Tag: Victory

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Only God can win for us.

Reading Time: 2 minutes

”You are my King and my God. You command victories for Israel. Only by your power can we push back our enemies; only in your name can we trample our foes. I do not trust in my bow; I do not count on my sword to save me. You are the one who gives us victory over our enemies; you disgrace those who hate us. O God, we give glory to you all day long and constantly praise your name. ‭‭Psalms‬ ‭44‬:‭4‬-‭8‬ ‭NLT‬‬

The descendants of Korah writes this Psalm, so who is Korah? Korah is a significant figure in the Bible, particularly known for his rebellion against Moses during the Israelites’ journey in the wilderness. He was a Levite, specifically the son of Izhar and a cousin to Moses and Aaron. His lineage is traced back to Levi, one of the twelve sons of Jacob.

However, Korah led a revolt against Moses, questioning why Moses and Aaron held positions of authority. He gathered 250 prominent leaders to challenge their leadership. This rebellion is detailed in Numbers 16, where God punished Korah and his followers by causing the ground to open and swallow them, while fire consumed the 250 men who offered incense.

Despite Korah’s fate, his sons survived the rebellion. They are known as the “Sons of Korah” and are credited with writing several Psalms, including this Psalm. Maybe the story of Korah’s sons rising out of their father’s rebellion is just as important as the Psalms they contributed to.

This Psalm was written about a massive dust up between the blasphemous message of Rabshekeh given to king Hezekiah. So Hezekiah went to Isaiah, who in turn prophesied against the kings of Assyria. In all of the arrogance and bravado of the Assyrian kings, Isaiah declares that no one mocks God and gets away with it. Korah’s sons capture the moment by declaring that God and God alone will fight against the enemies of Israel – not its king, not its might nor weaponry!

It’s still very much like that today even though the wars and warlords look very different today. God is still our refuge and our redeemer when it comes to global events that we have no control over. It should be a constant reminder in our own battles, that it is not our leaders nor our military might that we find our confidence- it is still in God!

Prayer

​Dad,
The story thread continues all through the Old Testament, You give, we falter. You forgive, we forget. My life is but a short puff of smoke, but wow – the human saga is so very long. It’s not just that the cycles of sin and redemption travel through our existence, it’s that each generation, even each nation has their own private experience. Each one facing the exact same human dilemmas, yet behaving as though we are unaware of anything or anyone living before or after them. It’s so weird! Even Israel, which has a good grasp of their very long legacy – can’t even recognize Jesus as THE messiah. Oh Lord, your patience is unmatched. One thing is clear, You are in control, You have the one and only plan of redemption for all who would believe and You know when the end will come. Maranatha – come quickly Lord Jesus!

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Listen to the Korahashians.

Reading Time: 2 minutes

“Come, see the glorious works of the Lord: See how he brings destruction upon the world. He causes wars to end throughout the earth. He breaks the bow and snaps the spear; he burns the shields with fire. “Be still, and know that I am God! I will be honored by every nation. I will be honored throughout the world.” The Lord of Heaven’s Armies is here among us; the God of Israel is our fortress.” ‭‭Psalms‬ ‭46‬:‭8‬-‭11‬ ‭NLT‬‬

The sons of Korah bring this Psalm with specific instructions to sing it in soprano voices. It is about the victory of ​Jehoshaphat celebrated in the valley of Berachah (blessing). This Psalm of victory is a picture of the young king (35yrs old) steering the nation back to God, remembering who really fights and wins the battles.

I love the bold proclamation that is themed throughout the Old Testament-“be still and know that I am God.” It is followed with this truth: God will be honored by every nation and throughout the world! It was true then, it is still true today. God is at work! How helpful is it to be reminded of this? Us in our postmodern era of science, intellectualism and social snobbery. We start believing the cultural nonsense: “if there was a god, he is far off and completely disconnected from us.” We’ve suppressed the reality of spiritual happenings, even denying that we are spiritual beings ourselves.

Who’s wiser, Jehoshaphat and the sons of Korah, who believes, or our modern windbags preaching for us to look within and find our own god-ness? It’s embarrassing that the ancients were more in tune with reality than we are today! The Korahashians were far more reliable than the Kardashians! The ending refrain was sung back in response to these declarations and we would do well to remember it today – “The Lord of Heaven’s Armies is here among us; the God of Israel is our fortress.” Look up, God is at work among us.

Prayer

Dad,
It is too easy to just look at all the things happening in our world today and to think that we are alone. To believe that no one is in control of the chaos of wars, physical and cultural. But we know better. Those who know you, love you and follow you understand that you are at work redeeming humans. Yes, there is an adversary, the liar, the slanderer. And, there is our own evil pursuits, bent on making our own happiness and purpose outside of your will. Neither of those will succeed. You will be victorious in all pursuits to accomplish your will and we can celebrate that fact! Thank you for being active and working in and through us today.