Give thanks

DEVOTION

PSALMS

GIVE THANKS

Ps 75

We give thanks to you, O God, we give thanks, for your Name is near; men tell of your wonderful deeds.

2 You say, "I choose the appointed time; it is I who judge uprightly. 3 When the earth and all its people quake, it is I who hold its pillars firm. Selah 4 To the arrogant I say, 'Boast no more,' and to the wicked, 'Do not lift up your horns. 5 Do not lift your horns against heaven; do not speak with outstretched neck.'"

6 No one from the east or the west or from the desert can exalt a man. 7 But it is God who judges: He brings one down, he exalts another. 8 In the hand of the LORD is a cup full of foaming wine mixed with spices; he pours it out, and all the wicked of the earth drink it down to its very dregs.

9 As for me, I will declare this forever; I will sing praise to the God of Jacob. 10 I will cut off the horns of all the wicked, but the horns of the righteous will be lifted up.

NIV

This song seems to be a conversation between the composer and God. However, it may just be the composer is remembering what God had said and is quoting him. Still he begins with giving thanks to the Lord, O God and being thankful that his Name is near. The Name of God is near, means tell of your wonderful deeds. It seems that is missing today. Although for us who attend church, who gather together to worship God, his Name is near to us, we speak of his wonderful deeds. Well for the most part we do. Sometimes we sort of forget to talk about his wonderful deeds. One church we attended didn’t even have his Name in any of the songs during the supposed worship time. They were ballads about men, how we are to live, or respond, not about God and his wonderful deeds. This song writer does list some of his wonderful deeds. First, God and God alone will choose the appointed time and he and he alone judges correctly. We have all sorts of human judges and just recently such a big stink put up about a judge’s actions when he was a teenager, trying to prove he would not judge correctly, without bias. Mankind has had judges since God appointed them to rule over Israel, but they ruled through the power of God. The judges of today rule through the power of man, and never can judge as correctly, as uprightly as God. When the appointed time arrives there is going to be a real earth quake. Although we might see an actual quacking of the ground, it is more metaphorical of a quack, as men quaking in their boots. Mankind will be shaken to its core. It is interesting the Hebrew word translated quack actually means to melt. The arrogant, which is the non-believers, those who think the power of man can control the earth, the environment, the weather and claim to have the answers, the solutions, they will be not able to boast anymore. They will see the power of God holding up the pillars. He says they are not to lift up their horns. This Hebrew word translated horns is very interesting as it can be used for many things, such as a cornet or elephant tusk, which would be a shofar, but that is actually a ram’s horn. But it also is used as the corner of an altar or a ray of light or figuratively as power. So he tells the arrogant to not lift your power against God’s, you will lose every time. This gives us another picture of the power and might of our God. We should not get too prideful about anything we do in our own strength. If we start thinking we have the answers, that our studies, through our education, we have any greatness of thinking, we are in trouble. We lift each other up all the time, we give praise to those who are prolific pontificators of words either in preaching or writings. We give praise to those who use their voice with music, applauding, buying their recordings, giving them status among men. It is a slippery slope for both those who give them praise and for those who receive such praise. It is God and God alone who brings one down and exalts another. Any exalting that is to be done will be done by God, except of course our exalting of his name. His cup will bring the arrogant to their knees, but his cup is also overflowing with grace and mercy to those who look to him for life. We will praise him forever, he is going to cut off the power of the wicked, but lift up the power of the righteous. There is that contrast once again. Why would we ever want to be among or join, or partnership with the arrogant, the wicked? Why would we ever want what they want? Let us simply live as God empowers us to live, giving all honor and glory to his name. Let us declare his wonderful words. Let us give thanks.