Archives For rajesh

"The Reality of Injustice"

September 15, 2012

The truth is that injustice is a reality in this world. Leaders often make unjust laws. Judges often issue unjust decisions. Crooked deals are made in political chambers and courtrooms alike. The hands of leaders are too often filled with violence, not justice. The sad truth is that this is the case not only in the civil sphere but also in the church. The church is not beyond the influence of unjust politics or self-serving injustice. Injustice is a reality.

Injustice, like all sin, is not a superficial problem of a few wrong decisions here and there. Injustice, like all sin, is systemic in nature. It is the fruit of fallen human nature. Injustice is rooted in the human heart when that heart is still in the womb (see 51:5). It only takes the right conditions for the seeds of injustice in our own hearts to produce that hideous fruit. So while we are grieved at injustice in the world, we are not surprised . . .

Injustice will be avenged one day, not by us as humans but by God himself . . . On that day we will experience in fullness the truth that it does pay to live for God because God is the just judge of all the earth.

This day of ultimate judgment still lies in the future (Rev. 20:11-15). Until this day comes, the unjust can repent and find mercy and grace to experience the forgiveness of their sin. The delay of God’s justice demonstrates his kindness, tolerance, and patience, which are intended to lead the unjust to repentance.

As those who have repented and experienced the love of God in Christ, we now live to see justice established in this world to the degree that it is possible. We begin by rooting injustice out of our own hearts, homes, and churches, so that we will be fair and compassionate in all our dealings, even as our Father in heaven is fair and compassionate.

—Comments on Psalm 58:1-5 by Mark D. Futato, The Book of Psalms in Cornerstone Biblical Commentary, 7:201-202.

Copyright © 2011-2024 by Rajesh Gandhi. All rights reserved.

In Quotes
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Psalms Reading Project Update 9.12.12

September 12, 2012

With a little more than 3 ½ months to go in 2012, I have made it through the book of Psalms 15 times. Today, I finished going through the Psalms in the LXX.

I am also nearly halfway done reading through the book again in English. After I finish that reading, I will need to read through the book 9 more times this year to reach my goals of 25 times through the Psalms in 2012 and 50 times overall.

I hope to set aside one day later this year, probably on a Saturday, and read through the whole book on that day. As God directs, I am also thinking of trying to read through the book in Spanish once by the end of the year.

Praise God for this marvelous book!

Copyright © 2011-2024 by Rajesh Gandhi. All rights reserved.

In Bible reading
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What Exemplary Love for the Bible!

September 8, 2012

Evangelist Robert L. Sumner, in his book The Wonder of the Word of God, tells of a man in Kansas City who was severely injured in an explosion. His face was badly disfigured, and he lost his eyesight as well as both hands. He had just become a Christian when the accident happened, and one of his greatest disappointments was that he could no longer read the Bible. Then he heard about a lady in England who read braille with her lips. Hoping to do the same, he sent for some books of the Bible in braille. But he discovered that the nerve endings in his lips had been too badly damaged to distinguish the characters. One day, as he brought one of the braille pages to his lips, his tongue happened to touch a few of the raised characters and he could feel them. Like a flash he thought, “I can read the Bible using my tongue.” At the time Robert Sumner wrote his book, the man had read through the entire Bible four times. If he can do that, can you discipline yourself to read the Bible?

—Donald S. Whitney, Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life, 35; bold text is in italics in the original

Copyright © 2011-2024 by Rajesh Gandhi. All rights reserved.

In Bible reading, Quotes
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Listing of Non-Copyrighted Songs in "Himnos Majestuosos: Edición Revisada"

September 5, 2012

For the instructional handouts in my Guitar for Spanish Ministry classes, I use non-copyrighted tunes from several hymnals. I’m in the process of compiling information about these tunes and analyzing them to determine which ones are the best ones to use with my students.

The following list provides the numbers for the 247 non-copyrighted tunes that I found in Himnos Majestuosos: Edición Revisada (by the alphabetized section headings in which they are found).

