Psalm 26 - Integrity

Psalm 26

Vindicate me, O Lord,

for I have integrity, 

and I trust in the Lord without wavering.

 Examine me, O Lord, and test me!

Evaluate my inner thoughts and motives! 

 For I am ever aware of your faithfulness, 

and your loyalty continually motivates me. 

 I do not associate with deceitful men,

or consort with those who are dishonest. 

 I hate the mob of evil men,

and do not associate with the wicked.

 I maintain a pure lifestyle, 

so I can appear before your altar,  O Lord,

 to give you thanks, 

and to tell about all your amazing deeds. 

 O Lord, I love the temple where you live, 

the place where your splendor is revealed. 

 Do not sweep me away a with sinners,

or execute me along with violent people, 

 who are always ready to do wrong 

or offer a bribe.  But I have integrity! 

Rescue me and have mercy on me!

 I am safe, 

and among the worshipers I will praise the Lord

The NET Bible

Integrity- It is interesting that this psalm begins and ends with Integrity.  Being a practical minded sort of guy, I think of the “I” in Integrity as a steel I-beam.  If you are building a  high rise building or a long bridge, you want to use beams that are guaranteed to have structural integrity. And how do you know that?  Why you have to test them!  In the lab you can subject a test beam to all sorts of forces and determine exactly what forces are needed to bend and break the beam.  If it has voids, that it is it is hollowed out and not solid all the way through, or it is corrupted by pockets of rust, it will not hold up under pressure.  

As a side note, there is an interesting story about the first major steel bridge.  There were many bridges made out of wood and iron at the time, but these were not strong enough to span the Mississippi river.  A bridge of over a mile in length would be needed to span the river at St. Louis.  Andrew Carnegie commissioned a bridge built out of his steel to be constructed there, but the people were reluctant to believe that even a steel bridge was strong enough to stand.  To demonstrate his new steel bridge’s strength, he went to the circus and rented the largest elephant that they had and used the elephant to lead a procession across the bridge. After that, the people used the bridge in confidence as they were sure that they weighed less than an elephant!

Testing and trying to ensure strength and integrity; that is exactly what the psalmist is asking for. He is asking for the Lord to examine and test him to ensure that he will be faithful, and will be able to stand in the day of trouble.  Integrity!

The second part of the psalm talks about deceitful men.  I can visualize that I-beam with all sorts of useless folk sitting and dancing on the middle of the I-beam.  If enough of them congregate there, perhaps the beam will bend.  The world today seems to have an abundance of such wicked men who would delight to cause the I-beam of the integrity of the Lord's people to bend and break.  I suppose every generation has had such men, but there seems to be more that enough of them today, but then it is election season in the USA, so many of them are on very public display!

But I have integrity! 

Rescue me and have mercy on me!

 I am safe, 

and among the worshipers I will praise the Lord

The psalm ends, as it began, with integrity, but here the purpose of all the testing is revealed.  The psalmist not only wants to be tested to ensure that he has enough integrity to stand and be safe, that his bridge won’t fall in the river.  But his ultimate goal is to be proven worthy to enter the Lord’s presence to be able to praise His name and enter into the worship of the Lord of Lords.  So in the end, what is the answer to having the integrity to stand, even in the midst of a perverted people?  The antidote to poisonous people is passionate praise!

Now for a little something different.  I ran across this on youtube, and it is a jazz treatment of psalm 26.  Enjoy!

"Search Me", inspired by Psalm 26, from The Jazz Psalms Project

Psalm 25- Unto Thee, O Lord, do I lift up my soul

Psalm 25

1 Unto thee, O Lord, do I lift up my soul. 

2 O my God, I trust in thee: let me not be ashamed,

let not mine enemies triumph over me. 

4 Shew me thy ways, O Lord; teach me thy paths.

KJV

This is for you old timers who remember the charismatic renewal in the 70's.  We sang this at Maranatha Gospel Tabernacle and at the Pittsburgh Charismatic Conference back then.  I can still hear Pastor Joseph's rich baritone voice leading this. Many times I was in the band accompanying him, and we had a great time of worship. Good memories of high times of praise and worship and sweet tunes from my friends in the band.  How good it is to lift up your soul to the Lord along with good friends and brothers, in a spirit of good fellowship and harmony.

9 The meek will he guide in judgment:

and the meek will he teach his way. 

10 All the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth

unto such as keep his covenant and his testimonies.

I remember those sweet times and recall how clearly we could hear the Lord.  In such an atmosphere of fellowship and worship, the Lord was easily able to teach us His ways.  Mercy and truth seems like something that you could feel in the atmosphere.  Those were wonderful days.

In due time, we all went our separate ways, as the Lord revealed out individual paths to us.  However, no matter the number of miles between us, there is still that strong connection between us from those high times we experienced together.  Worshiping the Lord together can fuse friends together, closer than brothers.  It's really a preview of heaven when we will all be together again, worshipping the Lord around the throne, when we will never need to be apart from the Lord or each other ever again.

