Jer. 7:1-15
Rom. 4:1-12
John 7:14-36
Psalm 80
1Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel, you who lead Joseph like a flock! You who are enthroned upon the cherubim, shine forth
2before Ephraim and Benjamin and Manasseh. Stir up your might, and come to save us!
3Restore us, O God; let your face shine, that we may be saved.
4O LORD God of hosts, how long will you be angry with your people’s prayers?
5You have fed them with the bread of tears, and given them tears to drink in full measure.
6You make us the scorn of our neighbors; our enemies laugh among themselves.
7Restore us, O God of hosts; let your face shine, that we may be saved.
8You brought a vine out of Egypt; you drove out the nations and planted it.
9You cleared the ground for it; it took deep root and filled the land.
10The mountains were covered with its shade, the mighty cedars with its branches;
11it sent out its branches to the sea, and its shoots to the River.
12Why then have you broken down its walls, so that all who pass along the way pluck its fruit?
13The boar from the forest ravages it, and all that move in the field feed on it.
14Turn again, O God of hosts; look down from heaven, and see; have regard for this vine,
15the stock that your right hand planted.
16They have burned it with fire, they have cut it down; may they perish at the rebuke of your countenance.
17But let your hand be upon the one at your right hand, the one whom you made strong for yourself.
18Then we will never turn back from you; give us life, and we will call on your name.
19Restore us, O LORD God of hosts; let your face shine, that we may be saved.
In this Psalm (80), there is a refrain of sorts that builds throughout the psalm. The first occurrence is in verse 3: “Restore us, Elohim; let your face shine, that we may be saved.”
There are many names for God used throughout scripture. Elohim is the oldest used in the Bible and Yehovah (YHVH) is the Name revealed to Moses and therefore the holiest of names. It is so holy that only the initials are used by orthodox Jews.
In verse 7, God is recognized as being over all the hosts of heaven (Tsabaah—sometimes translated/spelled Sabbaoth). By the end of the psalm it is YHVH, Elohim Sabbaoth who the psalmist looks to for salvation. ‘Yehovah, the God of all the hosts [of heaven]’ The holiest of God’s names is invoked for the protection and salvation of the people.
God’s relationship with us has many levels, and changes with our needs. Sometimes we may look to the ‘traditional’ God we grew up with. Other times we desire help from all the hosts of heaven.
How often do we, unintentionally, limit God by looking at only one aspect of our Lord? It can be too easy to lower our expectations by thinking we know how God should or will act. The reminder that God has many names and many attributes or characteristics should give hope and open our hearts to greater expectations of the ways God can and will work in our lives. One of my favorite images of God is "Light" such as the setting sun in Tulsa pictured above. At other times, that Light is the blazing sunrise or rays of light from behind a cloud. Even within the one metaphor there are infinite possibilities.Are there ways that you consistently think of God and limit your expectations and understanding of the fullness of God? How would thinking of God more broadly enrich your faith relationship?
The well known Footprints in the Sand story, attributed to Mary Stevenson is an analogy for our lives and God’s constant encouragement and presence in intimate relationship with us.
One night I dreamed I was walking along the beach with the Lord. Many scenes from my life flashed across the sky. In each scene I noticed footprints in the sand. Sometimes there were two sets of footprints, other times there were one set of footprints.
This bothered me because I noticed that during the low periods of my life, when I was suffering from anguish, sorrow or defeat, I could see only one set of footprints.
So I said to the Lord, "You promised me Lord, that if I followed you, you would walk with me always. But I have noticed that during the most trying periods of my life there have only been one
set of footprints in the sand. Why, when I needed you most, you have not been there for me?"
The Lord replied, "The times when you have seen only one set of footprints in the sand, is when I carried you."
For your journal: List as many names as you can for God (Shepherd, Friend, Lover, etc.). Then write down as many attributes or characteristics that you can think of for God. How does this expand your relationship with God?
