TRUTH BYTES

Psalm 98 The Lord is Coming Even the most cursory view of the news informs us that our world is full of deception, manipulation, propaganda, and injustice. Those in places of power who are setting their own agendas and establishing tyrannies of their own design are mere men short-sighted and with only temporary temporal power. So there is hope.... For the Lord God, Creator of all things, is coming and his power is supreme. He has not forgotten his people. The force of the waves is a small reminder of the might of the one who will return to restore truth and equity. He is the King of Righteousness and he will use his power to judge all nations with justice. Psalm 98 Oh, sing to the Lord a new song! For He has done marvellous things; His right hand and His holy arm have gained Him the victory. 2 The Lord has made known His salvation; His righteousness He has revealed in the sight of the nations. 3 He has remembered His mercy and His faithfulness to the house of Israel; All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God. 4 Shout joyfully to the Lord, all the earth; Break forth in song, rejoice, and sing praises. 5 Sing to the Lord with the harp, With the harp and the sound of a psalm, 6 With trumpets and the sound of a horn; Shout joyfully before the Lord, the King. 7 Let the sea roar, and all its fullness, The world and those who dwell in it; 8 Let the rivers clap their hands; Let the hills be joyful together 9 before the Lord, For He is coming to judge the earth. With righteousness He shall judge the world, And the peoples with equity.

Psalm 97 During the lifetime of the Psalmist there were many enemies to contend with, enemies who hated God and his followers. The enemies were idolaters who worshipped false gods, and practiced ritual infanticide and cannibalism. These people were constantly in conflict with those who worshipped the Lord God and embraced his way of love for neighbour and family.... Perhaps at times, God's people were discouraged by the false narratives, and abhorrent actions of those around them who embraced idols, and had bought into destructive ideologies. So the Psalmist encouraged them, and us, to take a big picture view, and envision that time when the Lord will reign and his right ways will be the standard by which all people will live. A time when our sorrow will be turned into joy! The Lord reigns; Let the earth rejoice; Let the multitude of isles be glad! 2 Clouds and darkness surround Him; Righteousness and justice are the foundation of His throne. ... 9 For You, Lord, are most high above all the earth; You are exalted far above all gods. 10 You who love the Lord, hate evil! He preserves the souls of His saints; He delivers them out of the hand of the wicked. 11 Light is sown for the righteous, And gladness for the upright in heart. 12 Rejoice in the Lord, you righteous, And give thanks at the remembrance of His holy name.

This Psalm is appropriate for the Sabbath as it pictures that future time of millennia rest. It inspires us to dream of the future restoration of the earth. In a time when foundations of society seem to be crumbling and oppressive state regulations are being enacted, this scripture gives us hope. We can rejoice in the knowledge that the Lord, the great King will return and reign. His rule will bring peace and abundance, that the world has never known. Psalm 96 Say among the n...ations, The Lord reigns; The world also is firmly established, It shall not be moved; He shall judge the peoples righteously. 11 Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad; Let the sea roar, and all its fullness; 12 Let the field be joyful, and all that is in it. Then all the trees of the woods will rejoice 13 before the Lord. For He is coming, for He is coming to judge the earth. He shall judge the world with righteousness, And the peoples with His truth.

Psalm 95 - The Lord our Maker The hard hearts of this world are wilfully blind, refusing to consider the Creator's works. Though the Lord's power is seen everywhere they reject the evidence of their eyes. And though the Lord offers them hope beyond this physical life, they rebel against his teachings and reject the future he offers. The Good News is that we do not need to stubbornly and blindly walk in our own ways that lead to destruction. We can open our eyes and acknowledg...e that the wonders around us speak to the nature of a Creator who is awesome and good. And we can choose to honour him. For he is the one who created all things for our benefit, and provides us with the guidance we need to live abundant lives. Psalm 95 Oh come, let us sing to the Lord! Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation. 2 Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving; Let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms. 3 For the Lord is the great God, And the great King above all gods. 4 In His hand are the deep places of the earth; The heights of the hills are His also. 5 The sea is His, for He made it; And His hands formed the dry land. 6 Oh come, let us worship and bow down; Let us kneel before the Lord our Maker. 7 For He is our God, And we are the people of His pasture, And the sheep of His hand. Today, if you will hear His voice: 8 Do not harden your hearts, as in the rebellion, As in the day of trial in the wilderness, 9 When your fathers tested Me; They tried Me, though they saw My work. 10 For forty years I was grieved with that generation, And said, ‘It is a people who go astray in their hearts, And they do not know My ways.’ 11 So I swore in My wrath, ‘They shall not enter My rest.’

Psalm 94 The Lord is our Defence It always amazes me to think that the Psalmist could be speaking to the heart of our situation today when he wrote 3 000 years ago. I guess the nature of humanity and of society has not changed. There have just been many variations on the theme of oppression and the need for God's deliverance over the millennia... Psalm 94:20 Shall wicked rulers, who make oppressive laws, align with You? 21 They conspire together against the life of the righteous and condemn innocent blood to death. 22 But the Lord is my defence, and my God is the rock of my refuge. 23 He shall bring upon them their own iniquity and shall cut them off for their own wickedness; yes, the Lord our God shall destroy them. Brings to mind the recent oppressive laws regarding abortion and 'assisted-dying,' that corrupt leaders sponsor. But there is a slightly different feel to the KJV rendering of this verse that I appreciate: "Framing mischief by a law!" And how many pieces of "mischief" have been written into law recently with the stroke of a pen? 20 Shall the throne of iniquity have fellowship with thee, which frames mischief by a law? 21 They gather themselves together against the soul of the righteous, and condemn the innocent blood. 22 But the Lord is my defence; and my God is the rock of my refuge. 23 And he shall bring upon them their own iniquity, and shall cut them off in their own wickedness; yea, the Lord our God shall cut them off. The Good News is God will defend his people. Vengeance is God's and there are no free 'get out of jail' passes for the evil-doers. This is a truth in which we have faith.