Beloved, I am glad to share with you today the above theme from Ps 108.2 and following. Indeed, “I will wake up at the dawn of the day… ». Like David, let us realize the price of those first moments of the morning spent in the Lord’s fellowship (Ps 63:1-3). Experience shows that if we do not know how to take advantage of it, the opportunity will not be easily found during the rest of the day. For verses 5 and 6 remind us of two truths that must never be lost sight of in our prayers: First, that the deliverance and blessing of the believer are inseparable from the glory of God. Too often we forget this when we pray; we are selfishly concerned only with what concerns us. But let us seek “first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to us above” (Mat 6:31-33). Second, since we know the Lord’s love for His own, let us not fail to appeal to it: “That your beloved may be delivered,” says the psalmist (John 11:1-4).
From verse 7 we reread Ps 60:6-14. They are at the time when God will have regained possession of the limits of Israel. He spoke in his holiness. And his first words are: “I will rejoice… ». The Lord’s joy is to bless His own and share His inheritance with them. For at the beginning of this Psalm 108, the Messiah, identifying himself with the faithful of the residue who are going through the last days of their distress, invokes the Lord to manifest his power on their behalf. But it is in a full and joyful expectation of the answer that he makes this prayer: he therefore vows, as usual, to offer praise. An immediate response to this prayer comes out of the sanctuary, from the holy presence of God, to assure the supplicant that the Lord, at the right time, will claim his kingdom. It also promptly awakens the Messiah’s zeal for the day of vengeance—the year of his redeemed (Isaiah 63:1-5). We know that he is currently waiting for his enemies to be stepped on with his feet (Heb. 10:13). Then he ends his hymn by looking once again to Jehovah as Jacob’s recourse in his distress, and he looks forward to victory with confidence.
It is worth pointing out that what generally characterizes this book, like the previous book, with regard to Israel’s position, is that the people are well delivered and restored by God in the land, but are not immune from attack, nor in possession of the entire promised land. Also, although the people make thanksgiving and songs of praise heard (for God has intervened, and the state of Israel has changed), they feel the need for help and security against enemies not yet destroyed, and that of God’s full blessing in peace. Among these Psalms of the end, there are only a few that are exclusively Psalms of praise, or rather that invite praise.
This state, in which the people are delivered, but still await full security, is expressed at the end of Ps 108; as far as the final deliverance is concerned, the fact alone is stated. The connection of the two parts of this Psalm is not without interest. The first celebrates Jehovah for what he is, as known to the heart by faith: he is God in contrast with man. His goodness is great above heaven, and his truth reaches to the clouds, – goodness always being placed first, as the root of everything. The second part begins by expressing the expectation that God will rise above the heavens and that his glory will be above the whole earth: he must take his place and claim his name as God, so that his beloved may be delivered. Verse 7 makes known the answer of God who takes in hand, in detail, the whole cause of Israel as his own. Thus it is God who has war with the nations that possess the land of Israel, and it is by the strength of God with him that the residue will do valuable deeds. That is why there is mention here of God and not of Jehovah, because it is not a question of the covenant relationship, but of what he is in contrast to man whose help for deliverance is absolutely in vain.
The following verses have been compiled for your edification and grouped together for your better understanding.
I will awaken the dawn:
· Praise be to God, examples
2 Ch 20:22 Just as the songs and praises were beginning, Jehovah ambushed the sons of Ammon and Moab and those of the mountain of Seir, who had come against Judah. And they were beaten. Ps 35:28 And my tongue will celebrate your righteousness, She will say your praise every day. Ps 51:17 Lord! open my lips, and my mouth will publish your praise. Isa 12:1 Thou shalt say on that day: I praise you, O Lord! For you have been angered against me, Your anger has subsided, and you have comforted me. Luke 2:22 And when the days of their purification were fulfilled, according to the law of Moses, Joseph and Mary carried him to Jerusalem, to present him to the Lord, – Lk 19:37 And when he was already approaching Jerusalem, towards the descent of the Mount of Olives, the whole multitude of disciples, seized with joy, began to praise God aloud for all the miracles they had seen. Acts 2:47 praising God and finding favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the Church every day those who were saved.
