Everyone is entitled to MY own opinion
Isa 26:20 Come, my people, enter thou into thy chambers, and shut thy doors about thee: hide thyself as it were for a little moment, until the indignation be overpast.
Isa 26:21 For, behold, the LORD cometh out of his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity: the earth also shall disclose her blood, and shall no more cover her slain.
When David lifted his eyes up to the hills, he didn’t just see a beautiful view. He saw his life flash before his eyes.
121 I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help.
2 My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth.
3 He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: he that keepeth thee will not slumber.
When I was reading Psalm 121, I began to think about David’s life.
It appears that David wrote this psalm after he was king, which means it was after he had spent a lot of time in those hills, the ones to which he was lifting his eyes.
What had happened in those hills?
For years, maybe as many as ten or fifteen years, he had hidden in those very hills, from a maniacal king who was dead-set on killing him.
When David lifted his eyes up to the hills, he didn’t just see a beautiful view. He saw his life flash before his eyes. He remembered moving from one hill to another, from one cave to another, hiding in the back of a cave while the king slept in the front, working his way around one side of the mountain while the king and his army marched inexorably around the other side.
When David looked at those hills, he saw despair and grief and darkness and hopelessness.
But when he looked at those hills, he saw something more. He saw protection. He saw deliverance. He saw safety in the cleft of the Rock. In those hills, David knew the presence of God.
9 for he satisfies the thirsty
and fills the hungry with good things.
9 for he satisfies the thirsty
and fills the hungry with good things.
Isa 26:20 Come, my people, enter thou into thy chambers, and shut thy doors about thee: hide thyself as it were for a little moment, until the indignation be overpast.
Isa 26:21 For, behold, the LORD cometh out of his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity: the earth also shall disclose her blood, and shall no more cover her slain.
Exo 12:22 And ye shall take a bunch of hyssop, and dip it in the blood that is in the basin, and strike the lintel and the two side posts with the blood that is in the basin; and none of you shall go out at the door of his house until the morning.
Exo 12:23 For the LORD will pass through to smite the Egyptians; and when he seeth the blood upon the lintel, and on the two side posts, the LORD will pass over the door, and will not suffer the destroyer to come in unto your houses to smite you.
Exo 12:12 For I will pass through the land of Egypt this night, and will smite all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the LORD.
Exo 12:13 And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt.
Psalm 23
23 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.
3 He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.
4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.
Weary now, I go to rest,
Close my eyes in slumber blest.
Father, may Thy watchful eye
Guard the bed on which I lie.
Müde bin ich, geh’ zur Ruh,
Schliesse meine Augen zu.
Vater, lass die Augen dein
Über meinem Bette sein.
Hab’ ich Unrecht heut’ getan,
Sieh’ es, lieber Gott, nicht an.
Deine Gnad’ und Christi Blut
Macht ja allen Schaden gut.
Alle die mir sind verwandt,
Gott lass ruh’n in Deiner Hand.
Alle Menschen, gross und klein,
Sollen dir befohlen sein.
Kranken Herzen sende Ruh,
Müde Augen schließe zu.
Gott im Himmel halte Wacht,
Gib uns eine gute Nacht. Amen.
Weary now, I go to rest,
Close my eyes in slumber blest.
Father, may Thy watchful eye
Guard the bed on which I lie.
Wrong I may have done today,
Heed it not, dear God, I pray.
For Thy mercy and Christ slain
Turns all wrong to right again.
May my loved ones, safe from harm,
Rest within Thy sheltering arm.
All Thy children everywhere
Shall find refuge in Thy care.
Send Thy rest to hearts in pain,
Close the weary eyes again.
God in heav’n Thy vigil keep
Grant us all a restful sleep. Amen.
Jesus said to him, “Again it is written, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’”
As in his response to the first temptation in Matthew 4:4 Jesus again responds by quoting scripture. This quotation comes from Deuteronomy 6:16 a verse that comes two chapters before that quoted in 4:4. As with the earlier quotation it uses the exact translation found in the Septuagint. In this section of Deuteronomy Moses is instructing the Israelites on proper behaviour. In full Deuteronomy 6:16 reads “Do not test the Lord your God as you did at Massah.” This is a reference to the events of Exodus 17:5 where the Israelites wandering in the desert doubted God was with them (cf. Psalm 95:9; Numbers 14:22ff). This passage is thus seen as the clearest evidence that the temptation narrative shows how Jesus avoided making the same errors as the Israelites. The quoting of Moses’ dictate is also seen as a rejection of Antinomianism. Satan had originally quoted from Psalms, but Fortna notes that Jesus replies with a more fundamental verse by quoting from the Torah.