Adoración: 51; 54; 56; 59; 60; 61
Alabanza: 1; 3; 4; 5; 7; 8; 9; 11; 13; 15; 16; 18; 20; 27; 28; 30; 41; 43; 44
Arrepentimiento y Perdón: 348; 351; 352; 354; 355; 356
Consuelo: 480; 484
Coros: 585; 590
El Amor de Dios: 119; 120; 123; 128; 129; 130; 131; 134; 136
El Cielo: 557; 558; 559; 563
Entrega y Consagración: 360; 361; 364; 365; 368; 369; 370; 375; 376; 377; 378; 379; 380; 386; 389; 390; 394
Evangelismo y Misiones: 522; 524; 526; 527; 528; 530; 531; 536; 537
Fe y Confianzo: 399; 407; 408; 410; 411
Gratitud: 486; 487
Himnos Adicionales: 637; 638; 645
Jesucristo: 150; 155; 157; 160; 169; 175; 179; 181
La Batalla Espiritual: 567; 568; 571; 572;   573; 574; 578; 580
La Cruz: 228; 230; 231; 232; 235; 237; 241; 243
La Dirección y El Ciudado de Dios: 82; 89; 91; 92; 98; 106; 109; 111
La Gracia de Dios: 139; 140; 147; 148
La Invitación: 310; 312; 314; 315; 317; 319; 320; 321; 322; 324; 325; 328
La Majestad y El Poder de Dios: 69; 76
La Navidad: 186; 187; 188; 189; 191; 193; 194; 195; 196; 202; 205; 207; 209; 213; 214; 215; 216; 217; 219; 220; 221; 222; 224; 225
La Oración: 412; 413; 423; 425; 426; 428; 429; 430; 434
La Palabra de Dios: 282; 285; 286; 287
La Resurrección de Cristo: 256; 260
La Salvación: 335; 336; 338; 341; 346
La Sangre de Cristo: 244; 246; 248; 249; 250; 254
La Segunda Venida de Cristo: 264; 265; 273; 274; 275; 277
La Seguridad: 439; 444; 445; 446; 446; 447; 448; 450; 451; 455; 457; 459; 462;
La Trinidad: 63; 64; 66
La Vida en Cristo: 295; 297; 300; 301; 304
La Vida Eterna: 552; 553
Melodías: 607; 609; 612; 613
Ocasiones Especiales: 627; 630; 631; 632; 633;
Paz y Gozo: 465; 466; 467; 469; 471; 473; 474; 475
Servicio: 540; 542; 543; 546; 548
Testimonio: 490; 491; 492; 493; 494; 495; 497; 498; 504; 505; 507; 516; 517

 

Copyright © 2011-2024 by Rajesh Gandhi. All rights reserved.

In Music, Spanish
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The Remarkable Teaching of Judges 2:1

September 1, 2012

The failure of the Israelites to drive out fully the Canaanites from the Promised Land (Judges 1:19; 21; 28; 29; 30; 31; 32; 33; cf. 34-35) led to their being judged by God:

2:1 And an angel of the LORD came up from Gilgal to Bochim, and said, I made you to go up out of Egypt, and have brought you unto the land which I sware unto your fathers; and I said, I will never break my covenant with you.

 2 And ye shall make no league with the inhabitants of this land; ye shall throw down their altars: but ye have not obeyed my voice: why have ye done this?

 3 Wherefore I also said, I will not drive them out from before you; but they shall be as thorns in your sides, and their gods shall be a snare unto you.

 4 And it came to pass, when the angel of the LORD spake these words unto all the children of Israel, that the people lifted up their voice, and wept.

 5 And they called the name of that place Bochim: and they sacrificed there unto the LORD.

In this passage, the author of Judges records a statement by the Angel of the Lord that reveals a remarkable truth about God’s dealings with the nation of Israel.

A Remarkable Statement by the Angel of the Lord

The Angel of the Lord declared, “I made you to go up out of Egypt, and have brought you unto the land which I sware unto your fathers” (2:1a-c).  Saying this, He revealed that He was the One who had sworn to their fathers to give them the Promised Land.

Moreover, the Angel of the Lord added that He had promised that He would never break “His covenant” with them (2:1d). To understand the full significance of these statements, we need to look closely at the preceding Scriptural record of God’s covenanting to give the land to the fathers.

The Preceding Scriptural Record about God’s Promising the Land to the Fathers

God covenanted with Abraham to give to him and to his seed the Promised Land (Gen. 15:18-21; 17:8; 24:7) and reiterated that promise to Isaac (26:3-5). Later, He promised the Land to Jacob and his seed (28:13-15; 35:12; cf. 48:4).

Joseph said that God swore to give the Land to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (50:24). God rehearsed with Moses how He had appeared to and covenanted with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob to give them the Land (Exod. 6:2-8).

Moses is the first one to say explicitly that God swore to give the Land to the “fathers” of the Israelites (13:5). The same truth is communicated 23 more times  (Exod. 13:11; Num. 14:23; Deut. 1:8, 35; 4:31; 6:10, 18, 23; 7:12, 13; 8:1, 18; 9:5; 10:11; 11:9, 21; 26:3; 28:11; 30:20; 31:20; Jos. 1:6; 5:6; 21:43) before the statement in Judges 2:1, including four explicit references to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob as the fathers to whom God made the promise (Deut. 1:8; 6:10; 9:5; 30:20).

