I LIFT MY EYES

Time with Jesus - Tuesday, 18 September 2012

Hi all,

Today’s meditation looks primarily at Psalm 121:1-2. This happens to be one of my favourite Psalm quotes. The question mark at the end of verse 1 makes a huge difference to our understanding of what this Psalm means. So I’ve touched on a bit of exegesis and hermeneutics. People are inclined to say, Herman who? “Why does he tic”? Well he’s a sort of Scriptural time bomb. Get it wrong and you whole understanding explodes in your face.

Blessings

Jim & Phyllida Strickland

Matt 10:8 Freely you received, Freely give		Time with Jesus – Wednesday, 19 September 2012			Matt 10:8 Freely you received, Freely give
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	INTRODUCTION		DAILY LIGHT EVENING SCRIPTURES	I LIFT MY EYES
Studying the Bible is fascinating. God’s Word fills the spirit man and gives us strength at stand against the enemy. As we know, the Sword of the Spirit, “God’s Word” is our weapon. Now I’m not into sword-fighting. But I know that to become proficient with the sword, we need lots of practice and acquired skill. Watch “fencing” on TV. If I tried that, it would be all over in half a second. They would tell me to go away and learn how to use the sword. Being proficient with the use of the Sword of the Spirit is just as necessary. Sadly many Christians don’t read their Bibles. So when it comes to fighting the enemy, the battle is over before it’s started, Yes, God does help us. But He does want us to know our way round His Word proficiently. And herein is the problem. The Bible says what it means and means what it says. But it takes place within a context that we need to understand, or we use Scripture incorrectly. We need to know who was saying what and to whom he was speaking. If we see a quotation from a non-believer, is it true? A good example comes from Habakkuk. Habakkuk says to God, 13 Your eyes are too pure to look at what is evil. You can't put up with the wrong things people do. So why do you put up with those who can't be trusted? The evil Babylonians swallow up those who are more godly than themselves. So why are you silent? Habakkuk 1:13 NIrV But it’s not true. God has to look at evil continuously. So this is Habakkuk’s opinion, not Biblical truth. Which brings us to the word, “Exegesis and Hermeneutics; These are two big words which imply correctly “dividing the Word of Truth”. For our purpose today; and over-simplified, “exegesis” is making sure that we understand correctly what is said. Hermeneutics is “teaching” this accurately. It’s more complicated than this but suffices for our purpose. Today’s meditation looks at an application of this to our first Scripture. First we get to grips with what the Psalmist meant when he wrote the words. Why did he say them? What was happening in God’s world to trigger the comment? This is dealt with in the meditation. It’s a basic exegetical understanding of what the words mean. The entire meditation is an interpretation of the passage. It’s an exercise in Hermeneutics. The verse of the Psalm is interpreted and expounded to make it more clearly understood. This is the way we should go about bringing the truth of Scripture to our readers or hearers. Sadly, it doesn’t happen in many Charismatic churches. Scripture is seldom read and expounded. What we get is a blunderbuss sermon; Scriptures are rammed down the barrel and fired at the listeners. The result is misunderstanding and error. Remember GIGO, Garbage in = Garbage out Jim & Phyllida Strickland.			A Song of Ascents 1 I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? 2 My help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth. Psalms 121:1-2 ESV A Song of Ascents 1 Those who trust in the LORD are like Mount Zion, which cannot be moved, but abides forever. 2 As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the LORD surrounds his people, from this time forth and forevermore. Psalms 125:1-2 ESV A Song of Ascents 1 To you I lift up my eyes, O you who are enthroned in the heavens! 2 Behold, as the eyes of servants look to the hand of their master, as the eyes of a maidservant to the hand of her mistress, so our eyes look to the LORD our God, till he has mercy upon us. Psalms 123:1-2 ESV 7 Because you have helped me, I sing in the shadow of your wings. Psalms 63:7 NIrV 12 "Our God, won't you please judge them? We don't have the power to face this huge army that's attacking us. We don't know what to do. But we're looking to you to help us." 2 Chronicles 20:12 NIrV 15 My eyes are always on the LORD, for He rescues me from the traps of my enemies. Psalms 25:15 NLT 8 Our help is in the name of the LORD, who made heaven and earth. Psalms 124:8 ESV	Way back in the Old Testament, the hills and mountain tops; On all of those High Places, we know that there were lots, Of places where the pagan gods desired to get men’s souls. Like altars for Baal worship as well as Asherah Poles. Ugly, phallic symbols, of gross indecency; Where men could praise and worship the god “fertility”! Lewd and sexual orgies with priests or the priestesses. Asking that the deity would be the one who blesses; Grant to them prosperity and give them bounteous crops. So that in agriculture, they’d always turn out tops. You’d see them in the distance, up high upon the hills. Good folk wouldn’t look at them. In fact they got the chills, Just thinking what might happen to people way up there. They wouldn’t even glance at them and none of them would stare, And look up at the mountains. The hills were just not right, And very few would lift their eyes in case, they got a sight, Of anything immoral. Far better not to look, And stay in the commandments, within God’s Holy Book. It wasn’t always like this. Some good kings made it stop. They’d go to the High places and cleanse it from the top, Down to the very bottom; burn down the Asherah poles, And smash the pagan altars. It was their kingly goal. No longer could men lift their eyes and see upon the hills Those grossly evil places and know about the ills, That often took place up there; like infant sacrifice; Or other dreadful practices and pay the awful price. And after there was cleansing and this was put away, You’d hear a “prophet” speaking; And this is what he’d say. “I lift my eyes up to the hills. It’s near where God abides. My help and strength come from The Lord, and Baal is put aside. The Lord is the creator of everything we see. High up on the mountain top is where He waits for me! He made this world from nothing He formed the mountain tops. If we only trust in Him He’ll give abundant crops. The pagan gods are worthless. Not one of them exists. The Lord God is the One to serve. The others are like mist. The Lord God breathes upon them and they are blown away. It’s only superstition; and who needs that today! So focus on the Master; like servants, watch His hand. Then jump to be obedient to His Divine command. The mountains have no terrors; the hills evoke no fear. I look at them and know for sure my God is ever near. Jim Strickland – Written 19th September 2012