NORTHERN STYLE NEWSWATCH No. 29
CREDO (1 of 3)
`The appointed time has come'
The Western media services, now that the `war' is over, seem to have entered into an identity crisis - no longer able to project terrifying graphic, computerised plans, they are searching for a new means of satisfying their followers. The religious world, in losing its platform for speaking about a `just war', is in the same quandry. Among the latter group there are many sincere people who are searching the Scriptures for an understanding of the times in which we live, and in finding verses to complement their anxieties they utter dire warnings concerning the days ahead. Again, sub-dividing this latter section of people, there are those with an understanding of God's Covenant with the people of Israel who appear utterly confused, some taking obscure verses from the Hebrew prophets to speak of the destruction of biblically-named cities; others wait for the rebuilding of the Temple in Jerusalem; still others see in the prophetic Psalms the rebuilding of Zion `in a generation'. It is from such a Psalm that we take our title for this Credo `the appointed time has come'. What can we do with such conflicting words but look again at what the Lord is saying within the context of Scripture, and, as we have said on many occasions, `sieve world events through Scripture' and not the reverse, as so often happens. (Many times in the past we have called this a `newspaper exegesis' of Scripture.)

As it was a comment on a single verse from Psalm 102 which caught our attention, it seems right to us to turn to that Psalm in order to climb out of the morass of conflicting thoughts and opinions. Firstly, we need again to remind ourselves that the Hebrew Scriptures in their original form, the inspired Word of God, had no such Psalm numberings - that was a later innovation to assist our Greek-thinking intellect. The `breaks' in the Psalms were originally revealed by Selah's, sub and superscriptions, but now, although still recorded in most versions of our Bible, they are largely ignored. However they were placed there in order to reveal a change . . a break in thought . . a reflection on what was being said . . and as such they are important to our understanding of what God is saying. Equally important to remember is that the Psalms are grouped into five distinct Books of the Psalms, each Book corresponding to its equivalent Book of Torah (or Pentateuch). They reveal an ongoing walk, a progression of God's announced intentions . . His Genesis . . through to His promised Deliverance . . on into the Holiness of His Sanctuary . . on to the wandering of the numbered tribes . . through to our ultimate Hope, our rest in the Land of Promise. Truly, as the apostle Paul wrote to the church of the Galatians, `so the Law was put in charge to lead us to Christ that we might be justified by faith'.

And so with this in mind we turn to Psalm 102. Placed in the fourth Book of Psalms - which corresponds with the Book of Numbers - we find that it is also within the last four Psalms of this Book, which again speaks a message, and by recalling that the written words are broken by sub or superscriptions we can see that there is an unbroken sequence of thought running throughout these Psalms. Beginning with Psalm 101 the superscription gives us a break in thought, where it is recorded that it is `of David, a psalm'. The Hebrew word used is `Mizmor' (which we record as a Psalm or a Song) and has within its meaning the understanding that it is to be sung whilst meditating on its meaning. Clearly this provides a break in what has preceeded this Psalm, and it is that meditative thought which we wish to bring into the times in which we live so as to gain understanding of these times. Placed as it is at the end of the `Wilderness Psalms' and before entering the Land of Promise, although speaking of David it spiritually points forward to David's Greater Son, the Messiah, Who alone could give His people rest - and as you read through this Psalm you will find the heart-knowledge of David speaking for itself: (Psalm 101:1 and 6-7)

" I will sing of your love and justice;
to you, O LORD, I will sing praise . . . .
(v 6 brings out the reason for David's joy)
My eyes are on the faithful in the land,
that they may dwell with me;
he whose walk is blameless will minister to me.
No-one who practices deceit will dwell in my house;
no-one who speaks falsely will stand in my presence. "

Here David speaks of One to come (from his house) who will bring in that Kingdom and the Kingdom Rule that will bring the whole earth into the promised rest from this wilderness walk, which is recorded in such detail in the corresponding Book of Numbers.