Scripture thus provides us with at least 32 statements prior to Judges 2:1 about God’s swearing to give the Promised Land to the fathers of the Israelites whom the Angel of the Lord addressed (Judg. 2:1).

The Significance of No Preceding Revelation before Judges 2:1 about the Angel’s Promising the Land

Remarkably, however, not one of these prior statements specifically mentions that it was actually the Angel of the Lord who had sworn to the fathers to do so! Judges 2:1 thus supports our understanding that in every instance of the Lord’s appearing to or speaking to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob to make that promise, it was the Angel of the Lord who appeared to them or spoke to them.

Although the Angel of the Lord, therefore, was God’s Agent in all those occasions, we are informed of that truth explicitly only in Judges 2:1. The comparison of Judges 2:1 with all the preceding Scriptural revelation about the same truth thus underscores the importance of the agency of the Angel of the Lord in a remarkable way by pointing out to us that His agency goes far beyond explicit statements of His appearing, speaking, or acting.

On how many other occasions in Scripture that we read of the Lord’s appearing to or talking with people or performing some other actions are we, therefore, supposed to understand similarly that it was actually the Angel of the Lord as God’s Agent who did so?

Copyright © 2011-2024 by Rajesh Gandhi. All rights reserved.

In Interpretation, Theology
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The "Sabbath" Psalms

August 29, 2012

Reading through the Psalms in the LXX, I discovered an interesting collection of six Psalms (24, 38, 48, 92, 93, 94) that I have termed “Sabbath” psalms because they all have references to days of the week that are based on the Sabbath day. It is interesting to ponder what significance these headings may have played for those who used the Septuagint as their Bible in the first century.

First day of the week:

KJV Psa 24:1 <A Psalm of David.> The earth is the LORD’S, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein.

LXE Psa 24:1 <A Psalm for David on the first day of the week.> The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof; the world, and all that dwell in it.

BGT Psa 23:1 ψαλμὸς τῷ Δαυιδ τῆς μιᾶς σαββάτων τοῦ κυρίου ἡ γῆ καὶ τὸ πλήρωμα αὐτῆς ἡ οἰκουμένη καὶ πάντες οἱ κατοικοῦντες ἐν αὐτῇ

NAU Psa 24:1 A Psalm of David. The earth is the LORD’S, and all it contains, The world, and those who dwell in it.

  WTT Psa 24:1 לְדָוִ֗ד מִ֫זְמ֥וֹר לַֽ֭יהוָה הָאָ֣רֶץ וּמְלוֹאָ֑הּ תֵּ֜בֵ֗ל וְיֹ֣שְׁבֵי בָֽהּ׃

 

The Sabbath day:

KJV Psa 38:1 <A Psalm of David, to bring to remembrance.> O LORD, rebuke me not in thy wrath: neither chasten me in thy hot displeasure.

LXE Psa 38:1 <A Psalm of David for remembrance concerning the Sabbath-day.> O Lord, rebuke me not in thy wrath, neither chasten me in thine anger.

BGT Psa 37:1 ψαλμὸς τῷ Δαυιδ εἰς ἀνάμνησιν περὶ σαββάτου

NAU Psa 38:1 A Psalm of David, for a memorial. O LORD, rebuke me not in Your wrath, And chasten me not in Your burning anger.

  WTT Psa 38:1 מִזְמ֖וֹר לְדָוִ֣ד לְהַזְכִּֽיר׃

 

The second day of the week:

KJV Psa 48:1 <A Song and Psalm for the sons of Korah.> Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised in the city of our God, in the mountain of his holiness.

LXE Psa 48:1 <A Psalm of praise for the sons of Core on the second day of the week.> Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised in the city of our God, in his holy mountain.

BGT Psa 47:1 ψαλμὸς ᾠδῆς τοῖς υἱοῖς Κορε δευτέρᾳ σαββάτου

NAU Psa 48:1 A Song; a Psalm of the sons of Korah. Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised, In the city of our God, His holy mountain.

