Journal for Christ: July 2020

Phew! It's been going on two weeks now and I finally finished and posted this journal entry. I have spent hours and hours just to correct and finalize it. Usually, because of lack of sleep and getting up late, I have had only 30 minutes to an hour each day to do this. Please continue to pray over my sleep issue.

I usually limit the verses in the beginning to the actual verses I am studying. That has been my practice of late. So please forgive me for including Psalm 30 in its entirety one last time. This is my last entry on this Psalm. I will be moving onto Psalm 31. I just wanted to let you see the last verses in their entire context. May it bless and edify you and cause you to give praise and thanksgiving to our Great God and Savior. Hallelujah! (As I wrote the word Hallelujah, a song I was listening to sang, "Hallelujah!" simultaneously!!!)

July 17, 2020

Note: There are some things marked with * or **. They look like they are links you can click on. However, those are highlighted because they are linked in my Word document. You will have to scroll down manually in this blog if you want to see the reference notes.

Worship in WORD

A psalm. A song. For the dedication of the temple. Of David.

30 I will exalt you, O Lord,

for you lifted me out of the depths

and did not let my enemies gloat over me.

2 O Lord my God, I called to you for help

and you healed me.

3 O Lord, you brought me up from the grave;b

you spared me from going down into the pit.

4 Sing to the Lord, you saints of his;

praise his holy name.

5 For his anger lasts only a moment,

but his favor lasts a lifetime;

weeping may remain for a night,

but rejoicing comes in the morning.

6 When I felt secure, I said,

"I will never be shaken."

7 O Lord, when you favored me,

you made my mountain stand firm;

but when you hid your face,

I was dismayed.

8 To you, O Lord, I called;

to the Lord I cried for mercy:

9 "What gain is there in my destruction,

in my going down into the pit?

Will the dust praise you?

Will it proclaim your faithfulness?

10 Hear, O Lord, and be merciful to me;

O Lord, be my help."

11 You turned my wailing into dancing;

you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy,

12 that my heart may sing to you and not be silent.

O Lord my God, I will give you thanks forever.

NIV

A psalm of David. A song for the dedication of the Temple.

30 1 I will exalt you, Lord, for you rescued me.

You refused to let my enemies triumph over me.

2 O Lord my God, I cried to you for help,

and you restored my health.

3 You brought me up from the grave,* O Lord.

You kept me from falling into the pit of death.

4 Sing to the Lord, all you godly ones!

Praise his holy name.

5 For his anger lasts only a moment,

but his favor lasts a lifetime!

Weeping may last through the night,

but joy comes with the morning.

6 When I was prosperous, I said,

"Nothing can stop me now!"

7 Your favor, O Lord, made me as secure as a mountain.

Then you turned away from me, and I was shattered.

8 I cried out to you, O Lord.

I begged the Lord for mercy, saying,

9 "What will you gain if I die,

if I sink into the grave?

Can my dust praise you?

Can it tell of your faithfulness?

10 Hear me, Lord, and have mercy on me.

Help me, O Lord ."

11 You have turned my mourning into joyful dancing.

You have taken away my clothes of mourning and clothed me with joy,

12 that I might sing praises to you and not be silent.

O Lord my God, I will give you thanks forever!

A Psalm and Song at the dedication of the house of David.

30 I will extol thee, O LORD; for thou hast lifted me up, and hast not made my foes to rejoice over me.

2 O LORD my God, I cried unto thee, and thou hast healed me.

3 O LORD, thou hast brought up my soul from the grave: thou hast kept me alive, that I should not go down to the pit.

4 Sing unto the LORD, O ye saints of his, and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness.

5 For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.

6 And in my prosperity I said, I shall never be moved.

7 LORD, by thy favour thou hast made my mountain to stand strong: thou didst hide thy face, and I was troubled.

8 I cried to thee, O LORD; and unto the LORD I made supplication.

9 What profit is there in my blood, when I go down to the pit? Shall the dust praise thee? shall it declare thy truth?

10 Hear, O LORD, and have mercy upon me: LORD, be thou my helper.

11 Thou hast turned for me my mourning into dancing: thou hast put off my sackcloth, and girded me with gladness;

12 To the end that my glory may sing praise to thee, and not be silent. O LORD my God, I will give thanks unto thee for ever.

KJV

Joy Comes with the Morning

A Psalm of David. A song at the dedication of the temple.

30 I will extol you, O Lord, for you have drawn me up and have not let my foes rejoice over me.

2 O Lord my God, I cried to you for help, and you have healed me.

3 O Lord, you have brought up my soul from Sheol; you restored me to life from among those who go down to the pit.

4 Sing praises to the Lord, O you his saints, and give thanks to his holy name. 5 For his anger is but for moment, and his favor is for a lifetime. Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning.

