Nehemiah 8:10 … Do not grieve, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.

Psalm 30:11 … You have turned my mourning into joyful dancing. You have taken away my clothes of mourning and clothed me with joy.

I was on my way to work, a full day ahead of me and I was tired. I was praying and pondering the above scriptures. I desperately wanted to have enough strength to attend a praise dance service at my friend’s church later on in the day. The name of her praise dance team was ‘Clothed with Joy’.

Here in Psalm 30:11 the word joy-simchah[08057] means mirth, gladness, the joy of God. The root of this word denotes being glad or joyful with the whole disposition, the whole heart. Clothed-‘azar [0247] means to be girded, encompassed, equipped.

To be ‘clothed with joy’ is to be ‘equipped’ with the Joy of the LORD!

Looking at Nehemiah 8:10, strength-ma`owz [04581] means a place or means of safety, protection, refuge and comes from a root that means to be strong or prevail-‘azaz[05810]. 

Equipped with the Joy of the LORD to be strong and prevail!

This is what I was praying, asking the Lord to strengthen me with His joy. I also was praising and singing to the Lord. He did carry me thru work somehow, even though I was still very tired. I was determined to see my friend Marsha dance.  This would be the first time she was dancing for the Lord again after surviving more than one bout with cancer. This would be a very special dance and I was so grateful to be able to share in it. So I continued to ask the Lord to equip me with His joy, thanking Him for this opportunity.

As I entered my friend’s church, there was a flurry of dancers in lovely costumes, warm greetings and a sense of expectant excitement. I searched for my friend but did not see her. Then the service began. The worship was beautiful, it was good to sing to the Lord midst this congregation. Then the praise dancers entered. I finally saw Marsha. When our eyes met we both cried tears of joy. Tears of gratefulness to the Lord that we were both here to share in this moment. All of the songs, costumes and choreography were beautiful, honoring the Lord.

Then Marsha emerged, dancing a solo to a love song to the Lord. She didn’t have to match her steps or motions with anyone else. Her dance was unique, expressing her own style. She danced differently, but it wasn’t just her dance, it was her heart. Her face radiated the love and joy of and for the Lord. Her dance drew me into the presence of the Lord in such as way that it was as if I was dancing along with her before the Lord, with all our hearts and might. It made me think of David dancing before the Lord with all his might. What a beautiful expression of joy in the Lord’s presence! I could feel my tiredness lifting as my heart too was filled with joy.

After this dance finished there was loud applause; other hearts were as deeply touched as mine. Then Marsha gave her testimony. This dance was a testimony of how the Lord helped and sustained her through her bouts with cancer and healed her. More than once Marsha had previously shared with me how she drew strength from her dancing before the Lord. This was her joy drawing her into His presence. Marsha’s dance and words were a beautiful testimony of our living God, Jesus Christ our Lord! Her words touched my heart even more deeply, my heart was completely revived!

It surprised me a little that it was Marsha’s joy in the Lord along with her testimony that revived my heart. When I was praying to be equipped, strengthened with the joy of the Lord, I somehow thought it would be my own joy in the Lord that would revive me. When I got home this made me curious enough to look up the scriptures the Lord had put on my heart.

Psalm 30:9-12 … What profit is there in my blood, if I go down to the pit? Will the dust praise You? Will it declare Your faithfulness? Hear, O LORD, and be gracious to me; O LORD, be my helper. You have turned my mourning into joyful dancing, You have taken away my clothes of mourning and clothed me with joy, that my soul may sing praise to You and not be silent. O LORD my God, I will give thanks to You forever.

CLothed, equipped with joy not only to be strong and prevail but to give testimony to the Lord’s faithfulness! Looking at Nehemiah 8:10 again, the word joy[02034] from a root [02032] means exceedingly glad, great joy; like that of a king filled with joy dancing before the Lord with all his might/strength.

Psalm 21:1, 6-7 AMP … THE KING [David] shall joy[08055] in Your strength[05797], O Lord; and in Your salvation how greatly shall he rejoice[01523]! … For You make him to be blessed and a blessing forever; You make him exceedingly glad[08057] with the joy[02032] of Your presence. For the king trusts, relies on, and is confident in the Lord, and through the mercy and steadfast love of the Most High he will never be moved.

2 Samuel 6:12-14 … Now King David was told, “The LORD has blessed the household of Obed-Edom and everything he has, because of the ark of God.” So David went down and brought up the ark of God from the house of Obed-Edom to the City of David with gladness[08057]. And so it was, that when the bearers of the ark of the LORD had gone six paces, he sacrificed an ox and a fatling. And David was dancing before the LORD with all his might[05797], and David was wearing a linen ephod.

A coincidence? The word for might[05797] is from the same root to be strong, prevail[05810] as strength[04581] in Nehemiah 8:10!

Has the Lord filled you with joy and gladness at His faithfulness? Then let this joy be seen, do not be silent! You were blessed, clothed with joy to share your testimony. It will bring the joy and strength of the Lord to others. You were blessed to be a blessing!

Psalm 68:3 … Let the righteous be glad(with the whole disposition[08055]); Let them rejoice(jump for joy before God[05970]); Yes, let them exceedingly rejoice(display joy[07797]) with gladness[08057]!

Acts 16:23-26 … After they had been severely flogged, they were thrown into prison, and the jailer was commanded to guard them carefully. Upon receiving such orders, he put them in the inner cell and fastened their feet in the stocks. About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everybody’s chains came loose.

Remember Paul and Silas? Ever wonder why they were praying and singing near midnight? After a long day, being beaten and thrown in prison why would they do this?

Looking at what the word for singing hymns means gives us a clue. The Strong’s word humneo[5214] means to sing songs of praise celebrating God. These could have been from the paschal hymns: Psalms 113 – 118 and 136, which the Jews called the “great Hallel”.

The word Hallel means praise, it’s also part of the word hallelujah which means “praise Jah’ or “praise ye the Lord”. The exhortation “Praise ye the Lord:Hallelujah” from the greek root allelouia[239] appears throughout Psalms 113-118. The Strong’s word halal[01984] used in this phrase means to shine, praise, boast, or celebrate in Jah[03050] which is the proper name of the one true God.

Paul and Silas singing at midnight praising God was a way of boasting in the one true God and encouraging each other to “Praise ye the Lord: Hallelujah”!

Consider also Psalm 119 – they knew this psalm.

Psalm 119:60-62 … I made haste, and did not delay to keep Your commandments. Though the wicked bind me with ropes, I will not forget your law. At midnight I will rise to give thanks to You, because of Your righteous judgments.

The Strong’s word yadah[03034], to give thanks means to confess/acknowledge the name of God, especially to revere or worship with extended hands. It is a way of giving oneself wholeheartedly in worship or adoration, in complete surrender to the Lord.

Other verses which associate yadah[03034] with this giving thanks wholeheartedly.

• Psalm 9:1 … I will give thanks to the LORD with all my heart; I will tell of all Your wonders.
• Psalm 100:3-4 … Know that the LORD Himself is God; It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves; We are His people and the sheep of His pasture. Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise. Give thanks to Him, bless His name.
• Psalm 111:1 … Praise ye the LORD! I will give thanks to the LORD with all my heart, In the company of the upright and in the assembly.
  
• Psalm 138:1 … I will give You thanks with all my heart; I will sing praises to You before the gods.
  
• Proverbs 3:5-6 … Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.

From Psalm 100:3-4 and Proverbs 3:5-6 the word for know/acknowledge is especially interesting. Yada to know/acknowledge[03045] means to have an intimate relationship and understanding of who the person of Jesus Christ is as Savior and Lord. The only way to give wholehearted thanks to the Lord is to know He is God and that you belong to Him; He is your Lord. This means trusting and obeying Him in all circumstances.

Paul and Silas wholeheartedly singing songs of praise and giving thanks at midnight was a way of inviting the Lord into their situation. It was a way to acknowledge the Lord and declare their faith, for  the other prisoners were listening. It helped them rise up despite their difficult circumstances; to expectantly wait and watch for the Lord to act and direct their paths.

Colossians 4:2  … Be devoted to prayer, watch (keeping alert) in it with thanksgiving.