· Elevation of God
Ps 21:14 Rise up, Lord, with your strength! We want to sing, celebrate your power. Ps 47:10 The princes of the peoples gather to the people of the God of Abraham; For to God are the shields of the earth: He is sovereignly elevated. Ps 57:12 Rise to heaven, O God! May your glory be upon all the earth! Ps 99:5 Exalt the Lord, our God, and bow down before his stepping stone! He is holy! Ps 108:6 Rise to heaven, O God! And may your glory be upon all the earth! Ps 118:28 You are my God, and I will praise you; My god! I will exalt you. Isaiah 12:4 And you will say on that day: Praise the Lord, invoke his name, publish his works among the people, Remember the greatness of his name! Isaiah 33:5 The Lord is lifted up, for he dwells above; He fills Zion with righteousness and righteousness.
· Royalty of God, universal
Ps 59:14 Destroy them, in your fury, destroy them, and let them be no more! Let them know that God reigns over Jacob, to the ends of the earth! -Pause. Ps 67:8 God blesses us, and all ends of the earth fear him. Ps 68:32 Great ones come from Egypt; Ethiopia rushes in, its hands stretched out to God. Ps 72:11 All kings will bow down before Him, All nations will serve Him. Ps 103:19 Jehovah has established His throne in heaven, and His reign dominates over all things. Za 9:10 I will destroy the chariots of Ephraim, And the horses of Jerusalem; And the arcs of war will be annihilated. He will announce peace to the nations, and he will dominate from one sea to another, from the river to the ends of the earth.
· Trust in God, Examples
Nb 14:8 If the Lord is favorable to us, He will lead us into this land, and give it to us: it is a land where milk and honey flow. Ps 3:7 I do not fear the myriad peoples who besiege me from all sides. Ps 23:4 When I walk in the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for you are with me: Your leadership and your staff reassure me. Ps 46:3 That is why we are fearless when the earth is turned upside down, and the mountains totter in the heart of the seas, Isaiah 12:2 Behold, God is my deliverance, I will be full of confidence, and I will fear nothing; For the Lord, the Lord is my strength and the subject of my praises; He was the one who saved me.
From all the above, we note that this psalm is composed of the songs of joy of two previous psalms (Ps 57 and Ps 60) which, both begun in sadness, end in joy: in these two psalms, the soul of the believer had sown with tears, then reaped with songs of joy; but here the double harvest is gathered, and the worshipper returns carrying an abundance of sheaves. And it is true that only joy will remain. The sorrows will be forgotten, or the memory will be evoked only to increase the joy and give more scope to the praise. This psalm is, it seems, the happy continuation of the previous collection of which we have seen that it has the resurrection as its theme (Ps. 103-107). For the resurrection leads to joy and praise. As someone pointed out, Jesus himself wept at the tomb of Lazarus, leaving all those around him to mourn; but quite different was his attitude before his own empty tomb: being himself in the freedom of the resurrection, he was able to say to the one whom he loved and whose affections he knew: “Woman, why are you weeping?” But all the results that God’s favor must bring have not yet been produced, and the same faith, grasping Ps 60, whose cry of distress it omits, celebrates the intervention of the One whose goodness rises above heaven, in order to bring about the subjugation of all those who still possess some parts of the territory of Israel. Thus, Ps 108 has a special character: it is composed of the end of two others, the first parts of which were the expression of deep distress and the last of which, in response to this cry, in faith and hope, were reunited. Our prayers are with you all.
PRAYER OF ACCEPTANCE OF JESUS CHRIST AS LORD AND PERSONAL SAVIOR
I now invite every person who wants to become a new creation by walking in the truth, to pray with me the following prayer:
Lord Jesus, I have long walked in the lusts of the world ignoring your love for humans. I admit to having sinned against you and ask your forgiveness for all my sins, because today I have decided to give you my life by taking you as Lord and personal Savior. I recognize that you died on the cross of Calvary and rose from the dead for me.
I am now saved and born again by the power of the Holy Spirit. Lead me every day to the eternal life that you give to all who obey your Word. Reveal yourself to me and strengthen my heart and faith, so that your light may shine in my life right now.
Thank you, Lord Jesus, for accepting me into your divine family, so that I may also contemplate the wonders of your kingdom.
I will now choose a nearby waterpoint to baptize myself by immersion, in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
All adoration, power and glory are yours, now and forever and ever. Amen!
I would be happy to respond to any questions and comments you may have, before sharing with you tomorrow ” the prayer of the faithful for oppressed Israel.”
May the Lord Jesus Christ bless you abundantly.
David Feze, Servant of the Almighty God.