6 As for me, I said in my prosperity, “I shall never be moved.”

7 By your favor, O Lord, you made my mountain stand strong; you hid your face; I was dismayed.

8 To you, O Lord, I cry, and to the Lord I plead for mercy:

9 “What profit is there in my death, if I go down to the pit? Will the dust praise you? Will it tell of your faithfulness?

10 Hear, O Lord, and be merciful to me! O Lord, be my helper!”

11 You have turned for me my mourning into dancing; you have loosed my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness,

12 that my glory may sing your praise and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give thanks to you forever!

ESV

I. Personal/Public Purpose - Title

II. Personal Praise: vs. 1- 3

III. Public Exhortation & Encouragement: vs. 4 - 5

IV. Personal Plea: vs. 6 - 10

V. Personal/Public Praise: vs. 11 – 12

We are now on the final stretch of our journey through Psalm 30. With David, we entered God’s courts with praise, and we will exit it in praise as well. Actually, as we shall see, we should make it our aim never to exit! In verses 11-12, David is publicly fulfilling the desire of his private plea found in verses 9-10. That is, his desire to glorify God and to lead God’s people in the worship of the One who disciplines and delivers His people. Amen!

If I were to outline verse 11-12, it might look like this:

I. God changes David’s attitude (v. 11a)

II. God changes David’s attire (v. 11b)

III. God changes David’s aim (v. 12)

Let’s look at each of these briefly. First, David’s attitude has changed from tears to twirling, from wailing to whirling.

You turned my wailing into dancing NIV (’84)

You have turned for me my mourning into dancing ESV

You turned my lament into dancing CSB

Not only is David fulfilling his desire, as seen in the previous verses, God is also changing David’s attitude. David moves from the “mourning” of the dark night of discipline to the joy of the bright day found in the “morning”(v. 5) of forgiveness and deliverance.

In verse 11, David makes beautiful use of synonymous parallelism* (“turned my mourning into dancing”/ “removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy” NIV) to express his response to God’s gracious blessing. With graphic imagery, he describes the internal and external changes that took place because of God’s gracious rescue and restoration in his life.

The first part of the parallelism begins with a reference to David weeping over his situation. And by implication, over his sinful, prideful attitude that led to God’s discipline. The word used here is aptly translated as “mourning” (ESV, KJV, NLT), “wailing” (NIV), and even “lament” (Christian Standard Bible). In the morning of his deliverance, God turns the waters of wailing into the wine of worship. From a dirge into dancing.

God changed

David’s attitude😭😂

Along with a change in attitude comes a change in attire. When one mourned in those days, they donned sackcloth as a sign of their anguish. The second part of the parallelism is a magnificent picture of God exchanging the attire of David from “mourning” clothes to a garment of “gladness.”

God changed

David’s attire

In verse 12, David employed antithetical parallelism* (“may sing your praise / not be silent” ESV) to describe what the changes in verse 11 had led to – a shift in aim. No longer for pride and comfort, but praise and thanksgiving.

To the end that my glory may sing praise to thee, and not be silent (KJV)

that my heart may sing to you and not be silent (NIV)

that my glory may sing your praise and not be silent (ESV)

that I might sing praises to you and not be silent (NLT)

That my soul may sing praise to You and not be silent (NASU)

The KJV is most helpful here in demonstrating that there is a change in David’s aim, an aim that is God wrought in the heart of David. The KJV translates the one Hebrew word used here as “to the end that.” Strong’s defines this word this way:

OT:4616 /u^m^ ma`an (mah'-an); from OT:6030; properly, heed, i.e. purpose; used only adverbially, on account of (as a motive or an aim), teleologically, in order that:

(Biblesoft's New Exhaustive Strong's Numbers and Concordance with Expanded Greek-Hebrew Dictionary. Copyright © 1994, 2003, 2006, 2010 Biblesoft, Inc. and International Bible Translators, Inc.)

David realized that the goal or aim of all this does not begin or end on himself. No, the Lord is the source. And the target that his joy terminates on is the worship of Yahweh in the form of praise and thanksgiving.

God changed

David’s aim 🏹

Notice David says, “You have” not, “I Have.” He is not into self-help; he’s into divine-aid. Notice also the Thou - I (“You have” – “I will”) connection. In Verse 1, we saw David declaring, “I will... because You have.” Verse 12, is verse 1 in reverse and gives the proper order and response in our relationship with God. The Lord is the “beginning and the end;” the cause and the culmination of our worship. This is so in our personal times of devotion as well as in the midst of His people.

You recall, as I began this study, I spoke of entering God’s courts with praise, but that our goal is never to exit. That’s the desire of David here. He says,

To the end that my glory may sing praise (Heb. zamar) to thee, and not be silent. O LORD my God, I will give thanks (Heb. yadah) unto thee for ever.