The word for watch is gregoreuo[1127] meaning to keep awake, alert, vigilant, to arouse or cause to rise. Just think how hard it would have been for Paul and Silas to be alert enough at midnight to pray. Thanksgiving here seems to be a key, eucharistia[2169] means to be actively grateful, thankful for God’s grace. This word is from a root eucharistos[2170] which means to give thanks full of grace. This watchful thanksgiving for God’s grace is full of grace! After Paul and Silas prayed and sang at midnight we do see God acting with great grace in their situation: a violent earthquake opened the prison doors.

Like Paul and Silas, the apostles who were also of one accord, had this great grace upon them.

Acts 4:32-33 … Now the multitude of those who believed were of one heart and one soul; neither did anyone say that any of the things he possessed was his own, but they had all things in common. And with great power the apostles gave witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And great grace was upon them all.

The word for grace, charis[5485] ,  is also the word for thanks. Look at the connection between this word, thankfulness, singing and letting the peace of God rule!!!!!!!!

Colossians 3:15-17 … And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful[2170] . Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace[5485] in your hearts to the Lord. And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks[2168] to God the Father through Him.

Being thankful, singing with grace in your heart to the Lord, when done in Christ’s body lets the peace of God rule. Praying with watchful thanksgiving in Christ’s body lets His peace rule. This is also God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

Psalm 2:11-12 … Serve the Lord with reverent awe and worshipful fear; rejoice and be in high spirits with trembling [lest you displease Him]. Kiss the Son [pay homage to Him in purity], lest He be angry and you perish in the way, for soon shall His wrath be kindled. O blessed (happy, fortunate, and to be envied) are all those who seek refuge and put their trust in Him.

Recently one morning I was thinking about the phrase ‘Kiss the Son‘ and the ‘Anointed Lips‘ of the bride and Bridegroom. My heart was stirred …

Psalm 45:1 … For the director of music. To the tune of ”Lilies”. Of the Sons of Korah. A maskil. A wedding/love song. [KAREN'S version ]
My heart is stirred by a beautiful song, it overflows its banks, beauty bubbles up and bursts forth. I sing of the things which I have made touching (kissing?) the king: my tongue is the pen of a ready writer, shaping the river into words!

My Jesus
My beautiful Jesus
O how I long
To bow down in purity before my King
To taste and see -Ps 34:8
Sweetness itself -Song 5:16
His kisses in my mouth -Song 1:2
Sweeter than honey -Ps 119:103
The goodness of the Holy One
Anointed lips, the lips of the Son -Ps 45:2
Lilies dripping liquid myrrh -Song 5:13

My Jesus
My beautiful Jesus
O how I long to sing
At Your right hand eternal pleasures -Ps 16:11
Jesus, my beautiful Jesus
You are my sweet sweet song -Ex 15:2; Isa 12:2
My sweet sweet song for evermore.

That’s when it hit me – His lips are lilies, dripping liquid myrrh! Just the day before I felt the Lord’s longing for ‘His lily’.

Song 2:2 … The Lover to His Beloved: Like a lily among thorns, so is My love among the daughters.

The image of a white lily surrounded by thorns and the Lord’s longing to hold this lily, to reach through the thorns and draw this lily to Himself. I had previously come across this image in a sermon by Spurgeon ‘The Lily among Thorns’.

Quote: http://www.biblebb.com/files/spurgeon/1525.htm

Dr. Thompson writes of a certain lily, “It grows among thorns, and I have sadly lacerated my hands in extricating it from them. Nothing can be in higher contrast than the luxuriant, velvety softness of this lily, and the withered, tangled hedge of thorns about it.” Ah, beloved, you know who it was that in gathering your soul and mine, lacerated not his hand only, but his feet, and his head, and his side, and his heart, yes, and his inmost soul. He spied us out, and said, “Yonder lily is mine, and I will have it”; but the thorns were a terrible barrier; our sins had gathered round about us, and the wrath of God most sharply stopped the way. Jesus pressed through all, that we might be his; and now when he takes us to himself he does not forget the thorns which girded his brow, and tore his flesh, for our sakes.

To reach through the thorns and draw the white lily, drops of blood from the Lamb would spill: on the thorns, on His hand, on the white lily …

Isaiah 1:18 … … Though your sins are as scarlet, they will be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, they will be like wool.

This beautiful contrast: the crimson and the white, the blood of the spotless Lamb and the white lily. Did you see it?!!! His lips are lilies – white lilies! I knew that these white lilies associated with the word shuwshan[07799] were a symbol for the bride. This is the same word for lily found in both Song 5:13 and the title of Psalm 45:1!

Quote Among the Lilies :
Song 7:2 (Lover to Beloved)     Your navel is a rounded goblet; It lacks no liquor(mixd wine). Your belly is a heap of wheat encirlced about with lilies[07799].

‘Your navel’, the center of the body is encircled by these white lilies! From my article ‘Ascending Mount Zion‘, we saw that the center of the throne is where the Lord is enthroned on the praises of His people. God’s throne, His dwelling place, Zion, is encircled by those singing a new song, it’s here in this atmosphere of praise where the Lamb stands high and lifted up(Rev 5:6, 9-13).

His lips are white lilies; the white lilies that encircle the throne where the Lamb stands! His mouth is another  picture of the center of the throne. Looking further at Song 5:13 we see that lips[08193] mean language, speech, shore, bank(of cup, sea, river, etc) and dripping[05197] means prophesy, preach, discourse in drops. The Lord longs to speak through His lips, His mouthpiece, the white lilies. Jesus, the Lamb standing in the center of the throne, speaks as the spirit of prophecy(Rev 19:10) through the white lilies, His lips!

Jesus has the white lilies, the bride, upon His lips and the bride has the scarlet thread upon hers! The beautiful contrast again: crimson and white.

Quote Anointed Lips:

Song 4:3     Your lips are like a scarlet thread, and your mouth is lovely. Your temples are like a slice of a pomegranate behind your veil.

The Bride has the scarlet thread upon her lips. The scarlet thread is Jesus, the blood sacrifice of Christ the Passover Lamb (Josh 2:18;Ex 12:11;1 Co 5:7)! The Bride has the proclamation of Jesus upon her lips, the aroma of Christ (2 Co 2:15).

Notice the colors again. The scarlet/crimson blood of the Lamb upon the brides lips: it’s the color of life! The white upon the lips of Jesus, especially dripping myrrh, is the color of death. Jesus was buried in about 100lbs of myrrh(Jn 19:38-42)! His lips dripping liquid myrrh: a picture of  ”DEATH IS SWALLOWED UP in victory”!

1 Corinthians 15:54-56 … But when this perishable will have put on the imperishable, and this mortal will have put on immortality, then will come about the saying that is written, “DEATH IS SWALLOWED UP in victory. O DEATH, WHERE IS YOUR VICTORY? O DEATH, WHERE IS YOUR STING?” The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law; but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Jesus, the victorious Lamb standing in the center of the throne longs to speak through His white lilies. The white lilies respond with the scarlet thread, the blood of Jesus upon their lips. A portion of this type of prophecy is done in song through the kiss of the Son.

From my article Voices of the Bridegroom and the Bride:
Look how singing this new song fits with the voices of the Bridegroom and bride singing and being heard in the midst of His people.

The gift in 1 Corinthians 14:3 is key to this process. Prophecy for edification, exhortation and comfort. As seen in (Eph 5:18, Col 3:16) a portion of this type of encouragement is done in song. What a wonderful testimony of Jesus  …

…  Song 1:2     Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth— for your love is more delightful than wine.

Song 5:16     His mouth is sweetness itself; He is altogether lovely. This is my lover, this my friend.

The Song of Solomon creates this beautiful image of the lovers singing love songs to one another, exchanging kisses. Reading the above verses it’s easy to picture the Bridegroom putting the new song in His bride’s mouth with a kiss. When the bride responds and sings what has been placed in her mouth, she is kissing him back. How beautiful! What a beautiful expression of the love between the Bridegroom & bride.

These images of crimson and white, the lips the bride and Bridegroom are quite beautiful, especially in the light of this promise.

