It was winter when I turned in my Bible and reference books to Psalm 147, and I soon realized that the weather outside (snow!) was an appropriate illustration. Hundreds of years earlier, King David saw snow (rare in the Holy Land) as a picture for what needed to happen after his sins of adultery, deceit and murder. In Psalm 51 (discussed in this blog on Oct. 12, 2018), he wrote:
Wash me and I will be
whiter than snow. (51:7)
In his repentance, David wanted to be restored to purity and
fellowship with his God. It wasn’t much different for the circumstances behind
Psalm 147. After David’s reign, Israel
fell apart and divided under various kings, some good, many bad. Finally, God’s
discipline came when Babylon
brutally conquered the nation and dragged the people north as prisoners.
Seventy years later, Babylon
was itself captured, and the new Persian king allowed the Israelites to return.
But their beloved homeland was devastated and their temple in ruins. The book
of Ezra recalls their challenges in rebuilding a lesser temple. Then Nehemiah
came to supervise rebuilding the city’s walls for critical safety. Psalm 147
belongs to the end of Ezra, when enough of the temple was rebuilt for a
celebratory worship service. The psalm is a model for praising God for his
purifying and redeeming Hand.
HE RESTORES
Like all the psalms that conclude the book of Psalms, it
begins, “Hallelu Yah!”—Praise the LORD!
Doing so is “good,” “pleasant,” and “fitting.” What had just happened to
them, well, just didn’t happen in ancient societies. Returning to the ancestral
lands was likened to healing the brokenhearted and binding up their wounds (v.
3). Such an event was a God-thing.
HE REVEALS HIMSELF IN
HIS CREATION
If you stop to think about it, just what happens every day
around us in what we call “nature” points to an all-powerful creator God. Thus
the psalmist looks at creation. (That reminds me of wonderful hymns like
“Morning Has Broken,” “I Sing the Mighty Power of God,” and, of course “This Is
My Father’s World.”) From the stars to clouds, to weather (rain, snow, frost, hail),
vegetation, and animals, there’s plenty to remind us of God’s creative power
and pleasure.
HE REMEMBERS US!
What pleases Him the most?
The Lord delights in
those who fear him, who put their hope in his unfailing love. (v. 11)
The nation of Israel was lovingly planted, entrusted as a
conduit of God’s laws and the lineage of Jesus, then disciplined severely with
exile, finally—amazingly!--returned to its original lands. It became Exhibit A
of God’s lovingkindness and longsuffering. Verse 20 emphasizes the uniqueness of
it all: “He has done this for no other nation.” Even better, “redemption” isn’t
limited to the ancients who returned to a broken-down city. The apostle Paul,
explaining that “belonging to God” is now open to any, wrote, “You are all sons
of God through faith in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:26).
God comes to us in our brokenness and replants us in places
of promise. That truth should make every day a Thanksgiving day. Yes, life is
messy. We’re not slaves and exiles in the ancient sense, but often we’re enslaved
by negative circumstances and emotions. Yet Jesus said, “I have come that they
[us!] may have life and have it to the full” (John 10:10).
As I end this nearly year-long study of psalms for “feeling
down” times, I almost wish there were more in Pastor Seamands' recommended
list. The problems that inspired this series still exist, but I have a better,
God-perspective for them. It’s human to want life perfect and comfortable, but
this is earth. It’s not heaven yet.
In John 9, a blind man was brought to Jesus. The crowd asked if the man or his
parents sinned so as to cause his blindness. Jesus answered neither, but that “this happened so that
the work of God might be displayed in his life” (John 9:5).
The blind man saw right
away when Jesus healed him. It’s my prayer that this series will restore spiritual sight to those who’ve
struggled with life’s inequities and hard places. God knows about every one of
them, and our appropriate response should be that which rings loudly at the end
of psalms:
Praise the Lord!
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