  WTT Psa 48:1 שִׁ֥יר מִ֜זְמוֹר לִבְנֵי־קֹֽרַח׃

 

The Sabbath day:

KJV Psa 92:1 <A Psalm or Song for the sabbath day.> It is a good thing to give thanks unto the LORD, and to sing praises unto thy name, O most High:

LXE Psa 92:1 <A Psalm of a Song for the Sabbath-day.> It is a good thing to give thanks to the Lord, and to sing praises to thy name, O thou Most High;

BGT Psa 91:1 ψαλμὸς ᾠδῆς εἰς τὴν ἡμέραν τοῦ σαββάτου

NAU Psa 92:1 A Psalm, a Song for the Sabbath day. It is good to give thanks to the LORD And to sing praises to Your name, O Most High;

  WTT Psa 92:1 מִזְמ֥וֹר שִׁ֗יר לְי֣וֹם הַשַּׁבָּֽת׃

 

The day before the Sabbath:

KJV Psa 93:1 The LORD reigneth, he is clothed with majesty; the LORD is clothed with strength, wherewith he hath girded himself: the world also is stablished, that it cannot be moved.

LXE Psa 93:1 <For the day before the Sabbath, when the land was first inhabited, the praise of a Song by David.> The Lord reigns; he has clothed himself with honour: the Lord has clothed and girded himself with strength; for he has established the world, which shall not be moved.

BGT Psa 92:1 εἰς τὴν ἡμέραν τοῦ προσαββάτου ὅτε κατῴκισται ἡ γῆ αἶνος ᾠδῆς τῷ Δαυιδ ὁ κύριος ἐβασίλευσεν εὐπρέπειαν ἐνεδύσατο ἐνεδύσατο κύριος δύναμιν καὶ περιεζώσατο καὶ γὰρ ἐστερέωσεν τὴν οἰκουμένην ἥτις οὐ σαλευθήσεται

NAU Psa 93:1 The LORD reigns, He is clothed with majesty; The LORD has clothed and girded Himself with strength; Indeed, the world is firmly established, it will not be moved.

  WTT Psa 93:1 יְהוָ֣ה מָלָךְ֘ גֵּא֪וּת לָ֫בֵ֥שׁ לָבֵ֣שׁ יְ֭הוָה עֹ֣ז הִתְאַזָּ֑ר אַף־תִּכּ֥וֹן תֵּ֜בֵ֗ל בַּל־תִּמּֽוֹט׃

 

The fourth day of the week:

KJV Psa 94:1 O LORD God, to whom vengeance belongeth; O God, to whom vengeance belongeth, shew thyself.

LXE Psa 94:1 <A Psalm of David for the fourth day of the week.> The Lord is a God of vengeance; the God of vengeance has declared himself.

BGT Psa 93:1 ψαλμὸς τῷ Δαυιδ τετράδι σαββάτων ὁ θεὸς ἐκδικήσεων κύριος ὁ θεὸς ἐκδικήσεων ἐπαρρησιάσατο

NAU Psa 94:1 O LORD, God of vengeance, God of vengeance, shine forth!

  WTT Psa 94:1 אֵל־נְקָמ֥וֹת יְהוָ֑ה אֵ֖ל נְקָמ֣וֹת הוֹפִֽיַע׃

See also my post What God Wants All His People to Do on His Day

Copyright © 2011-2024 by Rajesh Gandhi. All rights reserved.

In Biblical Greek, Biblical Languages, Music
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Vocabulary Analysis of the New Testament of the Reina-Valera Revised 1960 Spanish Bible

August 25, 2012

Because I have been recently teaching Guitar for Spanish Ministry classes in two local Spanish churches, I have been intensely studying Spanish for the past few months. In recent weeks, God has given me a growing desire to be able someday to witness, preach, and teach effectively in Spanish.

Learning to speak the language has been the most challenging aspect in my work so far, but I am making some progress. My much more rapid acquisition of a considerable amount of Spanish vocabulary and grammar, however, has been quite encouraging!

Using the Word List Manager in BibleWorks 7, I created today a word list for all the words that occur in the New Testament of the Spanish Reina-Valera Revised 1960 Bible (R60NT). There are 11,018 different words in the R60NT, and they occur 164,932 times.

The following listing gives the number of occurrences for each of the 376 words that occur 50 or more times. I have grouped them by the frequencies specified (in bold headings; from the highest to the lowest):

1000 or more occurrences in the R60NT

y (8645); de (7811); que (6290); a (4946); la (4347); el (4207); en (3788); los (3623); no (2566); por (2000); se (1664); para (1484); dios (1371); le (1353); con (1317); del (1290); porque (1288); es (1266); lo (1147); al (1109); las (1100); él (1085); su (1082);

500-999

dijo (959); pero (868); vosotros (866); jesús (842); os (825); como (769); señor (731); si (688); también (672); un (630); ellos (607); les (603); sus (603); yo (595); me (565); entonces (562); pues (541); cuando (525); todos (519); sino (517);

400-499

todo (456); ha (453); una (445); esto (444); mi (439); hijo (432); he (430); qué (410); cosas (408); ni (403);

