Let God Arise
Psalm 17:13-15 Arise, O LORD! Confront him, subdue him! (that is, from the wicked who do me violence, my deadly enemies who surround me. Verse 9) Deliver my soul from the wicked by your sword, from men by your hand, O LORD, from men of the world whose portion is in this life. You fill their womb with treasure; they are satisfied with children, and they leave their abundance to their infants. As for me, I shall behold your face in righteousness; when I awake, I shall be satisfied with your likeness.
Psalm 68:1 God shall arise, his enemies shall be scattered; and those who hate him shall flee before him!
For years now, I have been exercised with this amazing truth, that God indeed "arises"! And, further, that he arises with the praises of His people. (Psalms 47:5 KJV) God is gone up with a shout, the LORD with the sound of a trumpet.
There is nothing intrinsic within us that causes God to arise, except the original design, and the evidence of that design. If God had not come to man, through the supreme sacrifice of Jesus, we would not even be aware that there was such a resemblance. The very fact that we as human beings can and do "come up for air", and "arise", so to speak, proves that there has to be a higher, deeper and broader counterpart in the Godhead.
My heart resonates with this amazing truth!
God arose in Joshua 6:5 when the people did as He said, and there was a "long blast with the ram's horn". When they heard the sound of the trumpet, they shouted "with a great shout", and the wall of the city fell flat.
(Nehemiah 4:20 KJV) In what place therefore ye hear the sound of the trumpet, resort ye thither unto us: our God shall fight for us.
Why shout? There is no intrinsic value in it, except that it pictures the original design, and allows God to act on His own initiative.
Why cry out when in trouble, as we see encouraged and practiced throughout scripture? Again, there is no intrinsic value in it, except that it pictures the original design, and allows God to act on His own initiative.
The crooked fingers
Many years ago, (more than I like to acknowledge at times), my dad went to the hospital to see his newborn son – me! The doctor said that all was well with mother and son, but that there was a deformity of some kind that could easily be corrected at such a tender age.
My little fingers were crooked. When my dad saw them, he immediately indicated that this was evidence of design! There was no need for splints to correct it!
The only thing that remained was to allow God to “arise”, and redeem what the law had declared useless!
A practical application of Romans 7 verse 4, occurred when the doctor and my dad died to “the law” that declared that something was dreadfully wrong with me. This was the “law” that said my fingers were a “handicap”! That “law” was now dead! God could now arise as my dad, mother, and co-missionary could “home-school” me in music. My crooked fingers have been a blessing as put forth efforts to be a musician and typist.
Let the apostle Paul continue, in the ESV, “Likewise, my brothers, you also have died to the law through the body of Christ, so that you may belong to another, to him who has been raised from the dead, in order that we may bear fruit for God. For while we were living in the flesh, our sinful passions, aroused by the law, were at work in our members to bear fruit for death. But now we are released from the law, having died to that which held us captive, so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit and not in the old way of the written code.”
Let God arise, my friend, and let His enemies be scattered, not the least of which is the written code that declares the opposite. In other words, the law that declares a flaw, is a “shadow” of the “law of the spirit of life”. (Hebrews 10:1 with Romans 8:2)
God mightily arose as Moses argued with him about his speech impediment, when he said, “Who made man’s mouth?” (Exodus 4:11)
Here are some interesting verses to ponder along with the discussion at hand.
(Hosea 14:2 KJV) Take with you words, and turn to the LORD: say unto him, Take away all iniquity, and receive us graciously: so will we render the calves of our lips.
(Hebrews 13:15 KJV) By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name.
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