RTW 2023

Your unfailing love, O LORD, is as vast as the heavens;      your faithfulness reaches beyond the clouds.Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains,      your justice like the ocean depths.You care for people and animals alike, O LORD.      How precious is your unfailing love, O God!All humanity finds shelter      in the shadow of your wings.You feed them from the abundance of your own house,      letting them drink from your river of delights. For you are the fountain of life,      the light by which we see.Pour out your unfailing love on those who love you;      give justice to those with honest hearts.

Psalm 36:5-10

David expressed the whole range of emotions and all the ups and downs of his life to God. He poured out his soul and always felt heard by God. David knew God was listening, and upheld his belief that in the end, no matter what, God is still good.

God spoke in a cultural language the Israelites understood, but He continually revealed Himself as a God distinct and sovereign above all the other gods and cultures around them.

• In Ancient Near Eastern culture, war, violence, and battles were common and a part of life.
• Israel was very much a part of this culture, and was deeply influenced by it.
• Covenants were of secular origin and were a common cultural practice in the ancient Near East.
• There were similarities between Israel and other pagan cultures: They prayed to their deity(ies) for absolving guilt, victory in battle, destruction of their enemies.
• David’s Psalms reveal differences from pagan religions/cultures: David entrusted God with justice, and he knew that God took care of those who were vulnerable.
• The most significant difference between pagan culture and the Israelites was the deeply personal and loving relationship between God and His people.
• The Israelites were not perfect by any means, but God in His mercy continued to reveal Himself and His love to them.
• Jesus displayed the fullness of God’s love, kindness, and mercy.

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Be open and in search of how Jesus wants to reveal Himself to us each day, so we can discern and follow His ways, His mercy, and His love.For in Christ lives all the fullness of God in a human body.

Colossians 2:9