300-399

mas (391); padre (381); hombre (378); cristo (374); así (367); cual (360); está (353); había (352); espíritu (350); te (347); nosotros (343); diciendo (337); sobre (336); fue (332); tu (332); más (324); día (323); mí (304);

200-299

o (298); uno (294); tierra (280); entre (278); son (259); toda (258); fe (250); hombres (250); nos (249); aquí (244); mismo (243); discípulos (241); era (236); sea (235); todas (233); hermanos (232); palabra (228); ser (223); ley (222); casa (221); este (220); éste (219); estaba (218); tú (216); hasta (210); digo (209); gran (207); contra (205); aquel (200); será (200);

150-199

mundo (199); otro (199); estas (195); sí (195); vino (195); jesucristo (193); después (192); ya (192); delante (190); ahora (189); cielo (189); nuestro (189); otros (186); vida (186); quien (183); sin (182); sido (180); esta (178); muchos (178); tiene (178); mujer (174); ella (173); dijeron (171); judíos (170); nombre (170); allí (169); hecho (169); verdad (169); días (166); gloria (165); pablo (165); tiempo (164); pedro (163); hijos (159); pueblo (159); ti (159); reino (158); soy (155); bien (154); han (154); otra (153); hay (151); dos (150); 

100-149

ciudad (149); manera (149); quién (148); estaban (147); desde (145); jerusalén (144); cuerpo (142); habéis (142); antes (140); amor (139); causa (139); santo (138); tanto (138); vuestro (138); gracia (137); juan (137); están (136); muerte (136); alguno (134); habían (134); cierto (133); dio (131); cómo (129); testimonio (129); vuestra (129); aun (128); carne (128); fuera (128); nada (128); unos (128); nadie (126); cada (125); según (125); muertos (124); vez (124); habiendo (123); hermano (122); voz (122); donde (120); dice (119); dicho (119); medio (119); cuales (117); corazón (115); mis (115); templo (115); fueron (113); lugar (113); mano (113); obras (113); palabras (113); pecado (112); evangelio (111); vuestros (109); poder (107); hace (104); eres (103); dado (102); escrito (102); has (102); sangre (102); algunos (101); cuanto (101); gentiles (101); hacer (101); justicia (101); respondiendo (101); respondió (100);

90-99

ángel (99); luz (99); multitud (99); mar (98); cielos (97); paz (97); hora (96); camino (95); fin (95); hizo (94); siete (94); mucho (93); tenía (93); tus (93); rey (92); decía (91); hemos (91); manos (91); conforme (90); ojos (90); pies (90); siempre (90);

80-89

llamado (89); sois (88); venido (88); éstos (87); fariseos (87); e (86); oído (86); profetas (86); madre (85); primero (85); sacerdotes (85); aún (84); luego (83); pecados (82); tres (82); fuego (81); moisés (81); muchas (81); visto (81); ángeles (80); vinieron (80);

70-79

puede (79); santos (79); acerca (78); aquellos (78); padres (78); vio (78); decir (77); reposo (77); simón (77); voluntad (77); ninguno (76); parte (76); abraham (75); doce (75); mismos (75); necesario (75); envió (74); noche (74); pan (74); profeta (74); dónde (73); principales (73); siendo (73); conmigo (72); iglesia (72); siervo (72); tengo (72); decían (71); haya (71); sacerdote (71); sean (71); gente (70); israel (70); sabéis (70);

60-69

misericordia (69); nuestros (69); viene (69); boca (68); buena (68); gozo (68); salió (68); somos (68); tienen (68); agua (67); venir (67); eran (66); fruto (66); maestro (66); tal (66); nuestra (65); aunque (64); estando (64); ancianos (63); cosa (63); da (63); escribas (63); bueno (62); galilea (62); gracias (62); obra (62); aquella (61); cabeza (61); nuevo (61); serán (61); siglos (60);

50-59

apóstoles (59); comer (59); david (59); juicio (59); ver (59); ante (58); hubo (58); justo (58); sumo (57); años (56); corazones (56); dar (56); esperanza (56); levantó (56); pilato (56); tenemos (56); puesto (55); cerca (54); maría (54); mayor (54); mirad (54); misma (54); muerto (54); piedra (54); grande (53); mandó (53); ninguna (53); recibido (53); semejante (53); trono (53); aconteció (52); ellas (52); entró (52); estos (52); eterna (52); monte (52); oír (52); tenéis (52); tomó (52); ve (52); mientras (51); poco (51); sentado (51); sólo (51); teniendo (51); varón (51); veces (51); vi (51); amén (50); autoridad (50); mal (50); mil (50); sabiduría (50); sé (50); solamente (50); viendo (50);

Using this resource along with my study of an intermediate Spanish grammar as well other resources, I plan to work steadily towards reading fluently in the R60NT!

