In Psalms chapter seventy-nine Asaph said, “O God, the heathen are come into your inheritance; your holy temple have they defiled; they have laid Jerusalem on heaps. The dead bodies of your servants have they given to be meat unto the fowls of the heaven, the flesh of your saints unto the beasts of the earth. Their blood have they shed like water round about Jerusalem; and there was none to bury them. We are become a reproach to our neighbors, a scorn and derision to them that are round about us”, and in chapter seventy-nine and verse five of Psalms Asaph asked, “How long, LORD?”, where we read,
How long, LORD? will you be angry for ever? shall your jealousy burn like fire?
The verse begins, “How long, LORD? will you be angry for ever?” Asaph began with the words, “How long, LORD?” or “for what length and until what time Jehovah who is the existing One and the proper name for the One True God” “will you be angry” which means “shall you, Jehovah God, exist as displeased, breathing hard and enraged” “for ever” or “for long duration, perpetually, continuously, unto perpetuity and everlastingness”? Asaph questioned for what length of time Jehovah God would exist as displeased and filled with wrath, and he wondered if it would last perpetually.
The verse continues, “shall your jealousy burn like fire?” Asaph added the words, “shall your jealousy” or “will your, Jehovah God's, ardor, zeal and envy” “burn like fire?” which means “kindle, consume and destroy in likeness to fiery fire”. Asaph asked Jehovah God whether His zeal and ardor would consume and destroy the people of Israel in likeness to fiery fire.
When we think through the words in this verse, we see how Asaph wanted to know the length of time Jehovah God was going to be displeased and enraged with His people Israel, and he desired to know whether God was going to consume them with a burning fire. This is not God's desire, but when people refuse and reject Him over and over again, His judgment will eventually fall. God offers a way of escape from the punishment of sins to everyone. He sent His Son Jesus into the world to die on the cross for the sins of all mankind, and when we yield our lives to Him, He will forgive our sins, grant us everlasting life and provide the way to escape His “anger” and “jealousy” which ends in destruction.
Next time Asaph says, “pour out your wrath upon the heathen that have not known you”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.
Until tomorrow…there is more…
See more devotionals on the website "thewordfortodaywithray.com" or look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County" in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore. All references are from "Strongs Concordance".
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