KJV

· This recalls the exhortation and invitation David gave God’s people in Verse five:

Sing praises (Heb. zamar) to the Lord, O you his saints, and give thanks (Heb. yadah) to his holy name.

ESV

(As you can see, David employs the same words I have put in parenthesis in both passages. Again an example of personal and congregational worship)

Whether the word “forever” refers to the extent of time (now and beyond time) or a sanctified habitual practice (continually or habitually) is of little importance. Either way, they eventually lead to the same end; the continual glory of God. However, we know that this is a goal that will only be imperfectly attained in this life. The cycle of discipline and deliverance will continue throughout life as God sanctifies His redeemed. This cycle is the narrative we find in the book of Psalms. It is chronicled in the life of the saints throughout scripture.

It is our

story

as well.

Worship in Witness:

Yet we must make it our aim, personally when we are alone, and corporately with each other, to praise God and give Him thanks. And we are not alone in this endeavor. In fact, we are not the main actors; God is, for we have these promises from His word:

Rom 8:28-30

28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. ²⁹ For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. ³⁰ And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.

NIV

2 Cor 3:17-18

¹⁷ Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. ¹⁸ And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.

NIV

2 Corinthians 4:17–18

17 For our momentary light affliction is producing for us an absolutely incomparable eternal weight of glory. 18 So we do not focus on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

CSB

Phil 1:6-7

And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.

ESV

2 Peter 1:3-4

³His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. ⁴ Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.

NIV

1 John 3:1-2

Look at how great a love the Father has given us, that we should be called God's children. And we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it didn't know Him. ² Dear friends, we are God's children now, and what we will be has not yet been revealed. We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him as He is.

HCSB

There is a purifying effect in praise and thanksgiving. True worship can only be done with these attitudes and actions in play in our lives. Can one genuinely worship while living in sin? And if we live with an attitude of praise and thanksgiving, will it not help prevent us from falling into sin and reveal hidden sins in our life?

But when we think of God’s sanctifying work, we think more in terms of moral and spiritual maturing. A life of Spirit-wrought holiness. But thanksgiving and praise are part of the process, aren’t they? Perhaps not just part of the process, but the very fiber of everything we do and say.

However, when eternity reigns and we stand in the presence of our Lord fully clothed in our resurrected bodies. His sanctifying work in our lives will be finished, but praise and thanksgiving will continue, eternally. Oh, may God have His perfect work in us. And let our “glory” ** sing His praise and give thanks to Him “forever” Amen!

https://i.pinimg.com/originals/19/21/e4/1921e48959f2f7d0a107107495152b0e.jpg

Worship in Promise, Poetry, and Praise:

Rev 2:57 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.
NIVRev 22:14-15

14 "Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city.
NIV

Complete

In the garden,

when Adam ate the forbidden fruit

Depravity filled all humanity

to the very root

Banished from the garden

to the grind, and the grave

But left with the promise,

of One who’d come to save

So out from His garden,

Christ descended from above

He entered another garden,

then died on a cross of love

Laid in a borrowed grave,

He shattered death’s imprisoning wall

Then ascended to His throne above,

from whence He’ll give the call

To those who in Him have believed

And pardon from their sins have received

And from the graveyard of the earth,

He’ll raise our bodies replete

And to the garden,

we will return,

in body and soul,

complete

Graves into Gardens by Elevation Worship

[Verse 1]

I searched the world

But it couldn’t fill me

Man’s empty praise

And treasures that fade

Are never enough

Then You came along

And put me back together

And every desire is now satisfied

Here in Your Love

[Chorus]

Oh there’s nothing

Better than You

There’s nothing better than You

Lord, there’s nothing,

Nothing is better than You

[Verse 2]

I’m not afraid

To show You my weakness

My failures and flaws

Lord, You’ve seen them all

And You still call me friend

‘Cause the God of the mountain

Is the God of the valley

There’s not a place

Your mercy and grace

Won’t find me again

[Chorus]

Oh there’s nothing

Better than You

There’s nothing better than You

Lord, there’s nothing,

Nothing is better than You [x2]

[Bridge]

You turn mourning to dancing

You give beauty for ashes

You turn shame into glory

You’re the only one who can [x2]

[Bridge 2]

You turn graves into gardens

You turn bones into armies

You turn seas into highways

You’re the only one who can

[Chorus]

Oh there’s nothing better than You

There’s nothing better than You

Lord, there’s nothing,

Nothing is better than You [x2]

[Repeat Bridge 2]

You turn graves into gardens

You turn bones into armies

You turn seas into highways

You’re the only one who can

You’re the only one who can [Repeat]

You are the only one who can

Lyrics: https://muslyrics.com/lyrics/graves-into-gardens-lyrics/

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YihKbG8-X3U

Notes for further study:

* POETRYSynonymous

In the Old Testament one encounters several different types, or aspects, of parallelism, each demonstrating a different semantic relationship between the lines. Although not one of the most common aspects, "synonymous" parallelism is one of the simplest. In synonymous parallelism the second line of the pair essentially restates the meaning of the first.