As God directs, I am also thinking of creating a Reader’s Lexicon of the R60NT as I translate through each book, starting probably with 1 John.

Copyright © 2011-2024 by Rajesh Gandhi. All rights reserved.

In Spanish
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Have You Fallen on Your Face and Worshiped God?

August 21, 2012

In many passages, Scripture records instances when people fell on their faces in encounters directly with God or in settings where He manifested Himself to them in various ways.  In a couple of cases, we even read of God’s judgment on a pagan object of worship that resulted in that object’s falling on its face before the ark of the Lord.

Moreover, Scripture reveals that Jesus fell on His face in prayer to the Father, and that all the angels in heaven as well as other beings in heaven fall on their faces and worship God.

I have grouped these passages into categories that I hope will be of value in challenging you to fall on your face and worship God, which is the only proper thing for all of us sinners to do in the presence of God.

Personal encounter with Deity

Gen 17:3 And Abram fell on his face: and God talked with him, saying,

Jos 5:14 And he said, Nay; but as captain of the host of the LORD am I now come. And Joshua fell on his face to the earth, and did worship, and said unto him, What saith my lord unto his servant?

Jdg 13:20 For it came to pass, when the flame went up toward heaven from off the altar, that the angel of the LORD ascended in the flame of the altar. And Manoah and his wife looked on it, and fell on their faces to the ground.

Mat 17:5-6 While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him. And when the disciples heard it, they fell on their face, and were sore afraid.

Earthly worship

Lev 9:24 And there came a fire out from before the LORD, and consumed upon the altar the burnt offering and the fat: which when all the people saw, they shouted, and fell on their faces.

2Ch 20:18 And Jehoshaphat bowed his head with his face to the ground: and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell before the LORD, worshipping the LORD.

Encounter with the glory of God 

Eze 1:28 As the appearance of the bow that is in the cloud in the day of rain, so was the appearance of the brightness round about. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD. And when I saw it, I fell upon my face, and I heard a voice of one that spake.

Eze 3:23 Then I arose, and went forth into the plain: and, behold, the glory of the LORD stood there, as the glory which I saw by the river of Chebar: and I fell on my face.

Eze 43:3 And it was according to the appearance of the vision which I saw, even according to the vision that I saw when I came to destroy the city: and the visions were like the vision that I saw by the river Chebar; and I fell upon my face.

Eze 44:4 Then brought he me the way of the north gate before the house: and I looked, and, behold, the glory of the LORD filled the house of the LORD: and I fell upon my face.

God’s glory in judgment of sinners

Num 16:22 And they fell upon their faces, and said, O God, the God of the spirits of all flesh, shall one man sin, and wilt thou be wroth with all the congregation?

Num 16:45 Get you up from among this congregation, that I may consume them as in a moment. And they fell upon their faces.

Num 20:6 And Moses and Aaron went from the presence of the assembly unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and they fell upon their faces: and the glory of the LORD appeared unto them.

Num 22:31 Then the LORD opened the eyes of Balaam, and he saw the angel of the LORD standing in the way, and his sword drawn in his hand: and he bowed down his head, and fell flat on his face.

Jos 7:6 And Joshua rent his clothes, and fell to the earth upon his face before the ark of the LORD until the eventide, he and the elders of Israel, and put dust upon their heads.

1Sa 5:3 And when they of Ashdod arose early on the morrow, behold, Dagon was fallen upon his face to the earth before the ark of the LORD. And they took Dagon, and set him in his place again.

1Sa 5:4 And when they arose early on the morrow morning, behold, Dagon was fallen upon his face to the ground before the ark of the LORD; and the head of Dagon and both the palms of his hands were cut off upon the threshold; only the stump of Dagon was left to him.

1Ki 18:39 And when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces: and they said, The LORD, he is the God; the LORD, he is the God.

1Ch 21:16 And David lifted up his eyes, and saw the angel of the LORD stand between the earth and the heaven, having a drawn sword in his hand stretched out over Jerusalem. Then David and the elders of Israel, who were clothed in sackcloth, fell upon their faces.

Eze 9:8 And it came to pass, while they were slaying them, and I was left, that I fell upon my face, and cried, and said, Ah Lord GOD! wilt thou destroy all the residue of Israel in thy pouring out of thy fury upon Jerusalem?

Eze 11:13 And it came to pass, when I prophesied, that Pelatiah the son of Benaiah died. Then fell I down upon my face, and cried with a loud voice, and said, Ah Lord GOD! wilt thou make a full end of the remnant of Israel?