The Lover to His Beloved:
Until the day breaks and the shadows flee, I will go to the mountain of myrrh and to the hill of incense. -Song 4:6

Let the longing of Jesus for His white lily stir your heart today, with a beautiful song!

The Lover to His Beloved:
You who dwell in the gardens with friends in attendance, let Me hear your voice! -Song 8:13

O My dove, in the clefts of the rock, in the secret places of the cliff(stairs), let Me see your face, let Me hear your voice; For your voice is sweet, and your face is lovely. -Song 2:14

What will your answer be?

The Beloved to Her Lover:
Make haste, my beloved, and be like a gazelle or a young stag on the mountains of spices. -Song 8:14

“Earth is crammed with heaven,
And every bush is aflame with God
But only those who see, take off their shoes
The rest sit around it and pluck blackberries.” – Elizabeth Browning

Recently the above quote caught my eye.  I knew the flaming bush and taking off of shoes was referring to Moses and the burning bush.

Acts 7:33 … The LORD said to him, “Take your sandals off your feet, for the place where you stand is holy ground”.

From NetBible Acts 7:33

A quotation from Exod 3:5. The phrase holy ground points to the fact that God is not limited to a particular locale. The place where he is active in revealing himself is a holy place.

The word קֹדֶשׁ (qodesh, “holy”) indicates “set apart, distinct, unique.” What made a mountain or other place holy was the fact that God chose that place to reveal himself or to reside among his people. Because God was in this place, the ground was different – it was holy.

The removal of sandals was, and still is in the East, a sign of humility and reverence in the presence of the Holy One. It was a way of excluding the dust and dirt of the world.

From the above it appears that ‘holy ground’ is the place where God is active revealing Himself. This is not limited to a specific place.

The heavens are telling of the glory of God; And their expanse is declaring the work of His hands. -Ps 19:1

The earth is full of the goodness of God. -Ps 33:5

From Barnes notes on the Bible

The Lord’s mercy or goodness is manifest everywhere. Every part of the earth bears witness that He is good.

Holy ground is holy, ‘set apart, unique, distinct’ because this is ground that the Lord chooses to reveal Himself in. ‘But only those who see, take off their shoes’. Who can ‘see’ God? Who can ‘stand’ on holy ground?

Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. -Mt 5:8

Who may ascend into the hill of the LORD? Or who may stand in His holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who has not lifted up his soul to an idol, nor sworn deceitfully. He shall receive blessing from the LORD, and righteousness from the God of his salvation. This is Jacob, the generation of those who seek Him who seek Your face.  Selah -Ps 24:3-6

I didn’t see before the whole significance of the Lord’s command to take off your shoes. I saw it as obedience and as a sign of reverence, worship and humility. I didn’t see that it was a symbol for removing or excluding the dirt and sin of the world or that it was really a command linked to preparing your heart.

For thus says the high and lofty One–He Who inhabits eternity, Whose name is Holy: I dwell in the high and holy place, but with him also who is of a thoroughly penitent and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble and to revive the heart of the thoroughly penitent [bruised with sorrow for sin] -Isa 57:15 AMP

It appears that taking off your shoes is a symbol for a heart willing to humble itself before the Lord and be cleansed. This is where the Lord dwells and reveals Himself. This is holy ground!

And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve the things that are excellent, in order to be *sincere and blameless until the day of Christ; being filled with the fruits of righteousness which come through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God. -Phil 1:9-11

In v10 the strong’s word heilikrines[1506] for sincere is very interesting. It means pure, sincere, unsullied. Looking more closely at this word, we see it is actually a compound word. The first part comes from heile (the sun’s ray), the second from krino (to judge). So the two parts together mean to be found pure when unfolded and examined by the sun’s light!

What a beautiful picture of a sincere heart, a heart willing to ‘take off its shoes’!

The heart of one with a “sincere” devotion to the Lord will be found pure when examined and judged by the Son, the light of the world. It will be a heart that has willingly submitted to Lord’s searching and cleansing.

Purify me with hyssop, and I shall be clean [ceremonially]; wash me, and I shall [in reality] be whiter than snow. … Hide Your face from my sins and blot out all my guilt and iniquities. Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right, persevering, and steadfast spirit within me. Cast me not away from Your presence and take not Your Holy Spirit from me.  Restore to me the joy of Your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me. -Ps 51:7, 9-12

These humble hearts that have willingly unfolded in the Son’s light to be cleansed are the place where the Lord dwells. They are also places of joy. The tabernacle of the righteous is where the voice of rejoicing is heard.

The voice of rejoicing and salvation is in the tent{tabernacles} of the righteous; The right hand of the LORD does valiantly{mighty things, conquers}. The right hand of the LORD is exalted{lifted up}; The right hand of the LORD does valiantly. … Open to me the gates of righteousness; I will go through them, And I will praise the LORD. This is the gate of the LORD, Through which the righteous shall enter. I will praise{give thanks, confess the name of God} You, For You have answered me, And have become my salvation. -Ps 118:15-16, 19-21

‘This is the gate’:  Jesus is the gate for His sheep. The Lord Jesus Christ is our salvation. He is the main gate through which the righteous enter to find salvation. He is the gate to enter in and out of His pasture. -Jn 10:7-9

There are also gates of thanksgiving and praise that the saved go through to enter His presence. -Ps 100;Isa 60:18

Looking back now at the beginning quote.
“Earth is crammed with heaven, and every bush is aflame with God” 
The evidence of our Lord Jesus Christ is everywhere in His creation.

“But only those who see, take off their shoes”
Only those who choose to look for Him with pure sincere hearts will acknowledge Him, bow down and enter His gates in joyful worship.

“The rest sit around it and pluck blackberries”
The rest are consumed in their daily lives, fail to see Him and take Him for granted.

Where is your heart today? Are you busy with the blackberries or will you choose to take off your shoes, bow down and joyously worship Him?

Psalm 100

A Psalm of Thanksgiving.

4 Enter into His gates with thanksgiving,
And into His courts with praise.
Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.
5 For the LORD is good;
His mercy is everlasting,
And His truth endures to all generations.

Numbers 14:7-9… They[Joshua&Caleb] spoke to all the congregation of the children of Israel, saying: “The land we passed through to spy out is an exceedingly good land. If the LORD delights in us, then He will bring us into this land and give it to us, ‘a land which flows with milk and honey.’ Only do not rebel against the LORD, nor fear the people of the land, for they are our bread; their protection has departed from them, and the LORD is with us. Do not fear them.

‘If‘ the LORD delights in us, THEN He is with us and will bring us into ‘the land’. Can you think of anything better than being the Lord’s delight? Or anything worse than having His protection depart?

If the LORD delights in us

• He will go before and never leave, fail or forsake us
  Be strong and courageous, do not be afraid or tremble at them, for the LORD your God is the one who goes with you. He will not fail you or forsake you. … Then Moses called to Joshua and said to him in the sight of all Israel, “Be strong and courageous, for you shall go with this people into the land which the LORD has sworn to their fathers to give them, and you shall give it to them as an inheritance. The LORD is the one who goes ahead of you; He will be with you. He will not fail you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed. -Deut 31:6-8
• He prepares, orders and makes our steps firm; He will not let us fall
  Those blessed by Him will inherit the land, but those cursed by Him will be cut off. The steps of a good{a valiant warrior able to fight} man are ordered{established, made firm, prepared} by the LORD, and He delights in his way. Though he stumbles, he will not fall, for the LORD upholds him with His hand.-Ps 37:22-24
• He crowns us with salvation{His deliverance, favor and victory}
  The LORD takes delight in His people; He crowns{beautifies, adorns} the humble with salvation{deliverance, favor, victory}. -Ps 149:4
• He rejoices over us as the Bridegroom rejoices over the bride
  You shall no longer be termed Forsaken, Nor shall your land any more be termed Desolate; But you shall be called Hephzibah{my delight is in her}, and your land Beulah{married}; For the LORD delights in you, and your land shall be married{to Him enjoying His blessing & protection}. For as a young man marries a virgin, so your sons will marry you; And as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride, so your God will rejoice over you. -Isa 62:4-5
• He will quiet{sooth, renew} us with His love; He blesses His people with His strength and peace
  The LORD your God in your midst, The Mighty One, will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness{joy, pleasure, glee}, He will quiet{sooth, renew} you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing. -Zeph 3:17 

  …The LORD gives strength to His people; the LORD blesses His people with peace. -Ps 29:11

  …When a man’s ways are pleasing to the LORD, He makes even his enemies to be at peace with him. -Prov 16:7

• He rescues us from our enemies bringing us to an enlarged pasture
  He also brought me out into a broad place{enlarged, roomy pasture}; He delivered{rescued, equipped, strengthened} me because He delighted in me. -Ps 18:19 

  …By this I know that You are pleased with me, because my enemy does not shout in triumph over me. -Ps 41:11

Exactly what makes the Lord delight in us? What is pleasing in His sight?

