[youtube url=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ymf-Xzald14&feature=youtu.be”]
In this week’s study from Tehillim / Psalms 66:1-20, the psalm opens saying א לַמְנַצֵּחַ שִׁיר מִזְמוֹר הָרִיעוּ לֵאלֹהִים כָּל-הָאָרֶץ: For the choir director. A Song. A Psalm. 66:1 Shout joyfully to God, all the earth (NASB) David calls for all of the earth to praise the name of the Lord for His mighty works. He calls upon the Scriptural account of God’s mighty works, turning the sea into dry land (66:6), He watches the nations (66:7), He is the One who keeps our feet from slipping (6:8), and for all of these things, He is to be praised, ב זַמְּרוּ כְבוֹד-שְׁמוֹ שִֹימוּ כָבוֹד תְּהִלָּתוֹ: ג אִמְרוּ לֵאלֹהִים מַה-נּוֹרָא מַעֲשֶֹיךָ בְּרֹב עֻזְּךָ יְכַחֲשׁוּ-לְךָ אֹיְבֶיךָ: ד כָּל-הָאָרֶץ | יִשְׁתַּחֲווּ לְךָ וִיזַמְּרוּ-לָךְ יְזַמְּרוּ שִׁמְךָ סֶלָה: 66:2 Sing the glory of His name; Make His praise glorious. 66:3 Say to God, ‘How awesome are Your works! Because of the greatness of Your power Your enemies will give feigned obedience to You. 66:4 ‘All the earth will worship You, And will sing praises to You; They will sing praises to Your name.’ Selah. David compares us to being refined by fire as silver is refined, where silversmiths look to see their reflection in order to determine the purity of the metal, י כִּי-בְחַנְתָּנוּ אֱלֹהִים צְרַפְתָּנוּ כִּצְרָף-כָּסֶף: 66:10 For You have tried us, O God; You have refined us as silver is refined. (NASB) Does the Lord look at our purity by this comparison in the way in which we follow His Torah? The Lord refines us by bringing calamity upon us. Some people interpret Scripture to say that God wont do this any more because of Yeshua the Messiah. Is this type of interpretation true? Read more here: Tehillim 66-Part1