1Co 14:25 And thus are the secrets of his heart made manifest; and so falling down on his face he will worship God, and report that God is in you of a truth. 

Angelic messenger sent from God

Dan 8:17 So he came near where I stood: and when he came, I was afraid, and fell upon my face: but he said unto me, Understand, O son of man: for at the time of the end shall be the vision.

Prayer

Mat 26:39 And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.

Luk 5:12 And it came to pass, when he was in a certain city, behold a man full of leprosy: who seeing Jesus fell on his face, and besought him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean.

 Luk 17:16 And fell down on his face at his feet, giving him thanks: and he was a Samaritan.

Heavenly worship

Rev 7:11 And all the angels stood round about the throne, and about the elders and the four beasts, and fell before the throne on their faces, and worshipped God,

Rev 11:16 And the four and twenty elders, which sat before God on their seats, fell upon their faces, and worshipped God,

Given that Scripture provides us with so much revelation about falling on one’s face and worshiping God, may God help us all to do so as well.

Have you fallen on your face and worshiped God?

Copyright © 2011-2024 by Rajesh Gandhi. All rights reserved.

In Exhortation
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Learning from David's Last Words

August 18, 2012

Second Samuel 23 begins with a poem that informs us about the heart of David in a special way: “Now these be the last words of David” (23:1a). In his last words, David highlights a number of important truths that instruct us in various ways about our own lives.

First, he testifies to God’s exalting him to be a man of unique importance in two ways: (a) he was chosen to be God’s anointed one (“the anointed of the God of Jacob” [23:1b]); and (b) he became a special singer among God’s people (“the sweet psalmist of Israel” [23:1c]). In his last words, David thus first highlights his ministry of music among God’s people as a chosen agent of God.

As God’s people, we must esteem highly those whom God chooses to be His special ministers of music to us. Moreover, those of us whom God calls to be such ministers must highlight that calling in our minds throughout our lives.

Second, David makes known that he was an agent of God through whom the Spirit of God spoke verbally to communicate vital truths pertaining to a second key aspect of his being God’s anointed one:

The Spirit of the LORD spake by me, and his word was in my tongue. The God of Israel said, the Rock of Israel spake to me, He that ruleth over men must be just, ruling in the fear of God (23:2-3).

In this teaching, David underscores the importance of the just character that he had to have in his role as God’s chosen ruler over His people and of the necessity for him to fear God as he rules.

These words instruct and challenge us that we must emphasize justness in the exercise of any and all authority that God entrusts us with among His people. We will only be such authorities by our fearing God properly.

Third, he speaks strikingly of the immense value of a just ruler who fears God:

And he shall be as the light of the morning, when the sun riseth, even a morning without clouds; as the tender grass springing out of the earth by clear shining after rain (23:4).

MacArthur helpfully explains verses 3-4:

These words begin the record of direct speech from God, whose ideal king must exercise His authority with justice, in complete submission to divine sovereignty. Such a king is like the helpful rays of sun at dawn and the life-giving showers which nourish the earth. This ideal king was identified in the OT as the coming Messiah (cf. Is. 9:6, 7).—The MacArthur Study Bible [MSB], 462

Our dark world desperately needs governmental authorities who are just and exercise their authority in the fear of God. In our political perspectives and activities, we must maintain foremost that the righteous character of leaders, and not their economic success, prowess, and policies, is the chief indispensable qualification that they must have in order to be fit to be put in governmental authority over us. 

Fourth, David communicates his trust in the special covenant that God had made with him:

Although my house be not so with God; yet he hath made with me an everlasting covenant, ordered in all things, and sure: for this is all my salvation, and all my desire, although he make it not to grow (23:5).

From this teaching, we learn that we should put all our hope throughout our days until the end in the covenants that God has made with us. Our only hope of ultimate salvation is the surety of God’s faithfulness to keep His word to us with whom He has entered into a special covenantal relationship.

Fifth and perhaps most strikingly considering that these words are “David’s final literary legacy to Israel” (MSB, 462), he concludes his final testimony with teaching about the fearful fate of wicked men:

But the sons of Belial shall be all of them as thorns thrust away, because they cannot be taken with hands: But the man that shall touch them must be fenced with iron and the staff of a spear; and they shall be utterly burned with fire in the same place (23:6-7).

He thus had in mind this solemn reality and testified of it to others. Moreover, he did so as a Spirit-inspired special agent of God’s revelation.