• Those who fear Him and hope in His mercy
  The LORD takes pleasure in those who fear Him, in those who hope in His mercy. -Ps 147:11 

  ..Behold, the Lord’s eye is upon those who fear Him [who revere and worship Him with awe], who wait for Him and hope in His mercy and loving-kindness. -Ps 33:18 AMP

• Those who are upright in heart, whose walk is blameless
  The LORD detests men of perverse heart but He delights in those whose ways are blameless{upright, without blemish, sincere}. -Prov 11:20 

  ..I know also, my God, that You test the heart and have pleasure in uprightness{integrity, purity, sincerity}. As for me, in the uprightness of my heart I have willingly offered all these things; and now with joy I have seen Your people, who are present here to offer willingly to You. -1 Chr 29:17

  ..He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God. -Mic 6:8

• Those who have faith and earnestly seek Him
  And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him. -Heb 11:6 

  ..… the LORD is with you when you are with Him and if you seek Him, He will let you find Him; but if you forsake Him, He will forsake you. -2 Chr 15:2

  ..You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart. -Jer 29:13

• Those with gentle and quiet spirits
  Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewellery and fine clothes. Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle{humble, yielding wholly relying on the Lord} and quiet{tranquil, at peace, steadfast} spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight. -1 Pe 3:3-4
• Those who are faithful, obedient and know God
  For I delight in faithfulness, not simply in sacrifice; I delight in the knowledge of God, not simply in burnt offerings. -Hos 6:6 

  ..But Samuel replied: “Does the LORD delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the voice of the LORD? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams. -1 Sam 15:22

  ..The eyes of the LORD search the whole earth in order to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to Him. -2 Chr 16:9


Psalm 112:1 … Praise the LORD. Blessed is the man who fears the LORD, who finds great delight in His commands.

Psalm 86:11-12 … Teach me Your way, O LORD; I will walk in Your truth; Unite my heart to fear Your name. I will praise You, O Lord my God, with all my heart, and I will glorify Your name forevermore.

From NetBible Ps 112:1; Ps 86:11, a heart that fears[03372] the Lord, stands in reverent awe, honour,  and respect of the Lord. A heart that fears the Lord obeys the Lord with great delight. A heart united[03161] to fear the Lord’s name is a heart fully committed and surrendered to the Lord’s will. The word unite here means to become one with.

Psalm 111:10 … The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; A good understanding have all those who do His commandments; His praise endures forever.

Proverbs 7:1-2 … My son{child}, keep my words, and treasure my commands within you. Keep my commandments and live, and my teaching as the apple of your eye{as your most prized possession}.

To be pleasing in the Lord’s sight and ‘kept as the apple of His eye’, we must treasure and keep His words as ‘the apple of our eye’ – our most prized possession. From NetBible Isa 11:3 delight in the fear of the Lord, whole hearted obedience, is as pleasing to the Lord as incense. It is the Lord’s delight to accept a fully committed heart as a ‘fragrant’ offering of worship.

Ephesians 5:1-2 … Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children; and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma{sweet incense}.

It’s this ‘uniting’ of hearts to fear the Lord, this sweet incense, that brings forth His praise. And His praise endures forever!

Revelation 19:5-9  … Then a voice came from the throne, saying: “Praise our God, all you His servants, you who fear Him, both small and great!” … Then I heard what sounded like a great multitude, like the roar of rushing waters and like loud peals of thunder, shouting: “Hallelujah! For our Lord God Almighty reigns. Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready. Fine linen, bright and clean, was given her to wear.” (Fine linen stands for the righteous acts of the saints.) … Then the angel said to me, “Write: ‘Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!’

Beautiful in His sight
Held in His gaze
The apple of His eye
Sheltered -Ps 91:1
Covered beneath His wings -Ps 17:8; Prv 7:1-2
Treasured and greatly desired
His delight -Ps 45:11; Ps 147:11

Is the heart which
… Wholeheartedly bows down in delight before the King.

A sweet incense
A living sacrifice -Eph 5:1-2; Rom 12:1-2
Delight in the fear of the LORD
Delight in the Word -Ps 119:16; Mt 4:4
Savor the wonder and awe of the Kings presence
Upheld in His mighty right hand
Fullness of joy
Forevermore. -Isa 41:10; Ps 16:11

Hebrews 13:20-21 (NKJV) … May the God of peace … the great Shepherd of the sheep … make you complete in every good work to do His will, working in you what is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.

I trust in Him
There’s an incense so sweet.

These two lines are the turning point from my poem ‘I Am Helped’ in the article ‘From the Depths to the Heights’. They really have intrigued my heart this month. Just what is this incense so sweet? Is it trust in the Lord? The Lord Himself? Where does this incense come from? Where does it lead?

From the NetBible Incense is a substance that produces a fragrant odor when burned. It was associated with offering a pleasing sacrifice to the Lord and was to consist of four ingredients finely ground, pure and holy, to be set before the ark of the testimony in the tent of the meeting(Ex 30:34-36). This incense was to be offered daily on the golden altar{the altar of incense} in the holy place, and on the great day of atonement it was burnt by the high priest in the holy of holies(Ex 30:7-8). This immediately made me think of  Jesus Christ, the perfect offering, the spotless Lamb, a living sacrifice pleasing to God; a sweet smelling savour.

Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children; and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma. -Eph 5:1-2

From the Netbible Eph 5:2 the word for offering[4376], is a sacrifice for sin, and the word for fragrant[2175], means a sweet smell, incense. Incense – the smell of a pleasing sacrifice to God! Jesus was a pleasing sacrifice, a sweet smelling offering – as incense when it is burned before the Lord. Jesus, an incense so sweet, burning before the Lord; a sin offering for each of us given in perfect love!

He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. -2 Cor 5:21

We are only able to become the fragrance of Christ, a sweet incense acceptable and pleasing to God, because Jesus bore our sins for us.

Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the aroma of His knowledge in every place. For we are to God the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing; To the one we are the aroma of death leading to death, and to the other the aroma of life leading to life. And who is sufficient for these things? -2 Cor 2:14-16

The fragrance of Christ is the fragrance of life among those being saved, but the aroma of death among those who are perishing. I’d never thought of this before: Christ’s sacrifice seems to emit an aroma which is either pleasing and accepted or displeasing and rejected. The Netbible 2 Cor 2:14 confirms this, the word for aroma[3744] has the idea of emitting an odor; a smell that is either good or bad. This idea of an offering emitting a smell that is good or bad, pleasing or displeasing, accepted or rejected led to the following verses.

I hate, I reject your festivals, Nor do I delight in your solemn assemblies. -Amos 5:21 NASB

I hate, I reject your feast days, and I will not smell in your solemn assemblies. -Amos 5:21 KJV

Then the dove came to him in the evening, and behold, a freshly plucked olive leaf was in her mouth; and Noah knew that the waters had receded from the earth. … Then Noah built an altar to the LORD, and took of every clean animal and of every clean bird, and offered burnt offerings on the altar. The LORD smelled the soothing aroma{sweet savour}; and the LORD said to Himself, “I will never again curse the ground on account of man, for the intent of man’s heart is evil from his youth; and I will never again destroy every living thing, as I have done. -Gen 8:11, 20-21

From the Netbible Amos 5:21 the word for smell[07306](ruwach) in the KJV is very interesting. It means to smell, accept or delight. The word ‘ruwach’ comes from a primitive root ruah[2131] and means to breathe an odor. It is closely linked to ruah[2131a] the word for wind and Spirit. So here the Lord will not accept, delight in, breathe in or smell the Israelite worship.

