Tag: Psalm 47

Keep Walking

OT – Joshua 5-6

Poetry – Psalm 47

NT – 1 Corinthians 2

Keep walking, but you won’t knock down our wall. 

Keep walking, but she isn’t gonna fall! 

It’s plain to see your brains are very small 

to think walking will be knocking down our wall.

– the Pea soldiers, from Veggie Tales “Josh and the Big Wall”

I’ve never been in the military (even preschool gymnastics was beyond my capabilities, and let’s just say I was usually a last pick in gym class), but even I can imagine that the mighty Israelite soldiers felt mighty silly walking around the city once a day for six days. Just walking behind the ark. And blowing some trumpets. Wow, fierce. I wonder if they wondered what God was thinking? Had they accidentally signed up for the (mostly-silent) marching band instead of the military? But on the seventh day – seven is the biblical number of completion – they marched around the city seven times, and then, a different kind of trumpet blast sounded, and Joshua ordered everyone to shout. And then, the wall collapsed. The mighty, impenetrable wall of the great city of Jericho, along with everything inside (save Rahab and her family), became a pile of rubble. Yet again, the people obeyed what seemed like ridiculous commands for an impossible task, and God worked through it all. I don’t know why God chose to take over Jericho in such a strange way, but I bet part of the reason was to display His awesome power and make sure everyone knew that He was the One True God. 

Psalm 47 even sounds like a song of praise that might have been shared after conquering Jericho: “He subdued the nations under us… He chose our inheritance for us… God has ascended amid shouts of joy, the LORD amid the sounding of trumpets…”

All of our lives should reflect back to the power of God. In our New Testament reading today, Paul also says, “My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, so that your faith might rest not on men’s wisdom, but on God’s power” (I Cor 2:4-5) Just like when God made it clear that it was only by His power – not the marches and shouts – that the walls fell down, God likes to use ordinary, untrained people to do His biggest work, so His might is evident through their humility. 


God displays His power by working in big ways through us. He doesn’t NEED us; after all, God created the whole world without any input from mankind! But He wants to use us as part of HisStory, to help tell the world the greater message of His saving power. Will you join in the Greatest Mission of all time? 

-Rachel Cain

Reflection Questions

  1. How will you join in the Greatest Mission of all time?
  2. How/when have you seen God at work doing what seemed impossible in a way that you wouldn’t have expected? Who did He use in the mission?

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The Awesome Lord Most High

Old Testament Reading: Leviticus 1 & 2
* Psalms Reading: Psalm 47
New Testament: 1st & 2nd Chronicles Introduction – see below

Psalm 47 is all about praising God and realizing His power. In my Bible (ESV), it is titled, “God is King over All the Earth”. When the sons of Korah wrote this psalm/song, perhaps they had just completed a great military victory, or maybe there was some other big event that called for a celebration! 

It’s easy to praise God when things are going well, right? Or… do we even remember to praise Him in the good times? A lot of us probably come before God most often when we need something. Sometimes we treat him like a cosmic genie or Santa Claus, asking for the things we want. Sometimes, we simply get busy and forget Him during the good times, but when we need His intervention, then we remember to pray. 

It is so important to remember (and I am speaking to myself here too!) to praise God regularly, and talk with Him often. No one likes having that “friend” who only calls when they need something; however, if we have a dear friend in need, we want to help them! God is our Father who cares greatly for us, and He wants a relationship with us. So instead of just asking Him for what we need, we should remember to praise Him regularly and get to know Him better by reading His Word and listening for His still, small voice to speak to our souls. 

-Rachel Cain

Reflections:

  1. Rewrite Psalm 47 into your own words, using actual examples from your own life. Sing or pray the psalm to your Heavenly Father! 
  2. What picture do you get of God from your reading today?

In preparation for beginning 1st Chronicles tomorrow in our New Testament reading, here is our…

Introduction to 1st & 2nd Chronicles

Paul wrote the books of 1 and 2 Corinthians to the church in Corinth which he had personally founded.  The city of Corinth was rich and sinful, and the church was struggling to resist the ungodly influences of the pagan society.  Paul wrote 1 Corinthians to the church in Corinth specifically to address division and sin in the church.

The most well-known chapter is 1 Corinthians 13, also known as the love chapter.  This is sandwiched between two other chapters focusing on spiritual gifts and their use in the church.

The other well-known chapter is 1 Corinthians 15, also known as the resurrection chapter.

In 2 Corinthians, Paul defended the fact that he was an apostle.  He emphasized the suffering he had endured for the gospel.  He explained that he had not visited the church in Corinth again because he didn’t want to have to come down hard on them publicly.  He was happy they had addressed the sin in the church.  He emphasized the need to financially help other believers, and pointed out that “God loves a cheerful giver”.

Paul warned in 2 Corinthians 13:5, “Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves.  Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you – unless, of course, you fail the test?”

I suspect that if Paul were to write to Christians today, he would write something very nearly like 1 & 2 Corinthians, so pay attention as you read it.

-Steve Mattison

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