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December 9, 2023
We have been reading Psalm 139, and today we come to the third section, verses 17-24. Penned by David, this Psalm is a prayer which confesses and praises God for His omniscience, His omnipresence, and His omnipotent authority over all creation. David was an especially creative person - today, we would say that he was a genius. However, in the light of his own human limitations, David marvels at the contrasting nature and “vast number” of God’s thoughts and their sheer value – he says they are “precious” (verses 17-18). Being human, we naturally like to compare ourselves with others, but when God enters the equation, we are left only with contrasts. God cannot be compared with anyone, for “there is none like Him” (cf., Psalm 86:8-10; Isaiah 46:5; Jeremiah 10:6). Indeed, God endowed us with His matchless and priceless image, but we must never think we are like Him. God is holy, righteous, and sovereign - He is the Creator, but we are merely His creatures – and our only claim to anything at all is based exclusively on God’s mercy and grace toward us. David closes Psalm 139 the way he began it by opening his heart to the search of God: “Search me, [oh] God” (verses 1 and 23-24). David recognizes that God is the One Who is searching; He is reaching out to us.
In Jude, we see that anyone who insists that, somehow, we possess a natural inclination to be “like” God (i.e., “godly”), has not really understood the book of Jude. This short book is tantamount to an atomic blast in a war zone. Not expecting its power of authoritative conviction, we come to this book and discover not only the author’s stinging words against “ungodliness” (repeated five times in verses 4, 8, 15, and 18), but also we learn about certain unique truths that are contained in no other book of the Bible (i.e., the angels kept in darkness in verse 6; Michael’s dispute with Satan over the body of Moses in vs 9; and the prophecies of Enoch in verse 14). Although Jude keeps short, passionate accounts with both believers and unbelievers, nevertheless his heart is truly committed to “mercy, peace, and love” toward everyone who reads his book (cf., verses 2 and 20-25).
In Zechariah 5-8, the prophet continues to share about his night visions as given through the Word of the LORD (1:7-8). In this section, Zechariah presents the flying scroll (5:1-4); the woman in a basket (5:5-11); the four chariots and the powerful horses (6:1-8); and the crown for the high priest, Joshua (6:9-15). Each of the prophetic visions is followed by God’s explanation regarding its relevance and disposition. In Zechariah 7, we see that God is more interested in justice and mercy than He is in fasting. “Was it really for me that you fasted?” (verse 5). In Zechariah 8, God promises to restore Israel and bless the city of Jerusalem: “Ten people from all languages and nations will take hold of one Jew and say, ‘let us go with you, because we have heard that God is with you’” (verse 23). May the Lord hasten that day for us!
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