Psalm 19

19:1 The heavens declare the glory of God.

The expanse shows his handiwork.

19:2 Day after day they pour forth speech,

and night after night they display knowledge.

19:3 There is no speech nor language,

where their voice is not heard.

19:4 Their voice has gone out through all the earth,

their words to the end of the world.

In them he has set a tent for the sun,

19:5 which is as a bridegroom coming out of his room,

like a strong man rejoicing to run his course.

19:6 His going forth is from the end of the heavens,

his circuit to its ends;

There is nothing hidden from its heat.

19:7 Yahweh’s law is perfect, restoring the soul.

Yahweh’s testimony is sure, making wise the simple.

19:8 Yahweh’s precepts are right, rejoicing the heart.

Yahweh’s commandment is pure, enlightening the eyes.

19:9 The fear of Yahweh is clean, enduring forever.

Yahweh’s ordinances are true, and righteous altogether.

19:10 More to be desired are they than gold, yes, than much fine gold;

sweeter also than honey and the extract of the honeycomb.

19:11 Moreover by them is your servant warned.

In keeping them there is great reward.

19:12 Who can discern his errors?

Forgive me from hidden errors.

19:13 Keep back your servant also from presumptuous sins.

Let them not have dominion over me.

Then I will be upright.

I will be blameless and innocent of great transgression.

19:14 Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart

be acceptable in your sight,

Yahweh, my rock, and my redeemer.

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Words In Scripture Explored - Idolatry

Images of Idolatry

I wonder if you are like me and when you hear the word idolatry, you imagine somebody bowing before a statue and worshipping it. Such as the Israelites worshipping the golden calf, as recorded by Moses in Exodus 32, or people bowing down to the statue of the Buddha or one of the many Hindu gods. Therefore, idolatry is worshipping statues or worshipping in other religions. However, the Bible is very clear, that idolatry is a threat to living the Christian life. How can that be, you may very well ask!

Christian Idolatry

As a Christian, you are to love God and love others. Anything that replaces your love of God as your first priority, is an idol, and therefore, is idolatry. For idolatry is not merely worshipping statues. But idolatry is transference of allegiance to something apart from God. It is worshipping created things, and not worshipping God the Father through Jesus Christ the Son of God in the power of the Holy Spirit. And idolatry can be anything, for anything can take first place in your life! It may be your computer, your car, your books, your family, your church, a Christian leader, entertainment, celebrities and even love of yourself! These are all good things, in and of themselves, but they are not good things if they replace God from first priority in your life. These things can turn out to be idols, because they relegate your thinking of Almighty God to below first place.

Idolatry is the mind’s sin

Paul writes to the Roman church in Romans 1v22-25. In that passage of scripture, Paul links idolatry with immorality. Immorality is the outer sins and idolatry is the inward sin. Idolatry is an attitude inside you that says to God “You are not first place, this other thing is”. Somebody who commits the sin of idolatry is a slave to that something else, and is not a slave to God through Jesus Christ in the power of the Holy Spirit.

So idolatry is not just worshipping in another religion and bowing down to statues. Idolatry is relegating God to second place, in both actions and attitudes. Therefore cast off anything that is blocking your relationship with Almighty God. As idolatry is primarily the sin of the mind, those depraved ideas turn to sins of lusts and idolatrous physical pleasures. Be renewed in your thinking and have a renewed mind, so that you can worship Almighty God through Jesus Christ the Lord, in the power of the Holy Spirit.

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Psalm 18

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For the Chief Musician. By David the servant of Yahweh, who spoke to Yahweh the words of this song in the day that Yahweh delivered him from the hand of all his enemies, and from the hand of Saul. He said,

18:1 I love you, Yahweh, my strength.

18:2 Yahweh is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer;

my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge;

my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my high tower.

18:3 I call on Yahweh, who is worthy to be praised;

and I am saved from my enemies.

18:4 The cords of death surrounded me.

The floods of ungodliness made me afraid.

18:5 The cords of Sheol were around me.

The snares of death came on me.

18:6 In my distress I called on Yahweh,

and cried to my God.

He heard my voice out of his temple.

My cry before him came into his ears.

18:7 Then the earth shook and trembled.

The foundations also of the mountains quaked and were shaken,

because he was angry.

18:8 Smoke went out of his nostrils.

Consuming fire came out of his mouth.

Coals were kindled by it.

18:9 He bowed the heavens also, and came down.

Thick darkness was under his feet.

18:10 He rode on a cherub, and flew.

Yes, he soared on the wings of the wind.

18:11 He made darkness his hiding place, his pavilion around him,

darkness of waters, thick clouds of the skies.

18:12 At the brightness before him his thick clouds passed,

hailstones and coals of fire.

18:13 Yahweh also thundered in the sky.

The Most High uttered his voice:

hailstones and coals of fire.