And so we come to the next insertion in this continuous recording of God's Word, as seen in these five Psalms. Indeed it is a very abrupt insertion and is recorded as `a prayer of an afflicted man when he is faint and pours out his lament before the LORD'. (Here we need to point out that the name of the LORD is written in His Covenanting name, One who has decreed and entered into a Covenant sealed by Himself, which is unbreakable. The name `Jehovah', as it is usually written in English, or `Yahweh', in the more familiar Hebrew wording, speaks to the Jewish mind - and how much more to the redeemed mind - of the faithfulness of God to His Word.) Within the context of this meditative singing of David in Psalm 101 of his knowledge of the One who would come to establish his house for ever comes the understanding of the walk and work of David's Greater Son, a King who in obedience would suffer a most terrible humiliation before He established His Kingdom of Righteousness and Peace. Contrary to Christian `received wisdom' (much of which teaches that the Jewish mind, although seeing both the Suffering Servant of Isaiah and the Prince of Egypt - foreshadowed in Joseph - could not reconcile the two into the one Messiah) these Psalms we are looking at bring the two together into the One who would come from the kingly line of David - One who would have to suffer humiliation before establishing that Kingdom which David dreamed of. The Jewish Scribes knew this but they could not accept that Jesus was that Man, but we need to remember in humility that this was so that the Gentiles could be brought into that same Rest which these Psalms promise! The Psalmist is in no doubt of this for in verse 13 of Psalm 102 he cries out in joyous proclamation that:

" You will arise and have compassion on Zion, for it is
time to show favour to her; the appointed time has come. "

The Wilderness Walk was clearly nearly over, and although all the older generation who were brought out of Egypt through a mighty deliverance died, they had known the provision of God, and so a new generation crossed over into the Land of Promise. How did the new generation know? They were told by people who, although at times walking in despair and at times in rebellion, kept alive in their hearts the sure and certain knowledge of the deliverance they had experienced at the hands of a Covenant-keeping LORD! That this is a prophetic word, a living word that will outwork itself, is shown in verses 18 and 21:

" Let this be written for a future generation,
that a people not yet created praise the LORD.
. . . . . . . . So the name of the LORD will be
declared in Zion and His praise in Jerusalem
when the peoples and the kingdoms assemble
to worship the LORD. "

The Psalm concludes with the words of `The Afflicted Man' who, although overwhelmed, knows that He is pouring out His lament before the LORD with the certain knowledge that although He would suffer the greatest humiliation given to man, He would complete His work both as the Suffering Servant and as King in the Kingdom of God!

Psalm 103 continues with this certainty for it speaks the heart-thoughts of David, pointing forward to his greater Son, the Messiah of the House of David. The Psalm is full of the certainty of that coming Kingdom: (v2 and 4: 11-13)

" Praise the LORD, O my soul,
and forget not all His benefits . . .
He redeems me from the pit and crowns me
with love and compassion . . . . . .
For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
so great is His love for those who fear Him;
as far as the east is from the west,
so has He removed our transgressions from us.
As a father has compassion on His children,
so the LORD has compassion on those who fear Him. "

The concluding verses of this Psalm are a Song of Praise for the certainty of that coming Kingdom, the Suffering Servant now crowned as its rightful and only King!

There is now a break in the flow of praise, for what is known as Psalm 104 is but the revelation of the King's coming in power and glory to take His place - won by Him through His obedience to the Father's will and purpose, which is that Israel and all the nations of the world are now able to enter into that Kingdom through acceptance of the King: (v31-34)

" May the glory of the LORD endure for ever;
may the LORD rejoice in His works.
He looks at the earth, and it trembles;
He touches the mountains and they smoke.
I will sing to the LORD all my life;
I will sing praise to my God as long as I live.
May my meditation be pleasing to Him,
as I rejoice in the LORD. "

And so we come to Psalm 105, the last but one in this section of the Fourth Book of Psalms. It could be called an epilogue, a reminder at the end of the walk to the Promised Land of what the LORD has done - even though unbelief could have lost what had been won for them! Once again there is no break in the narrative between these concluding Psalms as the Psalmist continues to reveal the Glory of the coming Kingdom: (v1-3)

