Making Melody in Our Hearts to the Lord You may remember the old movie, The Ten Commandments which portrayed the events surrounding the deliverance of the children of Israel from Egypt in a very dramatic fashion. However, I think it may be beyond human comprehension to accurately describe it. How do we feel the fear and anguish of the one who had been led out of Egypt, only to come to the barrier of the Red Sea, with Pharaoh and his chariots pressing hard against them. Their initial joy turned to despair. They thought that Moses had deceived them and that God had forsaken them to die at the hands of the Egyptians. However the next event would describe the ultimate description of God’s power for centuries, only to be surpassed by the resurrection of Jesus from the grave. Suddenly, at Moses command the waters parted. Israel marched through safely and the army of the Egyptians was drowned. Exodus 15:1 ¶ Then sang Moses and the children of Israel this song unto the LORD, and spake, saying, I will sing unto the LORD, for he hath triumphed gloriously: the horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea. Despair turned into joy as Israel sang and danced in celebration before the Lord, whom they addressed as JAH which has come down to us as Jehovah, which according to Strong’s Concordance is “the proper name of the one true God which is used in many compounds. All of which were fulfilled in the Lord Jesus Christ. Exodus 15:2 The LORD is my strength and song, and he is become my salvation: he is my God, and I will prepare him an habitation; my father’s God, and I will exalt him. In their temporary euphoria, they recognized the LORD as the God of their fathers and declared that they would make Him their God and prepare a habitation for Him. Well, so much for temporary ecstasy and euphoria. Three days later they were murmuring and complaining that Moses had led them out to starve to death in the desert. Have we ever done that? Israel faced many hard and bitter circumstances in their spiritual development, and so have many of us. After being taken in captivity by hostile nations as a punishment for falling into idolatry, Israel never again worshipped idols. Many came to fully realize that the LORD is and was their strength, their song and their salvation. To this day they are staunch defenders of the LORD JAH, as the one and only eternal God. However, they are yet to realize that the one true God revealed Himself in the flesh and person of His Son, Jesus Christ. Psalms 18:1 «To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David, the servant of the LORD, who spake unto the LORD the words of this song in the day that the LORD delivered him from the hand of all his enemies, and from the hand of Saul: And he said,» I will love thee, O LORD, my strength. When the Lord delivered David from the hands of king Saul, he poured out his gratitude in a song to the Lord. The sorrows of hell compassed him, and the snares of death were all around him. In his distress he cried out to the Lord and the his prayer was heard at the throne of heavens (Ps. 18:4-5). That still holds true today! When He hears and answers our prayers, we too can say: Psalms 18:2 The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower. 3 I will call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies. We find the theme of strength from the Lord repeated throughout the book of Psalms: Psalms 28:7 The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in him, and I am helped: therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; and with my song will I praise him. Psalms 46:1 «To the chief Musician for the sons of Korah, A Song upon Alamoth.» God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Psalms 118:14 The LORD is my strength and song, and is become my salvation. Psalms 118 is prophetic with the recurring theme that the mercy of the Lord endures forever. It speaks, about 1000 years prior to the cross of Calvary, of Jesus as the Stone who was rejected by the builders, becoming the Chief Cornerstone. It states that is the day that the Lord has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it. We, living 2000 years since the cross, stand heartily in agreement. This is the day that God ordained, the day that He became our salvation (comp. Isa. 40:9-11). Isaiah 12:2 Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for the LORD JEHOVAH is my strength and my song; he also is become my salvation. Isaiah 40:9 ¶ O Zion, that bringest good tidings, get thee up into the high mountain; O Jerusalem, that bringest good tidings, lift up thy voice with strength; lift [it] up, be not afraid; say unto the cities of Judah, Behold your God! There’s something about singing that can either lift us up or cause us to sink in despair. As one local pastor is fond of saying, “If you sing the blues, you will have the blues.” However, when we look back at the condition we were in when Jesus delivered us, it causes us to sing. When we sing, the portals of heaven open. I remember the times that we called out His name as death or serious injury seemed imminent. I remember the Lord’s healing touch and am thankful. I remember when the cupboards were empty and the Lord provided. i can’t forget coming through a surgery where the doctor was expecting me to die on the operating table. Ephesians 5:18 And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit; 19 Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; 20 Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ; The Lord delights in hearing our songs of praise and gratitude. I believe He is eagerly waiting to hear us sing a new song as we gather around His throne. Revelation 5:9 And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation;
Posted on: Wed, 26 Mar 2014 20:13:07 +0000
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