June 02, 2020, Psalms 83, John 7

Psalms 83

A  song. A Psalm of Asaph. 

O God, do not remain silent; 

do not turn a deaf ear, 

do not stand aloof, O God. 

See how your enemies growl, 

how your foes rear their heads. 

With cunning they conspire against

your people; 

they plot against those

you cherish. Come, they say, 

let us destroy them as a nation. 

so that Israel's name is remembered 

no more.

With one mind they plot together;

they form an alliance against you--

the tents of Edom and the Ishmaelites, 

of Moab and the Hagrites, 

Byblos, Ammon and Amalek, 

Philistia, with the people of Tyre. 

Even Assyria has joined them

to reinforce Lot's descendants. 

Do to them as you did to Midian, 

as you did to Sisera and Jabin at the river Kishon, 

who perished at Endor

and became like dung on the ground. 
Make their nobles like Oreb and Zeeb, 

all their princes like Zebah and Zalmunna, 

who said, "Let us take possession of the pasture lands

of God." Make them like tumbleweed, my God,

like chaff before the wind. 

As fire consumes the forest

or a flame sets the mountains ablaze, 

so pursue them with your tempest and terrify 

them with your storm. Cover their face with shame, Lord, 

so that they will seek your name. 
May they ever be ashamed and dismayed; 

may they perish in disgrace. 

Let them know that you, whose name is the Lord--

that you alone are the Most High over all the earth. 

David prays like this in the midst of cities who have join forces against God (his will). A relationship is not perfect and King David was far from a perfect man but he desired God's will. 

John 7

Jesus Teaches at the Festival

Not until halfway through the Festival did Jesus go up to the Temple courts and begin to teach. The Jews there were amazed and asked, "How did this man get such learning without having been taught? 

Jesus answered, My teaching is not my own. It comes from the one who sent me. Anyone who makes the choice to do the will of God will find out whether my teaching comes from God or whether I speak on my own. Whoever speaks on their own does so to gain personal glory, but he who seeks the glory of the one who sent him is a man of truth; there is nothing false about him. Has not Moses given you the law? Yet not one of you keeps the law. Why are you trying to kill me? 

You are demon-possessed, the crowd answered, "Who is trying to kill you?"

Jesus said to them, I did one miracle, and you are all amazed. Yet, because Moses gave you circumcision (through actually it did not come from Moses, but from the patriarchs) you circumcise a boy on the Sabbath. Now if a boy can be circumcised on the Sabbath so that the Law of Moses may not be broken, why are you angry with me for healing a man's whole body on the Sabbath? Stop judging by mere appearances, but instead judge correctly. 

God is Good.

How awesome is God. 

1. God is patient
2. God is kind
3. God explains things
4. God gives man the freedom to question him
5. God listens to man
6. God shows man respect