It is misleading to describe the two lines as being synonymous in the strict sense since the meaning of the two lines is not precisely equivalent. The second line gives a subtly different view in comparison to the first, contributing more than a simple restatement or paraphrase of the first. To illustrate, consider the perspective on an object seen with binocular vision. If while viewing that object, one closes one eye and then opens it and closes the other eye, the perspective from either eye singly will be quite similar to that of the other. However, the differences will be perceptible. The perspective given by both eyes together, like that of the pair of synonymous lines, yields a unique perspective and a depth of perception available only in tandem.

Consider the following example:

Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows. (Isa 53:4 a)

The lines emphasize the same message by creative restatement. In the following case,

The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. (Ps 19:1)

we also see synonymy. However, the context of the couplet helps us understand "glory of God" as basically equivalent to "work of his hands." Without the context the reader might not make such a connection, but the poet guides his readers to this conclusion with a skillful use of parallelism.

A second expression of parallelism has been named "antithetical" parallelism. Antithetical parallelism sets the paired lines in opposition to one another. One line restates the other, but negatively. Most examples of antithetical parallelism occur in the Wisdom Literature, where the two paths, the way of wisdom and that of folly, are contrasted for the one who would be wise. The following couplet illustrates this type of parallelism:

Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but he who hates correction is stupid. (Prov 12:1)

The third aspect of parallelism, called "synthetic" (or "formal") parallelism is the largest grouping, and also the most controversial. With synthetic parallelism, the second line presupposes the thought of the first and advances the thought of the initial line. Before we proceed with the discussion, it might prove helpful to examine examples:

Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely, O Lord (Ps 139:4)

I will sing to the Lord, for he is highly exalted. The horse and its rider he has hurled into the sea. (Ex 15:1)

Some have argued that this type of parallelism is no parallelism at all because the second line typically differs so significantly from the first that the meaning of the pair seems to be more akin to prose than poetry. However, the symmetry of paired lines, figurative expressions, and occasionally meter argue convincingly that synthetic parallelism is a legitimate understanding.

Although synonymous, antithetical, and synthetic parallelism comprise the major types of parallelism, several additional types of parallelism occur. We will mention only two. In emblematic parallelism, one line states a poetic proposition while the other illustrates with a simile. A well-known example is:

As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God. (Ps 42:1)

Another kind of parallelism is chiastic parallelism, where the second line restates the first in reversed order. Note the following example:

Ephraim will not be jealous of Judah, nor Judah hostile toward Ephraim. (Isa 11:13 b)

** David uses a phrase in verse 12 that is quite puzzling. What does he mean by “my glory?” Commentators have wrestled over this. Some think it is a reference to the tongue and others to the soul. Some suggest that it is a reference to his nobility as the king. Some translate it as the “heart.”

I was going to include a brief discussion of this under my “Worship in the Word” section above but thought it would make that section even longer than it was. I also thought it was not relevant to the point I was trying to make and would prove to be a distraction.

It is important to note that the word “my” is supplied and not in the original. Most translators feel this is justified. It literally reads, “glory may sing.” So, I tend to agree with one commentator I have quoted below:

Psalms 30:12

(My) glory may sing ... So the Septuagint, as the English version, understand "my" to "glory" - i.e., 'my tongue.' (cf. Ps 16:9, note). I think "glory" is all that is glorious in me and in thy saints. David had called on the 'saints of the Lord' to "sing unto the Lord" (Ps 30:4). Here he resumes the thought, and by putting "glory" absolutely, implies that the soul and tongue, not of himself only, but also of the saints, should glorify God by singing unto Him.

Some Further Quotes:

Psalms 30:11-12

Images of exuberant joy conclude this ode. Mourning is gone. The sackcloth of woe is put aside. Every movement testifies exhilaration. The girdle of the loins is gladness. For what purpose is this glad exchange? The design is that God may be loudly praised by every utterance of the lips. This scene will soon be realized. The day of Christ draws near. Then will be fullness of joy. Then, O Lord our God, we will give thanks to You forever.

Psalms 30

The issue of such experience is of the highest, "life," "joy in the morning." The review is full of suggestiveness. Days of prosperity had issued in self-satisfaction. Jehovah had hid His face. That was the moment of His anger and that the night of weeping! There was the return to Jehovah in the cry of anguish. The answer was immediate, mourning became dancing, sackcloth was exchanged for gladness. What was all this for?

"To the end that my glory may sing praise to Thee and not be silent." Self-satisfaction cannot praise Jehovah. Therefore it must be corrected by discipline. The final note of praise shows that through affliction and by deliverance the lesson has been learned.

Journal for Christ

Saturday, July 18, 2020

Our Aim: Praise and Thanksgiving