Hello everybody and welcome in to episode #223 of the Bible 2021 podcast. We are reading Psalms 29-30 today and our focus is on how weeping may last for a night, but joy comes in the morning. We are a daily 10 minute podcast, where we will dig in to the truth of the Word of God by reading one Bible chapter a day and discussing it. Welcome to new in listeners . Thanks for listening! Our goal is to encourage DAILY Bible reading, so you can jump in at any time and join with us. We want to invite as many people as possible to join us in daily Bible reading, so help spread the word and share the podcast! Don’t forget about our web-page, Bible2021.com – contact page, show notes, transcript and more– Click here for our Bible 2021 reading plan\
Two great and worshipful Psalms today. Both of them have several modern worship songs that are derived from them, including the fairly well known ‘I’m Trading My Sorrows,’ by Darrell Evans.
The first verse of Psalm 29 is kind of interesting in the original Hebrew, especially when you see how modern translations render it. The CSB says:
Ascribe to the Lord, you heavenly beings,
ascribe to the Lord glory and strength. Psalms 29:1
while the NASB reads:
Ascribe to the Lord, sons of the mighty,
and the NVC reads:
Praise the Lord, you angels;
and the KJV:
Give unto the Lord, O ye mighty, give unto the Lord glory and strength.
Angels, heavenly beings, mighty, sons of the mighty – which is it? And the interesting thing is that none of the above translations are an exact translation of the text, but the Lexham English Bible is, which reads:
Ascribe to Yahweh, O sons of God,
Which is interesting – this Psalm is addressed to בְּנֵי אֵלִים , Ben-Elim – the sons of God. As we talked about a couple of episodes ago, Elohim often refers to God – as in the God of the Bible, Yahweh, but it is also used of other Heavenly beings as well. So this Psalm is addressed to heavenly beings, and is telling them to worship God and give Him His due recognition and glory, which is yet another proof that, though the Bible mentions that there are many Elohim – many heavenly creatures, possibly minor deities – there is only ONE GOD – that is over all creatures on earth, under the earth and in Heaven.
I love vs 4 and 5 in Psalms 30, especially how it is rendered in the LEB:
4 Sing praises to Yahweh, you his faithful ones,
and give thanks to his holy fame.
5 For there is a moment in his anger;
there is a lifetime in his favor.
Weeping lodges for the evening,
but in the morning comes rejoicing. Psalm 30:4-5 \
When we think of God, it is important for us to think of Him in truth – as the Bible reveals Him. God is gracious and merciful – slow to anger, and abounding in love. But He is angered by sin and injustice. The fact of life is that for every human in creation there will be times of weeping and difficulty. Sometimes brought on by our sins and our actions, and other times by the sins of others, and still other times by the simple trials and rigors of living in a fallen world. We will have tribulation – we will have weeping…but there will be joy in the morning. This is the testimony of the Old Testament and the New Testament – God is faithful – tears will cease, says Revelation 21:4. Spurgeon, in commenting on that beautiful promise of there being no more tears, writes:
YES, we shall come to this if we are believers. Sorrow shall cease, and tears shall be wiped away. This is the world of weeping, but it passes away. There shall be a new heaven, and a new earth, so says the verse of this chapter; and therefore there will be nothing to weep over concerning the fall and its consequent miseries. Read the second verse, and note how it speaks of the bride and her marriage. The Lamb’s wedding is a time for boundless pleasure, and tears would be out of place. The third verse says that God himself will dwell among men; and surely at his right hand there are pleasures for evermore, and tears can no longer flow.What will our state be when there will be no more sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain? This will be more glorious than we can as yet imagine. O eyes that are red with weeping, cease your scalding flow, for in a little while ye shall know no more tears! None can wipe tears away like the God of love, but he is coming to do it. “Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.” Come, Lord, and tarry not; for now both men and women must weep!….Thy head may be crowned with thorny troubles now, but it shall wear a starry crown ere long; thy hand may be filled with cares—it shall sweep the strings of the harp of heaven soon. Thy garments may be soiled with dust now; they shall be white by-and-by. Wait a little longer. Ah! how despicable our troubles and trials will seem when we look back upon them! Looking at them here in the prospect, they seem immense; but when we get to heaven we shall then
“With transporting joys recount,
The labours of our feet.”Our trials will then seem light and momentary afflictions. Let us go on boldly; if the night be never so dark, the morning cometh, which is more than they can say who are shut up in the darkness of hell. Do you know what it is thus to live on the future—to live on expectation—to antedate heaven? Happy believer, to have so sure, so comforting a hope. It may be all dark now, but it will soon be light; it may be all trial now, but it will soon be all happiness. What matters it though “weeping may endure for a night,” when “joy cometh in the morning?”
C. H. Spurgeon, Morning and Evening: Daily Readings (London: Passmore & Alabaster, 1896).
C. H. Spurgeon, The Cheque Book of the Bank of Faith: Being Precious Promises Arranged for Daily Use with Brief Comments (New York: American Tract Society, 1893), 28.
Today our reading will be in the Lexham English Bible, which doesn’t use LORD for Yahweh, but instead just uses the Hebrew equivalent of God’s name.
Bible Memory verses for the month of August: 4 Love is patient, love is kind. Love does not envy, is not boastful, is not arrogant, 5 is not rude, is not self-seeking, is not irritable, and does not keep a record of wrongs. 6 Love finds no joy in unrighteousness but rejoices in the truth. 7 It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 1 Corinthians 13:4-6
The Bible 2021 Podcast Is a ministry of Valley Baptist Church A church in North Salinas, California.
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