Morning Light – August 17th, 2016: Calling Upon the Name of the Lord

Morning Light – August 17th, 2016
Today: [Psalm 105] Calling Upon the Name of the Lord. Psalm 105 is a psalm believed to have been used by David when he brought the ark of the Covenant to Mt. Zion. It rehearses the dealings of God with Israel from Abraham to Moses. The name of God is emphasized in His faithfulness and trustworthiness toward His own. For us we see this psalm as a disclosure of the goodness of God promised to us as believers in the Lord Jesus Christ.
[Psa 105:1-45 KJV] 1 O give thanks unto the LORD; call upon his name: make known his deeds among the people. 2 Sing unto him, sing psalms unto him: talk ye of all his wondrous works. 3 Glory ye in his holy name: let the heart of them rejoice that seek the LORD. 4 Seek the LORD, and his strength: seek his face evermore. 5 Remember his marvellous works that he hath done; his wonders, and the judgments of his mouth; 6 O ye seed of Abraham his servant, ye children of Jacob his chosen. 7 He [is] the LORD our God: his judgments [are] in all the earth. 8 He hath remembered his covenant for ever, the word [which] he commanded to a thousand generations. 9 Which [covenant] he made with Abraham, and his oath unto Isaac; 10 And confirmed the same unto Jacob for a law, [and] to Israel [for] an everlasting covenant: 11 Saying, Unto thee will I give the land of Canaan, the lot of your inheritance: 12 When they were [but] a few men in number; yea, very few, and strangers in it. 13 When they went from one nation to another, from [one] kingdom to another people; 14 He suffered no man to do them wrong: yea, he reproved kings for their sakes; 15 [Saying], Touch not mine anointed, and do my prophets no harm.
Psalm 105 is considered a historical psalm. The psalms are divided by some into 2 categories of “short” and “long” psalms and this section of the book of Psalms contains some of the longest in the entire book (Psalm 119 taking the distinction of the longest chapter in the bible).
It is believed to have been written and used by David as the psalm recited and sung as the ark of the Covenant was brought from the house of Obed-Edom to Mount Zion. It describes the superintendence of God over the holy nation from Abraham to Moses. The generations of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob are referenced and the time of Joseph and the captivity. The exodus is addressed as well. All is viewed from the perspective of the faithfulness of God to take care of His own.
Verse 1 declares that we should call upon the name of the Lord. A more simplified translation would suggest the rendering that we should “call the Lord by His name…” The question then is what is the name of the Lord? From an Old Testament perspective we should cover the compound Jehovah names of God for they give a comprehensive understanding of who God is to us:
Jehovah-Jireh (Our Provider)
Jehovah-Rapha (Our Healer)
Jehovah-Nissi (Our Banner)
Jehovah-Tsidkenu (Our Righteousness)
Jehovah-Mkaddesh (Our Sanctifier)
Jehovah-Shalom (Our Peace)
Jehovah-Shammah (The God who is Present)
Jehovah-Rohi (Our Shepherd)
Each of these names represent who God is to us in His person. It is more than just what He does – it is who He is. He is our provision. He is our healing. He is our banner. He is our righteousness, our sanctifier, our peace. He is our shepherd and He is the God who is ever present with us. Because these names represent who He is we know that there is never a time that He is not these things to us. He never suspends these attributes as the representation of who He is to us for any reason. They represent the whole of what Jesus provided for us upon Calvary. God will never say “no” to what the Cross says “yes” to.
16 Moreover he called for a famine upon the land: he brake the whole staff of bread. 17 He sent a man before them, [even] Joseph, [who] was sold for a servant: 18 Whose feet they hurt with fetters: he was laid in iron: 19 Until the time that his word came: the word of the LORD tried him. 20 The king sent and loosed him; [even] the ruler of the people, and let him go free. 21 He made him lord of his house, and ruler of all his substance: 22 To bind his princes at his pleasure; and teach his senators wisdom. 23 Israel also came into Egypt; and Jacob sojourned in the land of Ham. 24 And he increased his people greatly; and made them stronger than their enemies. 25 He turned their heart to hate his people, to deal subtilly with his servants. 26 He sent Moses his servant; [and] Aaron whom he had chosen. 27 They shewed his signs among them, and wonders in the land of Ham. 28 He sent darkness, and made it dark; and they rebelled not against his word. 29 He turned their waters into blood, and slew their fish. 30 Their land brought forth frogs in abundance, in the chambers of their kings.
In verse 19 we see a statement concerning Joseph’s life that applies to us:
19 Until the time that his word came: the word of the LORD tried him.
Joseph had a promise from God that he would one day rule in great authority and that even his family would bow down before him. Because of this very word he was sold into slavery, languished in prison and suffered many things. Why did Joseph go through these trials if in fact God intended to elevate and promote him? Because the timing of his word from the Father had to mature and come fully to pass. It took many decades. During that time the positive promise of the Father to Joseph tried him greatly. He was tempted to forget what God had said. He no doubt wanted to reject the word as untrue or become angry with God Himself.
1 Tim. 1:18 tells us that we are to war with the words that are spoken over us by the prophetic. Joseph certainly embodies this. He had a promise and everything opposite to that happened in his life. What are you doing with the prophetic words you are given? Are you judging the prophetic words by the circumstances of your life? If Joseph had done this he would have died, unknown and unsung in the prison house of Pharaoh. Your contrary circumstance is no legitimate metric for judging the prophetic word you have been given. You are to do as Joseph – to take that word and believe that word and war with that word against hopelessness and against contrary circumstances until the deliverance comes. To handle a word from God any other way is to regard the prophetic as nothing more than a spiritual parlor trick of psychic reading.
31 He spake, and there came divers sorts of flies, [and] lice in all their coasts. 32 He gave them hail for rain, [and] flaming fire in their land. 33 He smote their vines also and their fig trees; and brake the trees of their coasts. 34 He spake, and the locusts came, and caterpillers, and that without number, 35 And did eat up all the herbs in their land, and devoured the fruit of their ground. 36 He smote also all the firstborn in their land, the chief of all their strength. 37 He brought them forth also with silver and gold: and [there was] not one feeble [person] among their tribes. 38 Egypt was glad when they departed: for the fear of them fell upon them. 39 He spread a cloud for a covering; and fire to give light in the night. 40 [The people] asked, and he brought quails, and satisfied them with the bread of heaven. 41 He opened the rock, and the waters gushed out; they ran in the dry places [like] a river. 42 For he remembered his holy promise, [and] Abraham his servant. 43 And he brought forth his people with joy, [and] his chosen with gladness: 44 And gave them the lands of the heathen: and they inherited the labour of the people; 45 That they might observe his statutes, and keep his laws. Praise ye the LORD.
Verses 31-45 speak of the exodus from Egypt. For us Egypt is a type of the world. We have been brought out of bondage to worldly elements and our own sinful condition. God’s intention (v. 37) is that you would not come out empty handed. Verse 37 is a reference substantiating what some prophets have called the transfer of the wealth. After all the plagues of Egypt when the people came out the Egyptians loaded them down with silver, gold and precious things. Christianity is not about suffering, deprivation and poverty. God is a God of supply. He came that we mighty have life and life more abundantly. He came that we might have all things that pertain unto life and godliness. It is the heart of God that we prosper and be in health even as our soul prospers. If it is the heart of God that we be in such a state then what hinders? Notice it says “as your soul prospers”. In other words our attention should be not upon outward things but upon the condition of our soul that we might thrive in our relationship with God and as we do our lives will come to reflect the heart of God toward us in blessing and benefit.