Bible Truth Daily Devotion

July 30, 2010

The City of God

Filed under: Devotion in Psalm — Tags: , , — Pastor Brian Cheung @ 8:00 am

Psalm 48

 

 

The City of God is a physical place.  It is also a futuristic city.  This psalm is about the city of God, how others react to it and what it provides. 

 

Commentary:

Psalm 48:1. Jerusalem is the city of God.  Geographically, it sits on the hill.  The New Testament prophesizes a heavenly Jerusalem coming in the end.  The subject of praise in this psalm is likely the earthly city Jerusalem at the time of Solomon.  It should be Solomon’s time because it was the apex of Israel.  Moreover, at David’s time, although the military was equally strong, there was no huge palace in the city yet.  Solomon built the temple and the palaces. Since verse 13 mentions palaces, it was likely the Solomon’s time.

Psalm 48:2-3. The city has many positives.  Beautiful and great rulers are mentioned.  But the most important reason is that God is in her midst. 

Psalm 48:4-6.  Upon seeing the city, the foreign kings had a range of emotions.  Ranging from amazement to fear and from panic to pain, the kings knew that the city would be established forever. 

Psalm 48:8. Never had a nation been hated by so many different people.  Hitler wanted to extinguish Jews in WWII.  Now the Arabs and Persians desire to push Israel into the sea.  But God would establish the Jews forever.

Psalm 48:9-14.  The psalmist declares the lovingkindness of God.  The covenantal love is seen through the establishment of the city. It is the law of the city and the structures that shows how Great God is. 

 

Meditation:

The Jews could see the lovingkindness of God through the city that God has established.  They were prompted to examine the physical structures and markers of the city.  They were also reminded of the judgment and righteousness found in their midst. 

In the same way, we need to check out how God has blessed us.  We can look at some physical parameters.  Things like wealth, health, miracles, and deliverance.  They show us how much God has provided for us.  We can also look at the spiritual markers.  Things like maturity, emotional health, wisdom, and discernment.  They show us how much God has put into our lives.

In response to the establishment of our life, we should also give praises to God.  We should give great praises.

 

Prayer:

Dear Heavenly Father, you are the great King in the City of God.  We pray for Jerusalem and that the Jews can see how you have provided Jesus the Messiah for them.  We pray for its peace.  In Jesus’ name we pray.  Amen.

July 28, 2010

Becoming Immovable

Filed under: Devotion in Psalm — Tags: , , , , , , — Pastor Brian Cheung @ 8:00 am

Psalm 46

 

 

I was teaching some kids the Frisbee game this afternoon.  There was a lot of bumping around.  In fact, some big sized kids just moved the small ones out of positions by their sheer weight.  Life can be like that some times, we can be moved out of our positions by the sheer size of the problems.  The positions can be our convictions, our goals, or even our faith.  How do we keep our “positions” in the midst of adverse circumstances?  Today’s psalm teaches us how not be moved by our problems. 

 

Commentary:

Psalm 46:1-3.  Trouble is inevitable.  It is just how big the trouble is.  Some people get annoyed or become fearful by little trouble; others take a much bigger trouble before they crumble.  Here the psalmist describes the trouble as big as the mountain sliding into the sea, with the earth shaking.  Surly the sight is scary.  Yet God’s people who look to God for help will not be moved because they trust in an omnipotent God. 

Psalm 46:4-7. The city of God is Jerusalem.  True to the saying in this passage, when God dwelled in the city, Jerusalem did not fall.  But when the apostasy of the Jews reached its limit, God’s glory then literally left Jerusalem (Ezekiel 11:14-25).  Afterward, the city fell at the hand of Babylonians in 605 BC.  The earthly Jerusalem did not last forever. 

Nevertheless, there is an everlasting Jerusalem in the future.  It is not the present Jerusalem in the land of Israel on the map.  The book of Revelation describes a heavenly Jerusalem to descend on earth in the future.  That Jerusalem is the one that has the presence of our Lord and will last eternally.