" Give thanks to the LORD, call on His name;
Make known among the nations what He has done.
Sing to Him, sing praise to Him;
tell of all His wonderful acts.
Glory in His holy name;
let the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice. "

There is a certainty of what God has done, even though the people spoken of are still in the Wilderness Walk. The Promised Land still lies ahead, but they know the heart of a Covenant-keeping God and can `Sing to Him, sing praise to Him' as they proclaim this certainty: (v8-11)

" He remembers His Covenant for ever,
the Word He commanded, for a thousand generations,
the Covenant he made with Abraham,
the oath He swore to Isaac.
He confirmed it to Jacob as a decree,
to Israel as an everlasting Covenant;
`To you I will give the land of Canaan
as the portion you will inherit'. "

This is no song of praise for a narrow Christian Zionist position - neither is it an endorsement of the prejudiced `Replacement of Israel with the Church' theology! It is the certainty of a promised Rest for all who accept Jesus as the Messiah of Israel, the Kingdom of God centered in Israel on Mount Zion - the Kingdom promised to Israel by a Covenant-keeping God, who in His mercy has brought into that Kingdom countless numbers of Gentiles so that together `the nations will fear the name of the LORD; all the kings of the earth will revere Your Glory'. (Psalm 102:15).

What follows could be seen to be a reminder of all that He has done, but as these are prophetic writings they also speak of what is to come - which is very pertinent to the times we are in in seeking understanding of what lies ahead. The next verses remind us of God's dealings with the Patriarchs: `When they were but few in number, few indeed' at the appointed time God `sent a man before them - Joseph sold as a slave. They bruised his feet with shackles, his neck was put in irons' (v17-18). What then follows is a reminder of God's dealings with Israel as a nation . . of their enslavement . . their deliverance . . their walk in the wilderness in rebellion . . their ultimate and perfect Promised Rest. Therefore, within this concluding Psalm there lies the implication of what still lies ahead for Israel in the years before He comes as King of the Kingdom of God - a time of `enslavement' . . a time of rebellious hearts towards a God who, they know, has promised them `the Land' but fail to understand the full implication of the entrance into that Kingdom which can only be through acceptance of the King to whom the Patriarchs pointed.

The promise of the Kingdom of the future lies in the message of the past, seen in the concluding verse of Psalm 105. Just as `Jacob' (a man of the flesh) entered Egypt (a natural rest) through famine and distress, so `Israel' (a `man' of the spirit) will enter God's Rest through pain and afflication, but knowing with certainty that One greater than Joseph has been sent ahead of them and will bring them into His Goshen, the Promised rest: (v42-44)

" For He remembered His holy promise
given to His servant Abraham.
He brought out His people with rejoicing,
His chosen ones with shouts of joy. "

The news media may well have lost its circulation platform through the end of the war in Iraq . . the Church may have lost its way in the confusion and unbelief . . but we need to remember that God works through nations and people to complete His work and He `will rebuild Zion' in its spiritual sense as well as in its natural sense. `He will respond to the prayer of the destitute; He will not despise their plea, for the appointed time has come'. The future that lies immediately ahead of Israel and the Church will be a time of upheaval, distress and great concern. Eventually there will be
Tribulation for Israel in order that `all Israel will be saved', and persecution and distress for the Church of the Redeemed, until He comes for His own to call them away from that coming wrath. The future (that which lies ahead) lies in what has happened in the past, and those who know and trust in the faithfulness of God will know that One greater than Joseph has been sent ahead and at the appropriate time, and in a way unique to each of His Covenanted people, Israel and the Church, He will come and we shall enter into that promised Rest which is found only in Jesus - the Messiah of Israel and the Christ of the Church of the Redeemed. Therefore we can sing the Mizmor of David in the knowledge of the certain hope that he had! The Wilderness Walk is nearly over . . the Grace of God is certainly complete and available to all who accept the Messiah, the Christ of God, as their Rest.



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