He saw the truth and he felt something that he could not name.  He would not be a fool, but there was no harm in dreaming.  And unquestionably, beyond all doubt, the dream and the romance that had lured him to the wilderness were here, hanging over him like the shadows of the great peaks.  His heart swelled with emotion when he thought of how the black and incessant despair of the past was gone.”

                          –Zane Grey  (The Rainbow Trail)

 

       “Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised in the city of our God, in His holy mountain.”

                         –Psalm 48:1 (NKJV)

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       George O. Wood said this in his book on the Psalms regarding Psalm 87, “The original singers of this psalm, the Sons of Korah, often composed music connected with worship in the temple at Jerusalem.  They were the praise and worship leaders of their day.  Like prophets, in this psalm they speak words beyond their own ability to fully understand.  Only in looking back can we now see what the Holy Spirit had in mind when He inspired the Sons of Korah to write it.”  Also notice, this is a short psalm, yet it has two occasions to say “Selah.”  That should cause us to think and contemplate.

 

          1 — His foundation is in the holy mountains.

          2 — The LORD loves the gates of Zion more than all the dwellings of Jacob.

          3 — Glorious things are spoken of you, O city of God!        Selah

          4 — “I will make mention of Rahab and Babylon to those who know Me; behold, O Philistia and Tyre, with Ethiopia; ‘this one was born here.'”

          5 — And of Zion it will be said, “This one and that one were born in her; and the Most High Himself shall establish her.”

          6 — The LORD will record, when He registers the peoples: “This one was born there.”    Selah

          7 — Both the singers and the players on the instruments say, “All my springs are in you.” (NKJV)

 

       Jerusalem–a city of strife and war.  Jerusalem–a city of division.  Jerusalem–a city of struggle between two religions and it draws the attention of a third; it is called the “Holy City.”  Yet as Steven Lawson notes, “As the holy city, it represents all that is holy and good in the working of God among his people.”  Many may scoff, but Jerusalem will become the reigning city of the world when Jesus establishes His throne.

       Look at verse 1 and note the word “foundation.”  A foundation is to be stable, firm, long-lasting.  The NLT translates verse 1 this way, “On the holy mountain stands the city founded by the LORD.”  This is God’s city!  The gates are loved for that is where people enter the city.  Jerusalem will be the center of worship.  Bring to your mind the New Jerusalem–“Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God…  And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me the great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God.”  (Revelation 21:2, 10 NKJV)

       The people mentioned are no longer enemies, but all–Gentiles–have a place in the city.  This Psalm should excite us as the Lord is saying, “This one was born here.”  There are no strangers in the city, no aliens, no enemies, but only those of the household of God.  Race, ethnic background have no place, only the blood-bought saints of God.  In this new city, this holy city, this city of Jerusalem there will be a grand celebration of worship that the world has never seen before.  I trust that this little Psalm has given you a new perspective of how God views Jerusalem–our heavenly home.

 

               “With stately towers and bulwarks strong, unrivaled and alone,

               Loved theme of many a sacred song, God’s holy city shone.

               So fair was Zion’s chosen seat, the glory of all lands.

               Yet, fairer, and in strength complete, the Christian church still stands.”

                          –unknown (similar version by Harriet Auber)

 

       “Let your roots grow down into him and draw up nourishment from him, so that you will grow in faith, strong and vigorous in the truth you were taught.  Let your lives overflow with thanksgiving for all he has done.”
                         –Colossians 2:7 (NLT)
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The holiday season (hallowed day/holy day) is upon us.  It’s a grand time of the year and for some it’s the only time they settle down to think of the things they should be thankful for.  People, from the poorest to the richest, have reason to be thankful.  Those who gripe, complain, and degrade our country don’t know what they are doing and saying.  They would grumble and complain no matter where they lived.  If it wasn’t one thing, then it would be another.  The so-called progressives and the “woke” community have no clue, all they want to do is murmur.  Be dissatisfied is a means of satisfaction to them.
       However, I for one have many reasons to be thankful.  My blessings are too numerous to count, but I recognize some of them each day.  Is our country perfect?  By no means, but it’s better than any other.  These people who want socialism clamor like pots and pans in the cabinet.  Let them live in a socialist country; let them pay the taxes.  I for one thank the Lord for the ability He gave me to make a decent income so that I could pay taxes to this country for the many benefits bestowed upon me.
       One of the great sins of the Israelites when they left Egypt under the leadership of Moses was that of murmuring.  Griping about this, complaining about that–never satisfied.  This angered the Lord, and He brought judgment upon them.  There’s an old saying, “Don’t bite the hand that’s feeding you.”  While pondering what to write about the song by Henry Smith came to my mind:

               “Give thanks with a grateful heart,
               give thanks to the Holy One;
               give thanks, because He’s given
               Jesus Christ, His Son.”