Psalm 46:8-11.  The previous and the current portions of the psalm are in prophetic language.  When God rules in the heavenly Jerusalem, there will be no war on earth.  Although it is prophetic, the psalmist invites us to trust in the Lord and to live a life consistent with our faith.  In knowing that we will have a victorious future, we ought to give up strive in this life.   Giving up strive does not mean that we do not have struggles.  It means that we will not hold onto the world and the desire of it as if it is the only thing that matters.  We should have confidence that God will provide and should stop making sure that we got our fair share.  When God, who is  our stronghold, is with us, we will never be moved.

 

Meditation:

The psalmist said that Jerusalem will not be moved when God was in it.  Likewise, if God is in us, we too will never be moved.  Surely God did not dwell in Jerusalem forever because of sins; that is why it crumbled.  Similarly, when we sin by stopping to put God first in our life, we will be on shaky ground.  From our faith to our health and from our witness to our mind, none will prosper. 

Brothers and sisters in Christ, following God whole-heartedly is a choice that we have to make and to keep.  The reward is tremendous despite the seemingly difficult steps ahead.  Keep trusting and doing the work of God and see how God becomes the stronghold in our life. 

 

Prayer:

Dear Heavenly Father, we thank you that you will be the refuge and strength to those who trust you and follow your will.  We thank you that you will let us be in the heavenly Jerusalem when it comes.  Let us not be ashamed and let not our enemies triumph over us.  In Jesus’ name we pray.  Amen.

June 14, 2010

The Everlasting City?

Filed under: Devotion in Nahum — Tags: , , — Pastor Brian Cheung @ 8:00 am

Nahum 1:14-2:13

 

 

Some cities are just prosperous.  Situated in the right place and with the right people, these cities are vibrant with commerce and new ideas.  America is blessed with cities like that in San Francisco, Los Angeles, and New York.    The prosperity of these cities seems endless.  Can there really be an everlasting city?   This chapter on Nineveh gives us answer of that question. 

 

Commentary:

Nahum 1:14. God proclaims that Nineveh will no longer exist.   This prophecy is still true today.  While other great cities have ruins or are rebuilt, Nineveh has neither.  The people of Assyria have no countries, although it is believed that Kurds are the descendents of Assyria.

Nahum 2:  When reading this chapter, here are what the pronouns refer to.  “You” is Nineveh or its people.  “She” or “her” is the city of Nineveh.  “They” are the invading army of Medes and Babylon.  “He” or “the one” represents the leader of the army.

Nahum 2:6.  Historians said that the invading army shut off the gate of the water going to the city.  The water rose up to its full capacity.  In a torrential rain, the gate was open.  The flood stormed against the city wall and collapsed it.  An opening was made for the invaders.  

Nahum 2:8-10.  Nineveh was one of oldest city in the world; it was established in mid-24th century BC.  It has never been destroyed until 612 BC.  As a pool collecting water, the city steadily grew and was huge; it took Jonah a day to walk through it from one end to the other (Jonah 3:3-4).  Its treasures from years of war victory and commerce were enormous. 

As a comparison, think of the city of Los Angeles.  A city of 469 square miles, LA has a lot of people and wealth. It also has fine arts and technology.  Nineveh was like LA in size and commerce. 

All of that would be gone when judgment came.  People would flee the city.  The gold and silver would be plundered.  Nineveh would be emptied and deserted. 

Nahum 2:11-13. As lions, the Assyrians were the king of the jungle.  They were ferocious and merciless.  No country could match them in size and power; certainly no country could bring it down.  Yet God decided against them.  God used the Babylon, Mede, and a Scythian force.  Combined together, they brought down the Assyrian empire.  The destruction was complete that Assyria would not be found and would not rise again. 

 

Meditation:

There is no everlasting city in the history of mankind.  We should not count on any of the large cities in America to last forever.  Therefore, our confidence should never be built on man’s work, no matter how secure they may seem.  Our confidence should be based solely on what God said in the Bible.

Only God and His word would remain forever.  The world and all that it contains would be gone one day.  But God, His words, and the people who do them would remain forever (1John 2:17).

One day, the Lord would come back.  Jesus would bring the new city of Jerusalem with Him.  It will be an everlasting city.  Those who trust in Jesus Christ and His work would be saved forever.

 

Prayer:

Dear Heavenly Father, we give you thanks that no man’s work would be everlasting.  It helps us see that you are the great I AM.  We pray that we rely on you solely.  In Jesus’ name we pray.  Amen.

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