation He offers – pointing to the One Who will come from Judah to save and to reign – none other than the Lord Jesus Christ. Here, the Psalmist reveals the natural effects of and responses to God’s presence – “the sea looked and fled, the Jordan turned back, and the mountains and hills skipped like rams and lambs” (verse 3). The Psalmist repeats this theme in his rhetorical question addressed to these same elements of the natural creation – “Why was it?” he asks (verse 5). Of course, the answer is bound up in the “presence of the Lord” (verse 7). The power of God’s presence alone is able to take something dead, useless, and obdurate like a “hard rock” and turn it something living, useful, and as elastic as “springs of water” (verse 8). If He can do this with a rock, think of what He can do with a stone-hardened heart that submits to the power of His authority and the salvation He offers.
The book of Nahum is a little-read and little-understood book found in the section of Scripture we call the Minor Prophets. However, the minor prophets are by no means insignificant. Nahum spoke out against the city of Nineveh, the capital city of the world empire of Assyria. This was the same city to which God sent Jonah about one hundred years earlier. The Assyrians were cruel taskmasters, which explains Jonah’s aversion to going there. In Jonah’s day, God was merciful to Nineveh, but when Nahum prophesied against it, God’s mercy for Assyria was already running thin. This book shows us that God will put down His enemies. Notice, Nahum says, “The LORD is a jealous and avenging God; the LORD takes vengeance and is filled with wrath. The LORD takes vengeance …” (verse 2). This repetition should remind us that sin brings judgment. In chapter 2, Nahum warns, “An attacker advances against you, Nineveh” (verse 1), and in the remainder of the book, he describes the coming destruction (chapters 2-3). “Woe to the city of Nineveh,” says Nahum (cf., 3:1). And God says, “I am against you,” declares the LORD Almighty (verse 5). Interestingly, Nahum prophesied the doom of Assyria and its capital, Nineveh, and history confirms the empire’s total destruction.
We come today also to Ephesians 6 where Paul addresses the relationship of children to their parents, discusses the responsibilities of slaves to masters, and explains the armor of God. Not surprisingly, as a Pharisee grounded in the Law, Paul requires children to “obey and honor their parents because it is the right thing to do” (verses 1-3). Fathers are not to “exasperate their children” (verse 4). Often – probably out of a sense of pride – fathers place such high expectations on their children that they “exasperate” (i.e., frustrate) them, and Paul warns against this. Parents, and especially fathers, need to nurture their children in an atmosphere of guided-discovery and encouragement where children can find room to develop and grow. Slaves are told to obey their earthly masters as “servants of Christ” (verses 6-7). This verse transcends to the employee/employer relationship, too. Because we find ourselves daily in a spiritual battle, we need the armor of God - the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, shoes of readiness, the shield of our faith, the helmet of salvation, the sword of God’s Spirit, and prayer – our lifeline of communication with our Commander. God fits us properly for the task at hand, and He expects us to utilize this armor.
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