On the other hand, Noah’s offering was a sweet, soothing aroma to the Lord. The word for smell[07306] here is the same as in Amos 5:21. Not only did the Lord smell, breathe in, accept and delight in Noah’s offering; the offering was soothing.  From the Netbible Gen 8:21, soothing[05207] means sweet, quieting, tranquillising and comes from the root word nuah[1323] which means rest or resting place. Is it a coincidence that Noah[05146] also means rest and comes from the same root word nuah[1323]? Or that Noah’s altar was the first altar we read of in the Bible?

The smell of Noah’s sacrifice quieted God’s wrath and produced tranquility! God not only ‘inhaled’ the pleasing, soothing scent, He breathed it out. Noah’s offering, the whole burnt offering represented his complete surrender and dedication to the Lord. The offering was thought to be consumed and accepted by God as it ascended with the sweet smelling smoke. Noah’s offering, his complete surrender and dedication produced a sweet fragrance breathed in by God. His altar provided a resting place where God breathed out the fragrance of tranquility and peace. How beautiful that the dove carrying an olive branch is also part of this passage!

The Holy Spirit descended upon Jesus in bodily form like a dove(Mt 3:16; Mk 1:10; Lk 3:22; Jn 1:32) and rested on Him. How beautiful that the dove the symbol for peace and rest seems to be associated with the fragrance of a pleasing sacrifice.

An incense so sweet, Jesus
The fragrance of a pleasing sacrifice, the spotless Lamb
The fragrance of life and love
The fragrance of complete devotion and surrender
The sweet fragrance of the dove.

Both the Bridegroom and the bride are compared to doves(Song 1:15, 5:12). Notice in the following where the bride is called ‘My dove’ by the Bridegroom there is also a fragrance given forth.

“My beloved responded and said to me,
‘Arise, my darling, my beautiful one, and come along.
‘For behold, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone.
‘The flowers have already appeared in the land;
The time has arrived for pruning the vines,
And the voice of the turtledove has been heard in our land.
‘The fig tree has ripened its figs,
and the vines in blossom have given forth their fragrance.
Arise, my darling, my beautiful one, and come along!’”
“O my dove, in the clefts of the rock,
in the secret place of the steep pathway,
Let me see your form, Let me hear your voice;
For your voice is sweet, and your form is lovely.”  -Song 2:10-14

The Beloved to Her Lover:
Let us rise early and go to the vineyards; Let us see whether the vine has budded{flourished} and its blossoms have opened, and whether the pomegranates have bloomed. There I will give you my love. -Song 7:12

From Netbible Song 7:12 the word for budded[06524] paints a beautiful picture of this place of fragrance where the bride gives the Bridegroom her love! Budded means to break forth, to bloom; we saw from Song 2:13 that a fragrance is released as this happens. This is a beautiful picture of a flower opening, unfolding, releasing a sweet, soothing fragrance pleasing to the Lord. The Bridegroom longs for this unfolding, this release, this opening of the complete surrender of His bride’s heart.

The Beloved about Her Lover:
I was asleep but my heart was awake. A voice! My beloved was knocking:

The Lover to His Beloved:
‘Open to me, my sister, my darling, My dove, my perfect one! For my head is drenched with dew, My locks with the damp of the night.’ -Song 5:2

Looking closer at this word, budded[06524], it not only gives the image of a fragrant flower opening wide, it also means to fly as the extending of wings! The image of the dove, the bride,  extending her wings anticipating flight! Flight to her home, her place of shelter and rest, flight to the place where she gives her Bridegroom her love.

Who are these who fly like a cloud and like the doves to their lattices{roost, home}? -Isa 60:8

The Beloved about Her Lover:
My beloved is like a gazelle or a young stag. Behold, he is standing behind our wall, He is looking through the windows, He is showing Himself through the lattice. -Song 2:9

Oh, that I had wings like a dove! I would fly away and be at rest. -Ps 55:6

This is really beautiful! Can you hear the longing of both the Bridegroom and the bride for each other? So is it any surprise that the word for showing[06692] Himself, means to shine, to blossom, put forth blossoms, or produce blossoms? How strong is your desire to worship Jesus? Are you willing to worship at His feet with your whole heart and being, even when it appears foolish?

____________________________________________________________
John 12:1-7
Six days before the Passover, Jesus arrived at Bethany, where Lazarus lived, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. Here a dinner was given in Jesus’ honor. Martha served, while Lazarus was among those reclining at the table with him. Then Mary took about a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus’ feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. But one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, who was later to betray him, objected, “Why wasn’t this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a year’s wages.” He did not say this because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief; as keeper of the money bag, he used to help himself to what was put into it. “Leave her alone,” Jesus replied. ” It was intended that she should save this perfume for the day of my burial. You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me.”
____________________________________________________________

Mary was not afraid to express her love for Jesus, even midst the critics who viewd this act as waste. Jesus was her only focus. In Mark’s account, Jesus said … “She has done a beautiful thing to me” (Mk 14:6). Jesus saw her heart, a heart completely devoted to Him. Mary’s worship was intense - the oil was more than a years wages. Jesus saw the desire in Mary’s heart to express her love of her Redeemer. This desire of Mary’s heart, a completely devoted heart, was of more value to Jesus than all the expensive perfume in the world. Her act of worship released a beautiful fragrance which filled the whole house and touched not only Christ’s heart and the hearts of those present but also the hearts of those to come in the future. Truly I say to you, wherever the gospel is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be spoken of  in memory of her(Mk 14:9). This is the kind of heart the Lord is searching and longing for.  A heart full of the fragrance of love and devotion to Jesus; this is the heart Jesus promises to meet upon the ‘mountains of spices’, midst the smell of a pleasing sacrifice, an incense so sweet.

The Lover to His Beloved:
Until the day breaks and the shadows flee, I will go to the mountain of myrrh and to the hill of incense. -Song 4:6

The Maidens to the Beloved:
Where has your beloved gone, O most beautiful among women? Where has your beloved turned{to face, appear}, That we may seek him with you?

The Beloved to the Maidens:
My beloved has gone down to His garden, To the beds of balsam{spice, sweet smell, perfume}, To pasture his flock in the gardens and gather lilies.

The Beloved about Her Lover:
I am my beloved’s and my beloved is mine, He who pastures his flock among the lilies. -Song 6:1-3

An incense so sweet, Jesus
The fragrance of a pleasing sacrifice, the spotless Lamb
The fragrance of life and love
The fragrance of complete devotion and surrender
The sweet fragrance of the doves.

Sweet blossoms opening pouring forth complete devotion
Among the lilies
An incense so sweet
Complete surrender
A living breathing sacrifice.

Oh my beloved, upon the mountains of spices,
Make Haste! -Song 8:14

For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is fully committed to Him … -2 Chr 16:9

Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living{breathing} sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. -Rom 12:1

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Related:
The Heart of a Dove
The Fragrance of the Dove
Arise Beautiful One{Blossom}
Among The Lilies

Psalm 28:7 AMP   The Lord is my Strength and my [impenetrable] Shield; my heart trusts in, relies on, and confidently leans on Him, and I am helped; therefore my heart greatly rejoices, and with my song will I praise(thank) Him.

I Am Helped
Karen Holland … 2-20-2010

A heart heavy with sorrow
Overwhelmed
Kneels.

Bowed before His throne
At His feet
My heart yields.

I trust in Him
There’s an incense so sweet.

My grateful heart sings
I lift up my eyes and see
My Savior! Lord Jesus!
My strength, my song, my shield!

Have you ever experienced a turning point like this? Where in a moment your heart seems to be strengthened and lifted from the depths of sorrow to the heights of joy? Psalm 28 and the above verse really encouraged me in the midst of my trials when my heart was overwhelmed and fainting. David knew this feeling; a feeling of being overwhelmed to the point of death. Hear his cry and look what he does.