18:14 He sent out his arrows, and scattered them;

Yes, great lightning bolts, and routed them.

18:15 Then the channels of waters appeared.

The foundations of the world were laid bare at your rebuke, Yahweh,

at the blast of the breath of your nostrils.

18:16 He sent from on high.

He took me.

He drew me out of many waters.

18:17 He delivered me from my strong enemy,

from those who hated me; for they were too mighty for me.

18:18 They came on me in the day of my calamity,

but Yahweh was my support.

18:19 He brought me forth also into a large place.

He delivered me, because he delighted in me.

18:20 Yahweh has rewarded me according to my righteousness.

According to the cleanness of my hands has he recompensed me.

18:21 For I have kept the ways of Yahweh,

and have not wickedly departed from my God.

18:22 For all his ordinances were before me.

I didn’t put away his statutes from me.

18:23 I was also blameless with him.

I kept myself from my iniquity.

18:24 Therefore Yahweh has rewarded me according to my righteousness,

according to the cleanness of my hands in his eyesight.

18:25 With the merciful you will show yourself merciful.

With the perfect man, you will show yourself perfect.

18:26 With the pure, you will show yourself pure.

With the crooked you will show yourself shrewd.

18:27 For you will save the afflicted people,

but the haughty eyes you will bring down.

18:28 For you will light my lamp, Yahweh.

My God will light up my darkness.

18:29 For by you, I advance through a troop.

By my God, I leap over a wall.

18:30 As for God, his way is perfect.

The word of Yahweh is tried.

He is a shield to all those who take refuge in him.

18:31 For who is God, except Yahweh?

Who is a rock, besides our God,

18:32 the God who arms me with strength, and makes my way perfect?

18:33 He makes my feet like deer’s feet,

and sets me on my high places.

18:34 He teaches my hands to war,

so that my arms bend a bow of bronze.

18:35 You have also given me the shield of your salvation.

Your right hand sustains me.

Your gentleness has made me great.

18:36 You have enlarged my steps under me,

My feet have not slipped.

18:37 I will pursue my enemies, and overtake them.

Neither will I turn again until they are consumed.

18:38 I will strike them through, so that they will not be able to rise.

They shall fall under my feet.

18:39 For you have armed me with strength to the battle.

You have subdued under me those who rose up against me.

18:40 You have also made my enemies turn their backs to me,

that I might cut off those who hate me.

18:41 They cried, but there was none to save;

even to Yahweh, but he didn’t answer them.

18:42 Then I beat them small as the dust before the wind.

I cast them out as the mire of the streets.

18:43 You have delivered me from the strivings of the people.

You have made me the head of the nations.

A people whom I have not known shall serve me.

18:44 As soon as they hear of me they shall obey me.

The foreigners shall submit themselves to me.

18:45 The foreigners shall fade away,

and shall come trembling out of their close places.

18:46 Yahweh lives; and blessed be my rock.

Exalted be the God of my salvation,

18:47 even the God who executes vengeance for me,

and subdues peoples under me.

18:48 He rescues me from my enemies.

Yes, you lift me up above those who rise up against me.

You deliver me from the violent man.

18:49 Therefore I will give thanks to you, Yahweh, among the nations,

and will sing praises to your name.

18:50 He gives great deliverance to his king,

and shows loving kindness to his anointed,

to David and to his seed, forevermore.

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Psalm 17

17:1 Hear, Yahweh, my righteous plea; Give ear to my prayer, that doesn’t go out of deceitful lips.

17:2 Let my sentence come forth from your presence. Let your eyes look on equity.

17:3 You have proved my heart. You have visited me in the night. You have tried me, and found nothing. I have resolved that my mouth shall not disobey.

17:4 As for the works of men, by the word of your lips, I have kept myself from the ways of the violent.

17:5 My steps have held fast to your paths. My feet have not slipped.

17:6 I have called on you, for you will answer me, God. Turn your ear to me. Hear my speech.

17:7 Show your marvelous loving kindness, you who save those who take refuge by your right hand from their enemies.

17:8 Keep me as the apple of your eye. Hide me under the shadow of your wings,

17:9 from the wicked who oppress me, my deadly enemies, who surround me.

17:10 They close up their callous hearts. With their mouth they speak proudly.

17:11 They have now surrounded us in our steps. They set their eyes to cast us down to the earth.

17:12 He is like a lion that is greedy of his prey, as it were a young lion lurking in secret places.

17:13 Arise, Yahweh, confront him. Cast him down. Deliver my soul from the wicked by your sword;

17:14 from men by your hand, Yahweh, from men of the world, whose portion is in this life. You fill the belly of your cherished ones. Your sons have plenty, and they store up wealth for their children.

17:15 As for me, I shall see your face in righteousness. I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with seeing your form.

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