Glorious Things of Thee Are Spoken

“Glorious things of thee are spoken, O city of God.” – Psalm 87:3 (KJV).

It was early in the morning on the first day of the week. The sun had not yet risen. It was still dark, as we learn from John 20:1. Mary Magdalene, early, was at the tomb where Jesus had been laid and found the stone rolled away and the body gone. She hurried to tell Peter. Peter and the other disciple (probably John, who wrote the account) hurried to the tomb and found it empty. “They did not understand the Scripture, the he must rise from the dead. Then the disciples went back to their homes.” (John 20:9-10).

But Mary Magdalene remained in the garden, weeping near the tomb. As she stooped to look into the tomb, she saw two angels who asked her why she was weeping. Turning from the tomb, she saw someone whom she supposed to be the gardener. He asked her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?” (John 20:15), It was only when her name was called, “Mary!” did she recognize the One speaking to her as the risen Lord, and she cried out: “ ‘Rabboni!’ (which means Teacher).” Jesus then gave Mary Magdalene a mission to go and tell the disciples that He was risen and would ascend to His Father. The mission for which Jesus came into the world had been completed. He died a sacrificial death. He arose victorious. “Go…tell.” This is a command still reverberating through the ages.

From Zion, holy city of God in the heavens, Jesus came to earth, ministered and taught for a few brief years, and then death claimed Him, a sacrificial death on the cross. And on that resurrection morning after being in the grave three days, he broke the bonds of death and the grave. These earthly events took place in and around the earthly city of Zion, or Jerusalem. From Zion flowed out the good news to all people. “He is risen! He is risen, indeed! Alleluia!” Jesus gave new meaning to the city of God, Zion, the new Jerusalem.

Because of His death and resurrection, we, too, can know life and expect to live in that heavenly city.

John Newton (1725-1807), great poet and songwriter, spurred by the scripture from Psalm 87:3, wrote the words to the hymn, “Glorious Things of Thee Are Spoken” which tells of the place where we in victory will one day meet and live with the Lord of Glory. Franz Joseph Haydn (1732-1809) composed the majestic tune selected to go with Newton’s words. Think “glory!” as you hum or sing this song on this Resurrection Day:

      “Glorious things of thee are spoken, Zion, city of our God.

       He whose word cannot be broken, Formed thee for His own abode;

       On the Rock of Ages founded, What can shake thy sure repose?

       With salvation’s walls surrounded, Thou may smile at all thy foes.

      “See, the streams of living waters, Springing from eternal love,

       Well supply thy sons and daughters, And all fear of want remove;

       Who can faint, while such a river Ever does their thirst assuage?

       Grace which, like the Lord the giver, Never fails from age to age.

       Round each habitation hovering, See the cloud and fire appear

       For a glory and a covering, Showing that the Lord is near!

       Glorious things of thee are spoken, Zion, city of our God;

       He whose word cannot be broken, Formed thee for His own abode.”

-Ethelene Dyer Jones 03.27.2016

Lessons from the Psalms: Prayer for Restoration

“Restore us, O God of hosts; let your face shine, that we may be saved!...Turn again, O God of hosts! Look down from heaven, and see; have regard for this vine, the stock that your right hand planted, and for the son whom you made strong for yourself…Restore us, O Lord God of hosts! Let your face shine, that we may be saved!” -Psalm 80:7; 14-15; 19 (ESV) [Read Psalm 80]

This Psalm is a community lament at a time when at least a portion of the people have received hard treatment at the hand of Gentile conquerors. The refrain, “Restore us, O God of hosts; let your face shine that we may be saved!” is repeated in verses 3, 7 and 19.

The occasion of the Psalm by Asaph is debated by scholars. Some believe it represents the fall of the city of Samaria in 721 B. C. The tribes mentioned in the Psalm are that of Joseph, the combined tribe of his sons, Ephraim and Benjamin, and the tribe of Manesseh. The writer remembers that “God brought a vine out of Egypt; you drove out the nations and planted it. You cleared the ground for it; it took deep root and filled the land.” (vv. 8-9). Those were the good days, when the refugees who had come out of Egyptian bondage conquered the land of Canaan for their own homeland and established a nation there. It is no wonder they liked to remember those days before faithlessness and disobedience brought downfall. Now the Psalmist is leading his people in praying that the vine may be restored and the Lord’s face will shine upon them.

The Psalm reminds us of words Jesus taught as recorded in John 15: 1-3: “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in me that does not bear fruit, he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit.”

Having grown up on a farm, I was familiar with the grapes that grew in both my Grandfather’s and my father’s grape arbor. I observed how well they tended the vines, pruning off some of the branches so that the growth would be strong and productive. When I studied the words of Jesus in Sunday School, I could understand the principle of pruning off so that the major vine could be productive. And likewise, in our Christian life, if we do not abide in Christ through obedience to His Word and in prayer, we cannot have a productive Christian life. Jesus ended the “abiding” passage by stating: “These thing I have spoken to you that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.” (John 15:11, ESV).

Psalm 80 was a community lament and prayer for a nation. How we today in America need to pray earnestly that God will “Restore us…and let His face shine upon us, that we may be saved!” We are not only speaking of the saving grace that initially brings us into the vineyard of the Lord, but of the grace that forgives our wandering astray—as we certainly have as a people, a nation—and the grace that brings us back into fellowship with God to seek and follow His ways. Let us pray that this may be so, and “Let it begin in me.”