Psalm 28:1-2 To You I will cry, O LORD my Rock: do not be silent to me, lest, if You are silent to me, I become like those who go down to the pit. Hear the voice of my supplications when I cry to You, when I lift up my hands toward Your holy sanctuary.

David cries out to the Lord his Rock. He knows his protection and safety lie in the Lord. He knows that in his own strength his heart will faint. He knows that he needs the Lord’s strength to carry him through this trial. So David cries out to the Lord. He also lifts up his hands towards the Lord’s holy sanctuary. From the Netbible Psalms 28:2 lifting up hands towards the holy sanctuary towards the place where God dwells is a gesture of prayer. Here in this verse it seems to go with David’s cry for help and mercy from the Lord. Hands here seem to express David’s desperate need for the Lord to respond. The following verses are very similar.

Psalm 143:6-8 I spread out my hands to You; My soul longs for You like a thirsty land. Selah. Answer me speedily, O LORD; My spirit fails! Do not hide Your face from me, lest I be like those who go down into the pit. Cause me to hear Your lovingkindness in the morning, for in You do I trust; Cause me to know the way in which I should walk, for I lift up my soul to You.

Hands lifted up, spread out towards the Lord seem to be an outward expression of a soul stretched out to touch the Lord or come into His presence.

Lamentations 3:40-41 AMP   Let us test and examine our ways, and let us return to the Lord! Let us lift up our hearts and our hands [and then with them mount up in prayer] to God in heaven.

We need to lift up clean hands and pure hearts before we can come into the Lord’s presence.

Psalm 24:3-5  Who shall go up into the mountain of the Lord? Or who shall stand in His Holy Place?

He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who has not lifted himself up to falsehood or to what is false, nor sworn deceitfully. He shall receive blessing from the Lord and righteousness from the God of his salvation.

Lets look back at Psalm 28. In verse 7 David seems to have been helped. Verses 1-5 seem to be David lifting up his hands, heart and requests imploring the Lord to have mercy and help. Look at verse 6.

Psalm 28:6 Blessed[01288] be the Lord, because He has heard the voice of my supplications.

David praises the Lord because he has faith that the Lord has heard him and will answer. David’s heart trusts in the Lord and he is helped. His heart greatly rejoices and praises the Lord in song. David’s faith seems to be a turning point in this psalm. Blessing the Lord also seems to be a turning point. Here to bless the Lord, is the word barak[01288], which means to kneel, praise, adore. It is the same word used in the following verses.

Psalm 134:2 Lift up your hands to the sanctuary and bless[01288] the LORD.

Psalm 63:4 So I will bless[01288] You as long as I live; I will lift up my hands in Your name.

Hands lifted toward the Lord are not only a gesture of prayer; they are also lifted to bless Him. This really encouraged me!

Look at the turning point in this psalm again. Changing from the lifting of hands in prayer to blessing the Lord in faith seems to have lifted David from the depths(going down to the pit) to the heights(his heart greatly rejoicing). David’s heart greatly rejoicing, this thought caused me to look back at verse 7, at the word for praise. Here is what I found:

From NetBible Psalm 28:7:
*praise: [03034]yadah
To revere or worship with extended hands
The giving of oneself in worship and adoration – absolute surrender.

The word yadah for praise in verse 7 is a picture of absolute surrender – trust and of hands extended in worship to the LORD. It also seems to be linked with confessing, acknowledging and knowing the LORD.

From NetBible Psalm 138:1;Psalm 138:2

Psalm 138:1-2 AMP    I WILL confess and praise[03034] You [O God] with my whole heart; before the gods will I sing praises to You. I will worship toward Your holy temple and praise[03034] Your name for Your loving-kindness and for Your truth and faithfulness; for You have exalted above all else Your name and Your word and You have magnified Your word above all Your name{Your promises are backed by all the honor of Your name.}!

Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge[03045] Him, and He shall direct your paths.

From NetBible Proverbs 3:6

*acknowledge: [03045]yada
Heb “know him.” The verb יָדַע (yadah, “to know”) includes mental awareness of who God is and the consequential submission to his lordship. To know him is to obey him. The sage is calling for a life of trust and obedience in which the disciple sees the Lord in every event and relies on him. To acknowledge the Lord in every event means trusting and obeying him for guidance in right conduct.

So today if you find yourself sinking with your strength growing faint, cry out to the Lord, lift up your hands, your heart, and your soul. Bless the LORD, trust Him with your whole heart, acknowledging His name with the sacrifice of praise. You will be helped, and lifted from the depths to the heights.

Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that confess{acknowledge, give thanks to} His name. -Heb 13:15

Where do you go when you are in need of strength? What do you do when your heart is broken over what seems to be an impossible promise from the LORD? Or when the LORD appears to ask you to do something which negates this promise? Where would you find the strength to obey? If you’ve ever been in a situation like this you know the pressure that a test like this can exert on your faith.

Abraham found himself in this place of testing when the Lord asked him to sacrifice Isaac in Genesis 22:1-14.

Now it came to pass after these things that God tested Abraham, and said to him, “Abraham!”
And he said, “Here I am.”
2 Then He said, “Take now your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.” -Gen 22:1-2

Remember the Lord’s promise to Abraham? He was promised descendants as numerous as the stars (Gen 15:3-6). Imagine how Abraham felt, how could he sacrifice his only son? How would God then fulfill His promise? Abraham became a father in his old age and now God wants to take his son. This doesn’t make sense. Yet Abraham was obedient and did what contradicted logic (Gen 21:2; Heb 11:17-19). But where did Abraham find the strength to obey? Put yourself in his shoes, where would you find the strength?

The following really encouraged me! Look what Abraham does before he goes to sacrifice Isaac his only son.

Genesis 22:4-5 On the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes and saw the place{ Mt. Moriah} from a distance. Abraham said to his young men, “Stay here with the donkey, and I and the lad will go over there; and we will worship and return to you.”

Lifting up your eyes to the Lord is a prerequisite to ‘seeing’.

Abraham lifted up his eyes and saw Mount Moriah, the place where he was going to sacrifice Isaac, the place where they went to meet with the Lord. After Abraham lifts his eyes and sees, he worships the Lord in this place.

The word for worship here is the same idea expressed in the following phrase ‘Kiss the Son’.

Psalm 2:11-12 Worship the LORD with reverence(fear) and rejoice with trembling. Kiss(do homage to) the Son, that He not become angry, and you perish in the way; For His wrath may soon be kindled. How blessed are all who take refuge in Him!

It’s after Abraham worships the Lord in this way that He finds the strength to obey the Lord and sacrifice Isaac. He knew that the Lord would provide! Abraham had faith and ‘saw’ with his spiritual eyes the Lord’s provision before it actually happened.

Genesis 22:8 Abraham said, “God will provide(see to it[07200]) for Himself the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.” So the two of them walked on together.

Genesis 22:14 Abraham called the name of that place The LORD Will Provide(Jehovah-jireh = “Jehovah sees”[03070]), as it is said to this day, “In the mount of the LORD it will be provided(it shall be seen[07200]) .”

Jehovah-Jireh, the Lord sees and will provide; –> God will provide for himself a lamb. The idea is that the Lord ‘sees’ the need before it arises and then provides for it. Not only did the Lord foresee Abraham’s need for a lamb but even more significantly He foresaw mankind’s need for the Lamb of God, Jesus(Jn 1:29).

Abraham lifted up his eyes and saw the place – Mount Moriah! A place of sacrifice; a place of obedience and worship; a place of rejoicing; a place of provision; a place of knowing and ‘seeing’ the Lord move.

Psalm 121:1 AMP I WILL lift up my eyes to the hills [around Jerusalem, to sacred Mount Zion and Mount Moriah]–From whence shall my help come?

From my article Lift Up Your Eyes:
The Psalmist by saying I lift up my eyes to the hills{ Mount Zion and Mount Moriah} is actually saying to focus on the Lord’s dwelling place, majesty and presence and to remember Jesus the Lamb of God, His blood sacrifice. It’s only by the blood of the Lamb, Jesus, that we can come into the presence of a Holy God and know where our help comes from – the Maker of heaven and earth, the Sovereign Lord.