Psalm 25, Unto Thee O Lord, by Maranatha Singers

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ia9Udx7cbQ

and a newer version by the Psalms Project

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B2NKgjE-Zw0

Psalm 24 - Who may ascend the hill of the Lord?

Psalm 24

           A psalm of David.

​The Lord owns the earth and all it contains,

the world and all who live in it.

For he set its foundation upon the seas,

and established it upon the ocean currents.

Who is allowed to ascend the mountain of the Lord?

Who may go up to his holy dwelling place?

The one whose deeds are blameless

and whose motives are pure,

who does not lie,

or make promises with no intention of keeping them.

Such godly people are rewarded by the Lord,

and vindicated by the God who delivers them.

Such purity characterizes the people who seek his favor,

Jacobʼs descendants, who pray to him. (Selah)

Look up, you gates!

Rise up, you eternal doors!

Then the majestic king will enter!

Who is this majestic king?

The Lord who is strong and mighty!

The Lord who is mighty in battle!

Look up, you gates!

Rise up, you eternal doors!

Then the majestic king will enter!

Who is this majestic king?

The Lord who commands armies!

He is the majestic king! (Selah) The NET Bible

"Who may ascend the hill of the Lord?"- That is the question of the day.  I don't know about you, but that is a daunting prospect to me.  Indeed who can consider themselves pure and holy enough to approach the Lord? Especially when you put it into an Old Testament context, where only those who obey all the laws are considered pure and holy.  I am encouraged by King David's attitude though.  He certainly wasn't a perfect man, but still he had a heart to seek after the Lord, and the Lord honored his desires.  Shifting to a New Testament context, we know that the grace of the Lord allows us to approach the Lord based on the cleansing blood of Jesus.  The Lord desires that we approach His holy hill, so He made a way so that we can ascend into  His presence, despite our human frailty and failings.

"Such purity characterizes the people who seek his favor."- I have trouble relating to the "blameless" part, but I can  identify with those who "seek his favor".  That's one reason I love the Psalms so much, because King David and the other psalmist were not prefect men, but they had a heart of worship, and were able to overcome their personal failings to find their way up the mountain of the Lord, to exalt Him and give Him the worship due His name.

The second part of psalm 24 is a great hymn of praise. Imagine, if you will, the great crowd of worshipers, who had ascended up the hill of the Lord, examining themselves on their journey according the the first part of the psalm.  Now they are gathered on top of the hill, in the temple, waiting expectantly for the Lord, the King of Glory to arrive. Hear the trumpets sound and the cymbals clang as the worshipers raise their voices to announce the arrival of the King of Kings, giving glory to His name.  The psalmist puts it in terms of the gates of the temple themselves rising up and declaring the glory of God.  It's as if the temple and the people have become one in worship to the King.  Do you see how this foreshadows the New Testament revelation that the temple of the Lord is the body of believers, the body of Christ?  We ourselves are the gates of the temple that declare the majesty and glory of the King of King and Lord of Lord. Hallelujah!

Now listen to the Sons of Korah version of Psalm 24 which is very inspirational:  

Psalm 24 - Sons of Korah

Psalm 23 (part 2) The Dream Box

Psalm 23 (part 2)

The Dream box.

There is something about dreams.  Sometimes your subconscious talks to you, sometimes God talks to you, and sometimes last nights extra jalapeños pizza talks to you!  I had a dream the other night that falls somewhere in that range.  Since I've been studying the Psalms, it might be helpful to relate that dream to Psalm 23.

In the dream, a large box was delivered to my house.  The wrapping was old and  yellowed, and the return address was my childhood home.  The ship date was 1965.  Opening it I discovered that my father had packed up several artifacts from my teenage years, and had them put into storage to be delivered to me 50 years in the future. In the box were many things that reminded me of things we had done together, times we had been together, and reminders of how much he loved me.

Psalm 23 is sort of like that.  In it our heavenly Father, our Shepherd, has packed several reminders of all the things He does for us and all the times that we have been together.

"I shall not want"- Remember all the times that the Father has provided for us.  Like the psalmist, I too can say that "I have never seen the children of the righteous begging bread".  Now there have been times when there wasn't all that I thought I wanted, but there has always been as much as I needed.  "Still waters" yes, "green pastures", yes.  In the most tumultuous times, there has been a place of still waters and in the driest of times there have been green pastures, as long as I remembered to ask the Father where to find them.

"He restored my soul" - This is the feeling that I had when I received the dream box.  Even though my father has been gone for many years, that box brought back many memories of how much he loved me.  It restored that sense of being loved that me soul needed.  Our heavenly Father also knows how to bring those things to us that will restore our souls, bringing peace and love to our lives when we need it most. Are you experiencing tumultuous times, where you have lost your peace?  Let the good shepherd lead you to the green pasture and restore your soul.

"Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,"- I am reminded of the great hymn "It is well with my soul".  That hymn was written in the middle of the Atlantic ocean at the spot where the author had lost his entire family to a ship wreck.  That ship had been sunk in a violent storm, but the waters were now calm as the author contemplated his losses.  How often it is that the Lord is able to restore our souls, even in the midst of the most violent upheavals that this life can throw at us.  "When sea billows blow.... It is well with my soul."  Can you find the Lord's peace, even at the place our your biggest loss, and trust Him even in the darkest depths of the valley of the shadow of death?

"I fear no evil, for You are with me;Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me." - Some of the things in my dream box reminded me of how my father had protected me.  A farm can be a dangerous place with treacherous mechanical equipment and temperamental livestock.  My father taught me how to be safe around farm equipment and gave me a large black dog that watched over me whenever I was in the pastures with the livestock. I also have his old cane, that he used like a shepherd's staff to prod the cattle in the way that he wanted them to go. It is a strong cane that you can lean on, and is a comfort and a protection in times of trouble.

"You prepare a table"- Another thing that was passed down to me from my parents is the old dining room table.  This table is a marvel of American ingenuity that folds up to fit into a corner, but expands out to be able to feed a dozen hungry farm hands.  Oh what feasts we had spread out on that table at harvest time and  holidays! Our heavenly Father likewise will provide a lavish feast for us, to provide for us abundantly, even in the presence of our enemies.  Perhaps even particularly so in the presence of our enemies, so that the Lord can demonstrate his loving kindness, not only to us, but also the the hosts of the enemy that would seek to starve and destroy us.  Thank you father for the bountiful provision and the table of feasting.

"Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me..."- My final observation doesn't come from my natural father, but from one of my fathers in the faith.  He tells of a pastor that we know in Guatemala that was threatened by the local witch doctor and his acolytes.  After many days, they had done nothing, so the elders of the church asked the witch doctor's men why not.  They responded, "Yes, we are going to kill your pastor, just as soon as those two giants with swords, who stand at the door of the church compound every night, leave.  Then we will kill your pastor."  Surely goodness and mercy will follow me, all the days of my life.

So then, my prayer for you is that you might receive your dream box, and unpack all the things that remind you of your Father’s love for you.

Sons of Korah, Psalms 23

Psalm 23 (Part 1)

Psalm 23 (Part 1)

Seeing as how the 23rd psalm is one of the most familiar of all the psalms, let us read it in a version that may be unfamiliar to you. The New English Translation (NET) (https://bible.org/netbible/) is sort of an open source Bible, that is freely available online, and which may be quoted and shared freely, as long as no profit is made from it.  Check out their web site for more details of their purpose and publishing model.

Anyway, that being said, let us read psalm 23 in the NET Bible translation to get a different perspective on a familiar scripture. 

The Lord is my shepherd,

I lack nothing.

He takes me to lush pastures,

he leads me to refreshing water.

He restores my strength.

He leads me down the right paths

for the sake of his reputation.

Even when I must walk through the darkest valley,

I fear no danger,

for you are with me;

your rod and your staff reassure me.

You prepare a feast before me

in plain sight of my enemies.

You refresh my head with oil;

my cup is completely full.

Surely your goodness and faithfulness will pursue me all my days,

and I will live in the Lordʼs house for the rest of my life. The NET Bible

How do you explain a shepherd to a modern, urban man?  I grew up on a farm, so have some appreciation for animal husbandry, but still taking care of cattle, hogs and chickens is a bit different from shepherding sheep.  Probably the best explanation that I have found is in the little book by W. Phillip Keller entitled "A Shepherd looks at Psalm 23" (http://www.amazon.com/Shepherd-Looks-Psalm-23/dp/0310274419) It's a very worthwhile read, and he does a much better job than I can of explaining all the shepherding references in psalm 23.  Keller explains in fascinating detail the true meaning of "table", "rod", "staff" and the shepherd's use of oil.

The eternal appeal of this psalm is the great assurance it gives us of our heavenly father's love. How we need to know that He is looking out for us, and that when we trust in Him we will lack nothing. I'm not very good at trusting myself, so psalm 23 is a good reminder that refreshing water and lush pastures are in His plan for me. Maybe you find yourself in a hard place where it is hard to trust that there is goodness in the world. I've been in such hard places and can assure you that it is a good thing to have the Shepherd looking out for you.  The outlook my look bleak from your perspective, but the Shepherd is viewing your life from a higher and wiser perspective, and will lead you through the darkest valley and you will fear no danger when you trust in Him.

To modern ears the King James "Thou preparest a table before me" of verse 5 sounds odd.  The NET renders it  as "prepare a feast", but there is some merit in using the language of "table" used by the KJV.  In the middle eastern sheep herding lands, the tables were high plateaus which were rich in green grass, and high above the pests and enemies of the valleys.  The shepherd would prepare the table before hand to remove any noxious weeds and drive off any predators, then the sheep could safely graze on the table land, far from the heat of the summer far below.  Sometimes it's just good to get away and be with the Lord in a quiet place, above the fray and away from your enemies and just enjoy His presence and feast on the table that He has prepared.

Keith Green - The Lord in My Shepherd (Psalm 23)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IMUQEI0CLQM