David’s ending his last words with a statement about the fiery utter destruction of the wicked should challenge us to keep this reality as an important part of our lifelong consciousness of the world in which we live. What’s more, we need to remind ourselves continually that testifying to this truth is a vital obligation that we have throughout our lifetimes as witnesses for God.

Copyright © 2011-2024 by Rajesh Gandhi. All rights reserved.

In Interpretation
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The Remarkable Ending of Psalm 104

August 15, 2012

In Psalm 104, the Psalmist exults in the glories of God for the first 34 of the 35 verses in the psalm:

1 Bless the LORD, O my soul.

O LORD my God, thou art very great;
thou art clothed with honour and majesty.

2 Who coverest thyself with light as with a garment:

who stretchest out the heavens like a curtain:

3 Who layeth the beams of his chambers in the waters:
who maketh the clouds his chariot:
who walketh upon the wings of the wind:

4 Who maketh his angels spirits; his ministers a flaming fire:

5 Who laid the foundations of the earth,
that it should not be removed for ever.

6 Thou coveredst it with the deep as with a garment:
the waters stood above the mountains.

7 At thy rebuke they fled;
at the voice of thy thunder they hasted away.
8 They go up by the mountains;
they go down by the valleys unto the place which thou hast founded for them.

9 Thou hast set a bound that they may not pass over;
that they turn not again to cover the earth.

10 He sendeth the springs into the valleys,
which run among the hills.
11 They give drink to every beast of the field:
the wild asses quench their thirst.

12 By them shall the fowls of the heaven have their habitation,
which sing among the branches.

13 He watereth the hills from his chambers:
the earth is satisfied with the fruit of thy works.

14 He causeth the grass to grow for the cattle,
and herb for the service of man:
that he may bring forth food out of the earth;
15 And wine that maketh glad the heart of man,
and oil to make his face to shine,
and bread which strengtheneth man’s heart.

16 The trees of the LORD are full of sap;
the cedars of Lebanon,
which he hath planted;
17 Where the birds make their nests:
as for the stork,
the fir trees are her house.
18 The high hills are a refuge for the wild goats;
and the rocks for the conies.

19 He appointed the moon for seasons:
the sun knoweth his going down.
20 Thou makest darkness,
and it is night:

wherein all the beasts of the forest do creep forth.
21 The young lions roar after their prey,
and seek their meat from God.
22 The sun ariseth,
they gather themselves together,
and lay them down in their dens.

23 Man goeth forth unto his work
and to his labour until the evening.

24 O LORD, how manifold are thy works!
in wisdom hast thou made them all:
the earth is full of thy riches.

25 So is this great and wide sea,
wherein are things creeping innumerable, both small and great beasts.
26 There go the ships:
there is that leviathan,
whom thou hast made to play therein.

27 These wait all upon thee;
that thou mayest give them their meat in due season.
28 That thou givest them they gather:
thou openest thine hand,
they are filled with good.

29 Thou hidest thy face,

they are troubled:
thou takest away their breath,
they die,
and return to their dust.

30 Thou sendest forth thy spirit,
they are created:
and thou renewest the face of the earth.

31 The glory of the LORD shall endure for ever:
the LORD shall rejoice in his works.

32 He looketh on the earth,
and it trembleth:
he toucheth the hills,
and they smoke.

33 I will sing unto the LORD as long as I live:
I will sing praise to my God while I have my being.

34 My meditation of him shall be sweet:
I will be glad in the LORD.

He concludes the psalm by exhorting himself to bless the Lord and then praising the Lord:

Bless thou the LORD, O my soul.
Praise ye the LORD (35c-d).

He thus begins and ends the psalm by exhorting himself in the same way (to bless the Lord).

In the first half of his concluding statement, however, the psalmist expresses his longing for something that at first glance seems remarkably contrary to the tenor of virtually everything else in the Psalm:

Let the sinners be consumed out of the earth,
and let the wicked be no more (35a-b).

What are we to make of these remarkable statements in the ending of the psalm? How do we explain that this one who was so taken with the greatness of God and His goodness to all His creation should end this glorious meditation about God with an intense longing for the annihilation of all the wicked from the earth?

Because these words are not just the words of the psalmist but also words inspired by the Holy Spirit, we are to learn from them that having such a longing and praying for God to do so is not inconsistent with having a heart that loves and glorifies God supremely; rather, it is only supreme love for God that elicits such sentiments from the heart of man.

Let’s allow God to renew our minds so that our longing and desire fully reflect His glory of being the One who destroys the wicked out of His earth so that unrepentant sinners are no more (cf. Ps. 119:119).

Copyright © 2011-2024 by Rajesh Gandhi. All rights reserved.

In Interpretation, Theology
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