Psalm 57:11
Be exalted, O God, above the heavens;
Let Your glory be above all the earth
All honor and praise belong to You Lord, our God. You rule both the heavens and earth and in You all things exist. We were created in Your desire to have a relationship with those who choose to love You. All glory is Yours. Dear Holy Spirit teach me to love like You. Carla
Psalm 113:4-6
4 The Lord is high above all nations,
His glory above the heavens.
5 Who is like the Lord our God,
Who dwells on high,
6 Who humbles Himself to behold
The things that are in the heavens and in the earth? (NKJV)
Unlike the man-made gods of the ancient Middle East, the Lord is not limited to a certain tribe or territory. He is sovereign over all; He is Most High (7:17; 47:2). Not only is God supreme over all nations, His glory cannot be contained in the universe. His glory is not only beyond the universe, it is beyond the capacity of human language to fully describe. Perhaps this explains Paul’s response to his visit above the heavens (2 Corinthians 12:1–4). The rhetorical words who is like the Lord present the incomparability of God (Isaiah 40:25). God draws near to us. The NKJV Study Bible
The psalmist focuses on Yahweh’s power and authority over everything. He implies that Yahweh deserves that position of authority because of His glorious character
High is a figure of speech that emphasizes God’s ultimate authority over all the nations. All nations refers to geographical territories outside of Israel.
His glory is above the heavens. Just as Yahweh is above the nations and has authority over them, He has authority over the heavens as well. Yahweh is not bounded by the heavens—as other ancient Near Eastern gods were generally believed to be—and He is above any other beings that inhabit the heavenly realm.
Yahweh our God, the Hebrew text here uses the phrase yhwh eloheinu, which may be rendered “Yahweh our God.” This combination of names for Yahweh originated in the exodus story, where God reveals His personal name (Exodus 3:14; 6:2, 8) and enters into a covenant with Israel (Exodus 19:5–6). Who is enthroned on high the image of a seated king implies stable authority and rule—the king, Yahweh, is not away from his throne in an effort to subdue his kingdom, but rules it from the splendor of his palace. Who condescends to look at, this phrase further emphasizes Yahweh’s position above everything (Psalm 113:4). He rules over the entire created order (including heaven), and His nature and capacity cannot be contained within that created order. Heavens and in the earth is a figure of speech that indicates “everything. Faithlife Study Bible
Psalm 11:4
The LORD is in His holy temple,
The LORD’s throne is in heaven;
His eyes behold,
His eyelids test the sons of men.
Psalm 99:2
The LORD is great in Zion,
And He is high above all the peoples.
Malachi 1:11
For from the rising of the sun, even to its going down,
My name shall be great among the Gentiles;
In every place incense shall be offered to My name,
And a pure offering;
For My name shall be great among the nations,
“Says the LORD of hosts.
Psalm 8:1
O LORD, our Lord,
How excellent is Your name in all the earth,
Who have set Your glory above the heavens!
The Chafetz Chaim (Rabbi Yisrael Meir Kagin, leader in the Jewish world, 1838 – 1933) was asked about his impact and how he made a difference. He answered, “I set out to try to change the world, but I failed. So, I decided to scale back my efforts and only try to influence the Jewish community of Poland, but I failed there, too. So, I targeted the community in my hometown of Radin, but achieved no greater success. Then I gave all my effort to changing my own family, and failed at that as well. Finally, I decide to change myself, and that’s how I had such an impact on the Jewish world.”
Rabbi Ted Falcon, a good friend of Sabbath Moment, reminds us, “We seek to remember that blessing comes in meeting the authentic call of the moment with greater compassion. There are always inner voices that focus on what is wrong in ourselves, in others, and in our world. There are always opportunities to act unkindly. But each moment offers us the opportunity to step into our freedom with greater awareness. The Way of One is a Way of deep compassion, healing, and forgiveness. It's a choice we are challenged to make again and again.”
These are life-giving stories during a week that we are remembering the “wardrobe”—Paul’s invitation in his letter to the Colossians, “So; chosen by God for this new life of love, dress in the wardrobe God picked out for you: compassion, kindness, humility, quiet strength and discipline. And regardless of what else you put on, wear love. It’s your basic, all-purpose garment. Never be without it.”
Those bearings that unlock mercy and passion and grace... and who knows, maybe even the possibility for healing and peacemaking. Sabbath Moments
No comments:
Post a Comment