For today, One Year Bible Online links here.
We start judging children by their attitudes towards others at a young age. How much more will others judge us by our attitudes towards those around us?
I always struggle with this psalm because I want to write something which doesn’t feel to me like I am just repeating what I heard someone else say. I am going to review what the psalmist’s imagery means to me. Jesus is my shepherd, He guides me and directs me. Sometimes that guidance is gentle and friendly, sometimes it is harsh and scary. However, that guidance leads me to places so that all of my needs are provided. One place I find sustenance, another I find rest. Sometimes that guidance sends me through dangerous territory, but I can travel that path without fear because I know that God is right beside me to protect me. The image that comes to me is a father leading his child through the forest with a weapon in his hand. The child does not fear, even when wild predators come forth because he knows his father will not allow the animal to threaten him. The predator may growl and snarl, but all I need to do is huddle close to God and they will not dare attack.
The image changes for me in the next verse. Here I imagine a person of consequence honoring me in the face of those who have belittled and humiliated me in the past. God will honor us in the presence of those who told us we were worthless. God’s goodness will be with us for all of our lives. We will be surrounded by God’s love for as long as we live, and after that we will be in His Presence for eternity.
Paul writes that we should submit to the governing authorities (it is worth noting that Paul says “submit”, not “obey”. We are to submit to governing authorities, but to obey only God). Those authorities only have that authority because God has given it to them. Rebelling against government authorities is rebelling against God, because God gave them authority in order to punish wrongdoers. When a government stops punishing wrongdoers and begins punishing those who do right it has lost its legitimacy. However, even in that case it is not our job to overthrow that government. God will overthrow a government which has lost its legitimacy in His own time. We should remain in submission to government authorities for as long as they remain in authority. Let us give what we owe to whoever we owe it, taxes to those whom taxes are due, revenue to those whom revenue is due, and respect to those whom respect is due.
For whatever reason, I tend to think that the kings of Judah after Joash were all progressively more evil. However, this is not the case. While Joash’s son, Amaziah, turned to idol worship, the next two kings in line served the Lord. As a result of their faithfulness, they became strong and mighty rulers. Unfortunately, the third king in today’s passage turned from God as well, with the resultant decay in the position of the kingdom of Judah. The lesson we learn from this passage is that when a people and their leaders are faithful to God the wealth and power of the nation increases. When they turn from God they suffer defeat and economic hardship.