Ps. 99-100, 102
The Psalms continue to add more layers to praise.
- In Psalm 99, the Psalmist praises God by remembering how He worked in and through the lives of Moses, Aaron and Samuel. The Psalmist had the law and some history. We, however, have the entire Bible story to refer to in calling to mind God’s greatness! And we learn much about His character in it all. He is indeed worthy of all praise!
- Psalm 100 reminds us of our place. “Know that the LORD, He is God! It is He who made us, and we are His;” (Ps 100:3a). Remembering this should help us keep a proper perspective.
- And Psalm 102 shows us that even from the depths of our darkest despair, we can call out to God and know that He is the same great and loving God that He is when we are on our mountaintops. The Psalmist reminds us that God is enthroned forever and does not despise the prayer of the destitute.
Psalm 102 also takes the thought from yesterday – that we should declare God’s praise to the whole world – one step farther. “Let this be recorded for a generation to come, so that a people yet to be created may praise the LORD.” (Psalm 102:18). God’s praise, like God Himself, is eternal.
And one last thing from Psalm 102. Verses 18-22 read to me like a short synopses of the purpose of the Bible. “Let this be recorded”, verse 18 says. What is to be recorded? That God came from heaven to set free those doomed to die that they might declare His name at the final judgment. That is a paraphrase, obviously, so read through these verses for yourself to see what I mean. The Truth of God’s Plan is revealed everywhere in His Word!
Acts 17:16-34
Man was created to worship. This is obvious to me in the fact that every culture since the beginning of time has worshiped something. Why do men worship things such as the sun, the sea, or the trees? Why do they create images for themselves out of rock, wood, or stone to bow down to? Because they were created to worship. They have just lost their way as to the who.
It is in light of this that Paul attempts to redirect the people of Athens. They were a people who worshiped anything and everything. Paul let them know there is a God who made not only everything they worshiped but who also made them. This God is not made with or served by human hands, imagined in the human mind, or contained by man-made temples. Instead, It is we who are God’s offspring. This lines up perfectly with this morning’s thought from Psalm 100. It is God who made us; we are His.