1 We give thanks to you, O God;
we give thanks, for your name is near.
We recount your wondrous deeds.
2 “At the set time that I appoint
I will judge with equity.
3 When the earth totters, and all its inhabitants,
it is I who keep steady its pillars. Selah
4 I say to the boastful, ‘Do not boast,’
and to the wicked, Do not lift up your horn;
5 do not lift up your horn on high,
or speak with haughty neck.’”
6 For not from the east or from the west
and not from the wilderness comes lifting up,
7 but it is God who executes judgment,
putting down one and lifting up another.
8 For in the hand of the LORD there is a cup
with foaming wine, well mixed,
and he pours out from it,
and all the wicked of the earth
shall drain it down to the dregs.
9 But I will declare it forever;
I will sing praises to the God of Jacob.
10 All the horns of the wicked I will cut off,
but the horns of the righteous shall be lifted up.
Comment: Every day, even when we are going through trying times there is so much to be thankful for! The Bible gives a lot of weight to what a ‘name’ means. And God has placed a lot of meaning to His Name in the written Scriptures and in the Life of Jesus! Be thankful! My wife is a helpful critic of my writing – I always get her to check my spelling and grammar everyday when I write these! One of the things she says to me is that if I use the word ‘it’ I must make it very clear what the ‘it’ means in this instance! Asaph the writer of this Psalm is translated as using the word ‘it’ five times and the word has three different meanings. The word ‘its’ occurs between the first two uses of ‘it’ to refer to something entirely different. It is in these cases a possessive pronoun. The first two uses of ‘it’ mean “God’. Would you dare to use the word ‘it’ for God? Well Asaph doesn’t call God an ‘it’ really because he expands the ‘it’ wonderfully to give God fantastic characteristics. a) He is an equitable Judge. b) He controls the world c) He hates pride and haughtiness d) He is involved in who is in control e) He holds in His hands a well mixed foaming cup of Justice and Judgement! The second two uses of the word ‘it’ refer to a cup which God holds in His hands. Elsewhere God says that He is a jealous God (Exodus 20) and is wrathful (Rom 1: 18). These aspects of the character of the steadfast loving God are mentioned hundreds of times both in the Old and New Testaments! The use in verse 9 says that the lips of the author will shout out ‘it’, meaning God’s Name, which refers to God’s Nature and Character!
Proverbs 17: 2-5 – A servant who deals wisely will rule over a son who acts shamefully and will share the inheritance as one of the brothers.
The crucible is for silver, and the furnace is for gold, and the LORD tests hearts.
An evildoer listens to wicked lips, and a liar gives ear to a mischievous tongue.
Whoever mocks the poor insults his Maker; he who is glad at calamity will not go unpunished.
Prayer: Help me to stand in awe of You and to live in obedience to You, Amen