So, anyone who has been in a Bible Study I've lead, or to a worship service I've preached/planned, or just generally hung out with me knows that I love to ask questions. Today's Psalms perplexed me. Maybe you can help me.
Here are my questions.
1) Psalm 15:1-2, 4b,
"Who can live in Your tent, Lord? Who can dwell on your holy mountain?
The person who lives with integrity, does what is right, and speaks the truth sincerely.....
someone who keeps their promise even when it hurts..."
So, that means NO ONE can live in God's tent? Huh?
2) Psalm 16:5
"You Lord are my possession, my cup"
Huh? How can God be MY possession? Does that mean I can own God? What is the Psalmist trying to say?
3) Psalm 16:7
"I will bless the Lord who advises me" So, I won't bless the Lord who doesn't advise me?
Thanks for help with my questions! Do you have any? Maybe we can help each other!
Blessings!
Pastor Emily!
(PS. I really really really love Psalm 16. It might be one of my new favorite "go tos!" Which has been your favorite so far?)
5 comments:
On question #2, my translation reads "portion", not "possession" - does that help? :)
Maybe, #1 means we can't hope to dwell with God without His help first.
#3 - I think this alludes more to the fact that the psalmist goes to God for advice or counsel and listens for answers; blessing God for listening, perhaps?
Anyway, I tried . . .
Question 1... this was the main part that jumped out to me today. I was thinking the same thing... I am "good" enough to live with God? Ummm... not today! I found Psalm 16:2 to be an answer for me... "I say to the Lord, “You are my Lord; apart from you I have no good thing.”" My "goodness" and ability to live with God something I can only do when I seek to be with God. The moments when I am seeking God, I have the potential dwell with God. When I let my eye, mind, actions fall away from God, I do things that God doesn't wish for me... and I am not dwelling with my Lord.
#1 The psalmist is referring to the people that God was looking for in 14:2, that those people who seek God would come worship on His holy hill. In the OT, before Christ redeemed mankind, all they knew was to try to follow all the rules in order to try to be close to God.
#2.16:5 "Lord, you have assigned me my portion and my cup." God knows our path in life and makes sure He fills our cup with blessings.
3# "Even at night my heart instructs me." Many times I have heard instructions from God at night. When I was 9 yrs old he showed me my grandfather, after his funeral, walking with Jesus, coming to tell me not to worry. And when, as an adult, I was worried about financial problems, He woke me up, took me out on my deck in time to see the Big Dipper "pouring blessings" into the chimney of our home. Dreams, visions, peace, God is there when we need Him most. Or maybe I should say we find Him there all along, when we need Him most.
I can't add much to what everyone else has said except that my translation for 16:7 says, I will praise the Lord, who counsels me which is pretty different from owning God. Love reading everyone's interpretations and experiences.
Thanks everyone! What fun this is!!!!
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