We found a similar thing in the ideas of Psalm 121,123 and Psalm 46:10. Lifting up your eyes to the King and knowing where your help/strength comes from is intimately connected to worship – reverent fear, obedience, and rejoicing. From Hebrews 4 and Psalm 95: sing and shout for joy to the LORD our Maker! Come before His presence with thanksgiving. Enter His rest as a sheep of His hand with the people of His pasture. How blessed are all who take refuge in Him!

Psalm 100:2-3 AMP Serve the Lord with gladness! Come before His presence with singing! Know (perceive, recognize, and understand with approval) that the Lord is God!

Abraham’s journey of lifting up his eyes, worshipping and in obedience sacrificing Isaac is a journey that can be seen in those who ‘follow the Lamb wherever he goes’; those with clean hands and a pure heart.

Psalm 24:3-4 AMP Who shall go up into the mountain of the Lord? Or who shall stand in His Holy Place?
He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who has not lifted himself up to falsehood or to what is false, nor sworn deceitfully.

From my article Ascending Mount Zion:
Zion is the place that the Lamb stands midst ‘the ones who follow wherever He leads’. Zion is the place where the Lord dwells, the city of God, the holy mountain. … When the Lord is enthroned on the praises of His people, He dwells in their midst. God’s throne, His dwelling place, Zion, encircled by those singing a new song, it’s here in this atmosphere of praise that the Lamb stands in the center of the throne high and lifted up. … The Lamb at the center of the throne ties all these things together, worship, salvation, the river of life, Zion, the holy place where the Most High dwells. How appropriate that it would be the Lamb that leads, for Jesus the Lamb of God paid the price for us all. Jesus the Lamb of God is the reason that there is a free gift of the water of life.

It’s the Lamb that holds the key to entering this place of worship encircling the throne.

Revelation 7:17 For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; He will lead them to springs of living water. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.

The Lamb leads to the center of the throne, to the city of God where the Most High dwells and to the River of Life.

So today if you need strength, lift up your eyes to the King. Come up into the mount of the Lord thru worship. Come before His throne with singing! Follow the Lamb to springs of living water and drink in His mercy and grace. He will wipe away every tear …

for “In the Mount of The LORD it shall be provided{seen}. -Gen 24:14″

The joy of the LORD is your strength -Neh 8:10!

__________

Lord of the Mountain
By Michael Hart
Copyright © 2000 Soulkeeper Music
All Rights Reserved

LORD OF THE MOUNTAIN
LORD OF THE SEA
LORD OF THE STARRY NIGHT
GLORIOUS MYSTERY

LORD OF THE AGES
SON WHO WAS RAISED
HEAVEN DECLARES YOUR JOY
FOREVER YOU’LL BE PRAISED

I will go up, to the mountain of the Lord
Drink of the spring, from the Saviour of my soul
Come let us bow, to our Maker and our God
Cling to the cleft, of our refuge and our rock

Chorus:

I will go up, to the mountain of the Lord
Find wings again, on the eagle of His word
Come let us fly, to the glory of the Son
Stand on the rock, resting on the work He’s done

Psalm 23:5 You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.

The overflowing cup; a cup completely filled up, running over and pouring forth. Rivers of living water flowing out from deep within (Jn 7:37-39). Pouring forth from a heart that has received Jesus Christ as the Word of truth; a heart marked and sealed with the oil of the Holy Spirit (Eph 1:13-14). A heart that knows how to drink deeply from the well of salvation(Isa 12:3) in the shadow of the Almighty’s wings.

Psalm 36:7-9 How precious is Your lovingkindness, O God! And the children of men take refuge in the shadow of Your wings. They are abundantly satisfied with the fullness of Your house, and You give them drink from the river of Your pleasures{delights}. For with You is the fountain of life; In Your light we see light.

Psalm 23:5 and this image of the overflowing cup being filled and pouring forth living water in abundance was on my heart recently. It inspired me to see a beautiful clear cup being filled and running over with splashing blue water which drenches anything that is near. Part of the reason this cup splashes over is because the water is poured on to a dove that is already in the cup. Like Psalm 23, there was a sense that the promise of the overflowing cup was not only for the present, but also for the future and forever.

This made me think about my cup overflowing and pouring forth. My cup can only overflow and pour forth after receiving Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior thru the Holy Spirit. My cup can continue to pour forth in the future and forever only thru the Holy Spirit. My cup overflows and pours out only because Jesus Christ poured himself out first.

Isaiah 53:12 Therefore, I will allot Him a portion with the great, and He will divide the booty with the strong; Because He *poured out Himself to death, and was numbered with the transgressors; Yet He Himself bore the sin of many, and interceded for the transgressors.

Philippians 2:5-11, 17 Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, 7 but made Himself of no reputation{emptied, poured out Himself}, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. 9 Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, 11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. … But even if I am being poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I rejoice and share my joy with you all.

Jesus Christ poured out as a drink offering!

Psalm 116:12-17 What shall I render to the LORD for all His benefits toward me{all He has poured out on me}? I will lift up the cup of salvation{deliverance} and call on the name of the LORD. I will fulfil my vows to the LORD in the presence of all His people. Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints. O LORD, truly I am your servant; I am your servant, the son of your maidservant; you have freed me from my chains. To You I shall offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving, and call upon the name of the LORD.

The overflowing cup, pouring forth, I never realized before that this image represents the pouring out of a drink offering! From the above psalm this pouring out of a drink offering was part of a thank offering.

To take the cup offered at a banquet and drink was a sign of thanksgiving! This is especially significant in regards to Psalm 23:5-6. For it’s at these verses that the imagery of the Good Shepherd turns into the gracious host who has prepared a feast for honored guests. The Shepherd prepares the table as the host of a banquet and invites the sheep as honored guests to come. The Lord, a God of abundant provision prepares a royal banquet! The table prepared in the presence of enemies may reflect the custom that a person could not be attacked while eating in another’s tent/house. You are safe from your enemies while eating in God’s dwelling!

It was also a custom to anoint guests at feasts. Honored guests were anointed with perfumed oil. The anointing oil when mixed with perfume refreshed and revived the guest. It was applied to the face, head and hair of the guest. For the rest of the feast that person would then smell the sweet perfume. It was a way of welcoming the honored guest to let them know that they were cared for and loved.

The cup running over speaks of abundance and drinking one’s fill at the Lord’s table. The picture of the Lord as host filling the honored guest’s cup to overflowing also has a custom behind it. When you came to a person’s house (even if a stranger) you were offered a cup of wine or water along with a meal. As long as the cup was being refilled you were welcome to stay; if the cup remained empty it was time to go. If the host enjoyed your company and decided that you could stay as long as you liked, the cup would be filled to the rim and overflow. This overflowing cup was only offered to special guests because in the desert you just don’t waste water or wine. So the Lord as host, by offering the overflowing cup is saying, stay as long as you want, I have an abundant supply of wine, oil and bread to meet your needs both now and forever.

Psalm 104:15 [The Lord provides] wine that makes glad the heart of man, oil to make his face shine, and bread which strengthens man’s heart.

By drinking the cup offered, the cup of salvation, the honored guest was giving a sign of thanks; a thank offering for all Christ has poured out for us. This sacrifice of thanksgiving is only possible after the honored guest drinks the cup of salvation offered! This realization made me take an even closer look at the drink offering. The drink offering is part of the thank offering and also part of the burnt offering making a sweet aroma to the LORD.

Numbers 15:3-5 ‘and you make an offering by fire to the LORD, a burnt offering or a sacrifice, to fulfill a vow or as a freewill offering or in your appointed feasts, to make a sweet aroma to the LORD, from the herd or the flock, ‘then he who presents his offering to the LORD shall bring a grain offering of one–tenth of an ephah of fine flour mixed with one–fourth of a hin of oil; ‘and one–fourth of a hin of wine as a drink offering you shall prepare with the burnt offering or the sacrifice, for each lamb.

