Sermon 030908
Psalm 130: 1 Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord. 2 Lord, hear my voice! Let your ears be attentive to the voice of my supplications! 3 If you, O Lord, should mark iniquities, Lord, who could stand? 4 But there is forgiveness with you, so that you may be revered. 5 I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his word I hope; 6 my soul waits for the Lord more than those who watch for the morning, more than those who watch for the morning. 7 O Israel, hope in the Lord! For with the Lord there is steadfast love, and with him is great power to redeem. 8 It is he who will redeem Israel from all its iniquities. (NRSV)
NOTES:
Psalm 130 was likely written around the time of the Assyrian & Babylonian Conquests (790-444 BCE). So, we look to the writings of the prophets for context and understanding Israel‘s theology of “Waiting on God” & “Hope”.
Micah 7:7 Therefore I will look to the Lord; I will wait for the God of my salvation; My God will hear me. 8 Do not rejoice over me, my enemy; When I fall, I will arise; When I sit in darkness, The Lord will be a light to me. 9 I will bear the indignation of the Lord, Because I have sinned against Him, Until He pleads my case And executes justice for me. He will bring me forth to the light; I will see His righteousness. (NKJV)
Isaiah 40: 7 Why do you say, O Jacob, And speak, O Israel: “My way is hidden from the Lord, And my just claim is passed over by my God”? 28 Have you not known? Have you not heard? The everlasting God, the Lord, The Creator of the ends of the earth, Neither faints nor is weary. His understanding is unsearchable. 29 He gives power to the weak, And to those who have no might He increases strength. 30 Even the youths shall faint and be weary, And the young men shall utterly fall, 31 But those who wait on the Lord Shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint. (NKJV)
Questions for reflection:
· Where in my life have I experienced what happened to Israel & Judah when they failed to follow God and honor God’s ways, and thus were conquered by their enemies?
· How can I wait on God?
· For what do I most hope from God?
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PRAYER: 1 O Lord, my heart is not lifted up, my eyes are not raised too high; I do not occupy myself with things too great and too marvelous for me. 2 But I have calmed and quieted my soul, like a weaned child with its mother; my soul is like the weaned child that is with me. 3 O Israel, hope in the Lord from this time on and forevermore. Amen. (Psalms 131 NRSV)
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Upcoming Texts:
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Week of 3/10-3/16: Psalm 118 Give Thanks
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Leadership and Life Development Coaching. Ken G Crawford. Synchronous Life. 