Reading the Old Testament through New Testament Eyes
Our short memory verse for today is this:
"O Israel, put your hope in the Lord, both now and forevermore." (Psalm 131:3)
What shall a New Testament believer do with that word "Israel?" How can we apply this verse to ourselves? And should we?
Well, one key to applying so much of the Old Testament to ourselves is to understand that while the covenant God made with Israel was different from the new covenant God has made with people from all nations through his Son, the God of Israel is our God too. He has not changed.
Another key when we come to words like "Israel," "Jerusalem" and "Zion" is to realise that they stand for "the people of God."
Just as there were twelve tribes of Israel, so Jesus chose twelve disicples to figuratively begin the new Israel, the new covenant people of God, the church.
So on many occasions we can take words addressed to Israel in the Old Testament and apply them directly to ourselves. The same God of the nation of Israel is the God of the Church and he has not changed. Our verse for the day is one of those instances.
So "O Israel, put your hope in the Lord, both now and forevermore." (Psalm 131:3)
reads for us: "O Church, put your hope in the Lord, both now and forevermore." (Psalm 131:3)
Other Hopes
Churches and Christians can put their hope in many things. Churches can hope in their buldings, their wise leadership teams, their spiritual gifts, their size, their finances, their doctrine, their understanding of truth, and on it goes.
Old Testament Israel also found things to trust in. Sometimes they trusted in horses and chariots. Sometimes they trusted in alliances they made with neighbouring nations.
What do we trust in? Secretly? Our family? Our jobs? Our wealth? Our health?
One way to know if we are trusting in something is to ask what happens when it lets us down. Whenever an idol or a hope lets us down we are crestfallen, distressed and upset. It's a sign.
The Psalmist is encouraging us, indeed urging us, to put our hope in the Lord. Which means renouncing all other hopes and idols. That doesn't mean leaving our families or careers, but it does mean that we no longer put our ultimate trust in them and we are not surprised at all when they let us down.
Both now and for evermore
The Lord will never let us down, but all earthly hopes will. One day, sooner or later, all idols fail, all earthly hopes give way. You may not have experienced that yet, so you may still be clinging to an idol. But one day that idol will let you down, so don't trust it.
The psalmist, able to predict that day of hope-failure urges us to hope in the Lord not only today, but always.
A SONG FOR THE DAY
Strength will rise as we wait upon the Lord
We will wait upon the Lord, we will wait upon the Lord
Strength will rise as we wait upon the Lord
We will wait upon the Lord, we will wait upon the Lord
Our God, You reign forever
Our hope, our Strong Deliverer
You are the everlasting God
The everlasting God
You do not faint
You won't grow weary
Strength will rise as we wait upon the Lord
We will wait upon the Lord, we will wait upon the Lord
Strength will rise as we wait upon the Lord
We will wait upon the Lord, we will wait upon the Lord
Our God, You reign forever
Our hope, our Strong Deliverer
You are the everlasting God
The everlasting God
You do not faint
You won't grow weary
You're the defender of the weak
You comfort those in need
You lift us up on the wings
Like eagles
Our God, You reign forever
Our hope, our Strong Deliverer
'Cause You are, You are the everlasting God
The everlasting God
You do not faint
You won't grow weary
You're the defender of the weak
You comfort those in need
You lift us up on the wings
Like eagles
From everlasting to everlasting
God, You are everlasting
You sing along HERE.
A PRAYER FOR THE DAY
Our trustworthy Father in heaven,
We confess our sinful tendency to turn to earthly hopes and idols. Our hearts so easily wander. Forgive us we ask. Help us to put our hope in you both now and forevermore, for you alone can save us, and you alone can help us.
Help us for our good and your great glory,
For we ask these things in Jesus' Name,
Amen
Photo by Nareeta Martin on Unsplash
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