       We’ve all done it, while some seem to put up with it, but when it’s gone on long enough and loud enough it begins to rack the nerves.  Grumbling–it is a sin, a lack of faith, a lack of gratitude for all the Lord has done for us.  Alistair Begg writes, “Grumbling seems to be a small thing, but it is a sign that gratitude is missing.  Whenever unbelief and a lack of thankfulness mark the lives of God’s children, consequences are inevitable.”  God will judge His people for their lack of gratitude, for their constant grumbling.  Paul tells us that we should be “giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Ephesians 5:20)  Look at those words, “giving thanks always”!
Not just sometimes, not occasionally, not only during Thanksgiving–but ALWAYS!  It is should always be flowing from our hearts, and if for no other reason than that Jesus was sent to redeem our souls.  That should be an occasion for continual gratitude and thanksgiving.

                         –Lou Bradshaw  (Palouse)

       “There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.”

                         –Proverbs 14:12(NKJV)
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                    “Now what more shall I say?  For the time would fail me to tell of … Samson… who through faith subdued kingdoms, worked righteousness, obtained promises,        
           stopped the mouths of lions.”
                                 –Hebrews 11:32-33 (NKJV)

       We know nothing of Samson as he grew up except that he had a Nazirite Vow.  We can only speculate about him and that could be dangerous.  Did he exhibit his extra-ordinary strength while he was growing up?  I tend to think the first time he realized it was upon the occasion when he was attacked by the lion.  Oh, he may have been stronger than the other young men around, but there wasn’t an occasion that called for the Spirit of the Lord to come upon him.
       Judges 14:4, we see that God “was seeking an occasion to move against the Philistines.” (NKJV)  He saw a woman whom he wanted for a wife and he along with his parents were on their way to the wedding feast.  We are not told why he was not with his parents when he was attacked by the lion, but he must have decided to go his own way, (he did that often) or while resting he wandered away from them.  Needless to say they knew nothing of the incident.  

               “So Samson went down to Timnah with his father and mother, and came to the vineyards of Timnah.  Now to his surprise, a young lion came roaring against him.  And the Spirit of the LORD came mightily upon him, and he tore the lion apart as one would have torn apart a young goat, though he had nothing in his hand.  But he did not tell his father or his mother what he had done.”
                               –Judges 14:5-6 (NKJV)

       One thing we should ask, what was Samson doing in the vineyard?  It was a place where he should not be found for it went against his Vow.  Yet, God was with him.  But this occasion made known to him his tremendous strength and power.  This is a great lesson for us.  When we struggle we need to realized that we have a tremendous power within us–the power of the Holy Spirit.  It may not be to tear a lion apart, but it is to defeat that vicious enemy who comes at us like a roaring lion.  Matthew Henry writes, “God let Samson know what he could do in the strength of the Spirit of the Lord, that he might never be afraid to look the greatest difficulties in the face.”  We, too can face the difficulties of life in the power of the Holy Spirit.
       After meeting with his wife-to-be making arrangements for the wedding ceremony he passed by where he killed the lion.  Again he ventured into a place where he should not be and found honey in the carcass.  Now, he breaks the second part of his Vow, touching the dead animal, and after taking honey he found in the carcass, he goes on to the wedding feast.  He has no friends, he has not brought anyone with him to help him celebrate so he is given thirty “buddies” from among the Philistines.  We are not told who they are, we can only speculate, but he wagered with them through a riddle.  These were false companions and most likely there was plenty of drinking at the feast.  I doubt that Samson had sarsaparilla or lemonade at the wedding ceremony, especially if these men were of the rougher sort that we associate as Philistine.
       Because of a “false wife,” one he should not have consorted with in the first place he was enticed to tell her the secret of the riddle which she then passed on to the Philistines.  Samson realized that he had been duped.  The woman had first of all enticed him, then controlled him with her tears, then she finally betrayed him to her countrymen.  Samson did not object to paying the wager, but he understood how they came to know the answer.  Warren Wiersbe said this, “Samson could kill lions and break ropes, but he couldn’t over come the power of a woman’s tears.”
       Now we get to the occasion that God was looking for.  Samson went down to a neighboring city, Ashkelon, and killed thirty men taking their apparel to pay off his wager.  It is important to see that this was done as “the Spirit of the LORD came upon him mightily” (Judges 14:19, NKJV).  The Philistines were stirred up, Samson was on his way to fulfilling the role that God had for him.
       Let me tell a story about my youngest daughter’s wedding to end this portion in the study of Samson.  As we stood, ready to walk down the aisle, she began trembling.  I leaned toward her and whispered, “Now is the chance.  You can still run.”  At the time there was a popular movie, “Runaway Bride.”  She still had a chance to run from this marriage.  However, she took a deep breath, her trembling stopped and we walked down the aisle.  We could call Samson the “Runaway Groom.”  He didn’t marry the woman, but went back to his father’s house, maybe not exactly like the Prodigal Son of the New Testament, but he knew where he could and should go.  The story isn’t quite over.  The best man married his wife-to-be.  
       The moral of the story is:  watch out for the Philistines!  Matthew Henry summed it up, “Better be angry with Philistines, than in love with them, because, when we join ourselves to them, we are most in danger of being ensnared by them.”  The words of the Apostle Paul ring out to warn us, “Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers.  For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness?  And what communion has light with darkness?  And what accord has Christ with Belial?  Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever?” (2 Corinthians 6:14-15, NKJV)