              -Ethelene Dyer Jones 03.20.2016

   

When Holding on Is Hard, God Holds onto Me

“Nevertheless, I am continually with you; you hold my right hand, You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will receive me to glory. Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.” -Psalm 73:23-26 (ESV) [Read Psalm 73]

Psalm 73 is the opening Psalm of Book Three division of the Psalms. This section contains Psalms 73-89. The tone is somewhat dark in Book Three of the Psalms. For example, the opening Psalm in this division starkly questions God’s justice. But then in verses 23-26 the writer comes to realize that a personal relationship is the way to recognize that God is still at work and is holding onto those who love and serve Him faithfully.

Although we desire a nation that fears and serves God, when we think about it, and use the analogy of a chain being only as strong as its weakest link, we come to the conclusion, as did Asaph to whom the writing of Psalm 73 is attributed, that it is the individual who is responsible for being “continually with God” and depending on His counsel, as expressed so strongly in Psalm 73:23. To identify Asaph, we note in 1 Chronicles 15:16-19 that he, Heman and Ethan (also known as Jeduthun) were Levites who were worship leaders and musicians in the sanctuary during King David’s reign. Twelve Psalms 50 and 73-83 are attributed to Asaph. Psalm 73 deals with the age-old question of “Why do the righteous suffer and the ungodly seem to prosper?” Psalm 73 gives five stages of seeking to answer this universal question:

1. The believer stands on what he knows (v. 1).
2. The doubter slips from where he once stood (vv. 2-3)
3. The wrestler struggles with what he feels and sees (vv. 4-14)
4. The worshiper sees the bigger picture (vv.15-22)
5. The conqueror rejoices over God’s goodness (23-26)¹

Asaph comes to a wonderful conclusion: “But for me, it is good to be near G0d; I have made the Lord my refuge, that I may tell of all your works.” (v. 28).

Looking back over the years of my life, I can see high points and low, times of doubt and times of great assurance. But I can testify to the strength of this Psalm’s testimony. The times of questioning “Why” do come, but through the darkness an eternal light always shines to show forth God’s light and His way. With the Psalmist the believe can say triumphantly: “My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. But for me, it is good to be near God; I have made the Lord God my refuge, that I may tell of all your works!”  (Psalm 73:26, 28, ESV). When holding on is hard, God holds onto me. Selah!

-Ethelene Dyer Jones 03.13.2016

1 Warren W. Wiersbe. The Wiersbe Bible Commentary. OT. “Psalms.” Colorado Springs, Co: David Cook. 2007. Pp. 953-954.

Lessons from the Psalms: God’s Awesome Deeds

“Shout for joy to God, all the earth; sing the glory of his name; give to him glorious praise! Say to God, ‘How awesome are your deeds! So great is your power that your enemies come cringing to you. All the earth worships you and sings praises to you; they sing praises to your name’.” Psalm 66:1-4 (ESV) [Read Psalm 66]

Psalm 66 is not “signed”; that is, no authorship is given to it in the introductory remarks. The Psalm begins with a global invitation for all nations to praise the Lord (vv. 1-7). It continues with a national proclamation for Israel to praise the Lord (vv. 8-12). Then comes the invitation to personally praise God: “Praise the Lord with me” (vv. 13-20). The severe trials God’s people had endured as shown in Psalm 66:8-12 are believed to be the historical events told about in Isaiah 36-37 when King Sennachrib of Assyria came against King Hezekiah of Judah. Hezekiah prayed for victory and the Lord answered his prayer. Some scholars think the words of Psalm 66:13-20 are from King Hezekiah himself.

What do we learn from this Psalm? Not only is the historical context of interest, but there are strong admonitions for persons of any age. In the “global invitation” verses, indeed all peoples everywhere should “Come and see what God has done: he is awesome in his deeds toward the children of man” (v. 5). As Paul wrote in Romans, there is enough evidence all about any peoples who show the awesomeness and majesty of God, so that they are “without excuse” of following God, obeying Him, and accepting His salvation (see Romans 1:19-20; 2:1)

In the national proclamation verses, the psalm notes the people have gone “through fire and through water, yet God has brought them to a place of abundance” (v 12). This certainly was true of the Israelite nation. As we apply this verse to America and how God led our founding fathers to establish the constitution and to uphold it, we can agree with the Psalmist (Ps. 33:12): “Blest is the nation whose God is the Lord,” as we have long declared. I just this week got a message online about a now-popular gospel song that has the testimony: “In God We Still Trust.” Those who want no mention of God as related to America want the song banned. Many are urging that the message be passed on and the song be sung, over and over again.

In the personal affirmation and the invitation to “worship the Lord with me,” (vv 13-20) we can exult in the testimony expressed in verse 20: “Blessed be God, because he has not rejected my prayer or removed his steadfast love from me!” There is a true saying: “A chain is only as strong as its weakest link.” This Psalm invites us to examine the awesome deeds of God, globally, nationally and individually and see how strong our personal link is in the chain of this circle of obedience and follow-ship of God. We often admonish others to draw closer to God. Do we examine our own relationship with God and see what sins should be confessed, what commitments should be made to make us a stronger link in the chain of believers? God’s awesome deeds should, indeed, inspire each of us to a closer walk with Him.    -Ethelene Dyer Jones 03.06.2016