November 30th, 2014
Today’s reading from Encounter with God

Mystery and Certainty

Please see the links to our EXTRA Bible Study notes at the bottom of the page.

Opening Prayer

You are the God of my days and seasons. As advent begins, I rejoice in the anticipation and hope of Christmas.

Read Psalm 94:1-23

[1] The LORD is a God who avenges. O God who avenges, shine forth. [2] Rise up, Judge of the earth; pay back to the proud what they deserve. [3] How long, LORD, will the wicked, how long will the wicked be jubilant? [4] They pour out arrogant words; all the evildoers are full of boasting. [5] They crush your people, LORD; they oppress your inheritance. [6] They slay the widow and the foreigner; they murder the fatherless. [7] They say, “The LORD does not see; the God of Jacob takes no notice.” [8] Take notice, you senseless ones among the people; you fools, when will you become wise? [9] Does he who fashioned the ear not hear? Does he who formed the eye not see? [10] Does he who disciplines nations not punish? Does he who teaches mankind lack knowledge? [11] The LORD knows all human plans; he knows that they are futile. [12] Blessed is the one you discipline, LORD, the one you teach from your law; [13] you grant them relief from days of trouble, till a pit is dug for the wicked. [14] For the LORD will not reject his people; he will never forsake his inheritance. [15] Judgment will again be founded on righteousness, and all the upright in heart will follow it. [16] Who will rise up for me against the wicked? Who will take a stand for me against evildoers? [17] Unless the LORD had given me help, I would soon have dwelt in the silence of death. [18] When I said, “My foot is slipping,” your unfailing love, LORD, supported me. [19] When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought me joy. [20] Can a corrupt throne be allied with you- a throne that brings on misery by its decrees? [21] The wicked band together against the righteous and condemn the innocent to death. [22] But the LORD has become my fortress, and my God the rock in whom I take refuge. [23] He will repay them for their sins and destroy them for their wickedness; the LORD our God will destroy them.

Scripture taken from the THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION, NIV Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Meditate

This psalm is a reminder that we must always be seeking God’s help in the realm of spiritual warfare. Read and reflect on Ephesians 6:10-20.

Think Further

The Christian life is often characterized by polarities, where two realities must be held in tension. Today’s psalm reminds us of one such polarity: mystery and certainty.

The mystery confronts us almost every day. It is the perplexing puzzle of why a world ruled by the just and sovereign Lord should so often be dominated by the arrogance and power of the wicked. With God’s people the world over, many of whom suffer at the hands of ruthless dictators and unjust systems, we protest. We long for God’s intervention (2,3). The psalmist identifies the attributes of so many contemporary societies, where the arrogance, oppression and ruthless exploitation of the vulnerable are such ugly features of ungodliness (4-7). But with mystery there is certainty. God sees the futility of the wicked and knows their ultimate destiny. He is a God of perfect justice, and in his time the wicked will be judged and the righteous vindicated (12-15). And when the believer feels his foot slipping, God’s covenant love supports him; his care and protection are certain. He is the rescuer of his people who consoles the anxious and supports the weak; he is the fortress in the storm (16-22). His justice will be triumphant in the end, judging his enemies and protecting his people.

The themes of this psalm might seem offensive–the God of vengeance, the God who destroys. But God’s anger, his judgment and his discipline are consistent with his holy love. They are necessary elements in our world and in our lives, if order is to be established, if justice is to be done, and if the final restoration of all things is to be completed when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven (2 Thess. 1:5-10). We should not deny the mystery, but must hold on to the certainty.

Apply

Pray for Christians who face injustice and oppression, and ask the Lord to sustain them by the knowledge of his fatherly care and ultimate judgment.

Closing prayer

Powerful One, I put my trust in You in the face of adversity. I thank You for the equipping power of the protective armor You give me.

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