The drink offering is poured out on the burnt offering along with the grain offering mixed with oil. Lambs were used as burnt offerings. Jesus as our Passover Lamb (1 Cor 5:7) is a picture of a burnt offering. Jesus seen in both the drink offering and the burnt offering! Just what do these three offerings: the drink, the burnt and the grain mixed with oil represent? This question made me think of John 6 where Jesus talks about His body and blood. When Jesus says“my flesh is real{true} food and my blood is real{true} drink” (Jn 6:55) it’s a picture of His blood as a drink offering (Phil 2:17; 2 Tim 4:6) and His body as a grain offering; the wine and the bread mixed with the oil of the Holy Spirit!

The overflowing cup, pouring forth in abundance, because Christ first drank the cup His Father set before Him(Mt 26:42;Lk 22:20;1 Cor 11:25). It’s only because of Christ’s sacrifice that we can have communion with Him and with each other. Because of Christ’s sacrifice we can drink, be filled and pour forth from the cup of salvation; a cup of joy.

1 Corinthians 10:4, 16-17 … and all drank the same spiritual drink, for they were drinking from a spiritual rock which followed them; and the rock was Christ. … Is not the cup of thanksgiving for which we give thanks a participation in the blood of Christ? And is not the bread that we break a participation in the body of Christ? 17Because there is one loaf, we, who are many, are one body, for we all partake of the one loaf.

How beautiful is the cup of salvation lifted up; a cup overflowing with thanksgiving for all Christ has and is pouring out on us. Blood poured out from the broken body of the spotless Passover Lamb. Spiritual drink, spiritual food offered and consumed in the presence of His people. Living water flowing in abundance from the Rock(1 Cor 10:3-4; Ex 17:6; Num 20:11; Ps 78:15 ) Sing to the well, the well of your salvation, with the rod of your mouth strike the Rock that it may yield it’s living water for all who are thirsty to drink(Num 21:16-18;Num 20:8;Isa 11:1-4;Rev 22:17)!

Drink from the cup of salvation, be filled from the river of delights; the fountain of life. Let your cup of joy run over and over flow!
Pour forth!(Ps 51:15)

Hebrews 13:15 Through Him{Jesus} then, let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that give thanks to His name.

John 16:24 LB You haven’t tried this before, but begin now. Ask, using my name, and you will receive, and your cup of joy will overflow.

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Psalm 121:1-2    I lift up my eyes to the hills — where does my help come from? My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth.

Psalm 46:10-11    Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” The LORD Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah

Recently I felt as if the Lord was telling me to “lift up my eyes and be still”. I also had an image to go with this of a beautiful  blue lake completely calm, with snow capped mountains in the background. I knew that this was from the above scriptures. Then the  idea came that in order to be still, completely calm you have to know where your help comes from. You have to know that Jesus Christ is your Lord, the Lord of all.

• Know your help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth. -Ps 121:2 
• Know that NOTHING is too hard for the Sovereign LORD, for His great power and outstretched arm! -Jere 32:17
• Know that the Lord is good, His love and mercy never fail. -! -Ps 106:1
• Know that the One who calls you is faithful and He will do it. -1 Thess 5:24
• Know that the Lord who never sleeps watches over you. -Ps 121

This prompted me to take a closer look at these scriptures. The first thing I wondered is why the psalmist says I lift up my eyes to the “hills” instead of to the “Lord”. From the Netbible hills [02022]: we find that the majesty, height and power of the mountains reaching up to the heavens above the clouds led people to associate these hills or mountains with gods. So to say to look to the hills or mountains is another way to say to look to the power and majesty of the gods — but this idea doesn’t really specify which God? The amplified version shed more light on this.

Psalm 121:1 AMP    I WILL lift up my eyes to the hills [around Jerusalem, to sacred Mount Zion and Mount Moriah]–From whence shall my help come?

The psalmist was saying to look to specific hills/mountains; Mount Zion and Moriah.

These are not just any hills that the psalmist is looking up to, these hills are closely associated with the Lord Most High, the Maker of heaven and earth! Zion is the Lord’s chosen dwelling place forever, the place where He is enthroned.

Psalm 132:13-14   For the LORD has chosen Zion; He has desired it for His dwelling place: “This is My resting place forever; Here I will dwell, for I have desired it”.

Psalm 2:6   I have installed My King on My holy hill of Zion.

Psalm 9:11   Sing praises to the LORD, enthroned in Zion; proclaim among the nations what he has done.

Mount Moriah is where Abraham offered up Isaac, his only true beloved son, as a sacrifice to the Lord(Gen 22:1-19). Here the Lord himself provides the lamb for sacrifice. This points to the sacrifice of Jesus as the Lamb of God(Jn 1:29,36), God’s only beloved Son(Jn 3:16; Mt 3:17, 17:5).

Wow! The Psalmist by saying I lift up my eyes to the hills{ Mount Zion and Mount Moriah} is actually saying to focus on the Lord’s dwelling place, majesty and  presence and to remember Jesus the Lamb of God, His blood sacrifice. It’s only by the blood of the Lamb, Jesus,  that we can come into the presence of a Holy God and know where our help comes from – the Maker of heaven and earth, the Sovereign Lord. So Psalm 121:1-2 and Psalm 123:1-2 are actually saying similar things.

Psalm 123:1-2   To You I *lift up my eyes, O You who are enthroned in the heavens! Behold, as the eyes of servants look to the hand of their masters; As the eyes of a maid to the hand of her mistress; So our eyes look to the LORD our God, until He has mercy on us.

Lift up your eyes and look to the Sovereign Lord who is enthroned in the heavens. There is no higher place to look than to the Lord, Most High. Behold, as a servant looks to their master, for direction, service, devotion, dependence, shelter, food, defense and mercy. Servants in David’s time looked so intently on their masters that they could read their slightest movement. The servants watched their master’s eye and hand to know and do his will. A perfect illustration of how we ought to wait upon our Lord, anxious to do His will. This image expresses complete dependence and humility. The eye of a servant of the Lord, fixed on Him, waits, hopes and is patient looking only to the Lord Most High for direction, help and mercy.

All this attention on the eye prompted me to look up the meaning of *lift up [05375]. In hebrew it means: I magnify, exalt, extol, desire, long and , marry my eyes. How beautiful: To You I *marry my eyes, O You who are enthroned in the heavens!  

Song 4:1, 1:15    How beautiful you are, my darling, How beautiful you are! Your eyes are like doves behind your veil;

Song 5:12    His eyes are like doves beside streams of water, bathed in milk, and reposed in their setting.

Both the bride and the bridegroom have the eyes of a dove. When a dove fixes its gaze upon its mate, it is not distracted by any activities around it. It possesses a singleness of eye for its mate alone.  

Matthew 6:22-23   The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is *single{good}, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light that is in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!

The meaning of *single [573] also has the idea being weaved or braided together, an intimate union like marriage. Its from this place of union, of marrying her eyes like a dove on the King that the bride can be easily led by Christ, for she is close enough to see which way His eye is looking. 

Psalm 32:8 (NKJV)   I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will guide you with My eye.

Look what happens when the single eye of the dove is on the King, the whole body is filled with light! Do you know that *lift up [05375] is the same word used in the following? 

Psalm 4:6   There are many who say, “Who will show us any good?” LORD, *lift up the light of Your countenance{smile} upon us.

And when the whole body is full of light in the presence of the LORD, there is fullness of joy (-Ps 16:11). The irrepressible joy that comes from beholding the Lord with a single eye, the eye of His dove. The result of lifting up your eyes, marrying your eyes to the King? You will greatly rejoice with unspeakable joy full of glory. Do you think it’s a coincidence that this type of exaltation also follows ‘be still and know’? Be still does not necessarily mean to be silent. From the NASB it means to cease striving, to be at rest. And how do we enter His rest? From Hebrews 4 and Psalm 95: sing and shout for joy to the LORD our Maker! Come before His presence with thanksgiving. Enter His rest as a sheep of His hand with the people of His pasture.

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Lift up your eyes to the King and be still.
Greatly rejoice in the Lord our God
With joy unspeakable and full of glory
He will be exalted among the nations, He will be exalted in the earth.
The LORD Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah
 

Psalm 97:11 AMP   Light is sown for the [uncompromisingly] righteous and strewn along their pathway, and joy for the upright in heart [the irrepressible joy which comes from consciousness of His favor and protection]. 

1 Peter 1:8   Though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory.