Floating...

Today I will be commenting on the Psalm and the chapter from Genesis separately. As in the days before, connections can be made, but today my thoughts on the two readings are too disjointed to unify together. May God grant us his Holy Spirit as we study his word today.

Read Psalm 7

Meditation:

I find it more difficult to pray Psalm 7 then yesterday's Psalm 6. Psalm 6 cries out in repentance, for God's deliverance, and yes, rescue from enemies. But today in Psalm 7 we cry out repeatedly for God to see our righteousness. We even ask him to kill us if we have done any wrong (v. 3-5)! How can I pray such a prayer?

The quote from Bonhoeffer yesterday said that we should have no problems praying the psalms that cry out in great guilt, begging God for mercy. But just after that quote, he instructs us that just as we should boldly declare our guilt, we should also boldly (and truly) confess our innocence.

The only way we can do that, and pray this prayer with a true heart, is to be in Christ. Only because of Jesus do we declare our innocence before God. And not just innocence! We challenge God in this Psalm, daring him to find any fault with us. But in order to do that, he must find fault with Jesus Christ. And that will never happen. Our sins are paid for. Our guilt cleansed. The stain of our sin is washed by Jesus' blood. We are covered in his righteousness, clothed in Christ in our baptism. The Father will find no fault with the Son, and so no fault with us either, today or in the judgment. No fault, by grace through faith. Thanks be to God!

Read Genesis 7

God judges the wicked. But by grace he saves believing Noah and his family. And all the animals? Could they really have fit on the ark? Did all this really happen, or is this story just a little too far fetched?

Well, if you want to doubt the validity of the story, I guess you can. But God's Word does not declare this as if it were a metaphor, or a story with a moral, or a vision, or a fantasy, or any sort of myth or man-made story. Certainly the Lord God, Yahweh, presents this to us as truth - and not just in Genesis! It is referred to in many other places in the Old and New Testaments. In all of those places it is referred to as fact, as history.

But how could it be? Well, I can't answer all objections here. There are many excellent books written about that. But I find it fascinating that not only does the fossil record show exactly what we would expect a world-wide flood to accomplish, but scientists have also recently begun to talk about a genetic "bottleneck." Even evolutionists admit this. Basically, they can tell by studying our RNA that at one point in "recent" history (several thousand years ago) the human population was greatly reduced, nearly wiped out. Hmmm....do you think that supports the Bible?

You bet it does. This is truth. This is history. And Noah and his family show us faith, total dependence upon God, patience, and the mercy of God even as he pours out his wrath. May we experience the same faith, trust, patience, and mercy.

Ask Yourself:

Psalm 7 prays for the destruction of the evil. Do I pray for the same? Can I also pray for the repentance of the wicked?

Declaring my innocence before God (for the sake of Christ), what now can I be bold to pray that I have been hesitant to ask of God?

It rained for 40 days and 40 nights (and 40 is a common Biblical number in a time of testing). Am I in "40" days of testing? What are the terrible trials in my life now through which God is helping me?

Pray:

Pray from your heart today. Mindful of of people, events, movements, and teachings that we learn about in our multimedia, pray that God would destroy the attacks of the Devil. Also pray that he would use you to impact with the Gospel those within your sphere of influence. Pray that God would strengthen his Church and also you through every time of trial.

Study with me tomorrow.

Pastor Jon

Soli Deo Gloria!