Monday, April 2, 2012

“Record my lament; list my tears on your scrolls…”
Kind of hidden away there isn’t it? An insignificant verse you say? Don’t think so!

A better translation of the Hebrew word–“no’d” for the word “scrolls” means a “skin or bag for fluids,” or more commonly known today in Israel as a “tear bottle”. Tears were (and are) very significant to the Hebrew and Jewish people. These people preserve their tears. The tears are kept in small bottles (three inches or so) as a memory of either joyful or sorrowful experiences. In this psalm David is asking God to preserve his tears, to put them in His tear bottle. Lots of bad things were happening to David. David turns things over to the Lord. He is asking God to take revenge on his enemies. David says at the end of the psalm, “What can man do to me? I “walk before God in the light of life.”

Do we ask God to put all the wrongful actions done against us in a tear bottle to keep? If we haven’t done that then we must be holding grudges. I believe God’s tear bottle is a bit bigger than the average Jewish tear bottle. He can take care of a multitude of tears.

And speaking of tears…a sea of tears flows throughout the Bible. One of the first instances of weeping is when Abraham buried Sarah in the cave near Hebron. Many others shed tears; Jacob, Moses, Hannah, Samuel, David, Hezekiah, Nehemiah…and of course Jesus shed tears over Jerusalem. The last recorded instance of the shedding of tears is this.
Rev 5:4
I wept and wept because no one was found who was worthy to open the scroll or look inside.

God Himself, takes care of all tears for all time!
Rev 21:4
He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away."

You might want to read Psalm 34 again and just count all the great promises from God. Look especially at the last one. “The Lord redeems his servants; no one will be condemned who takes refuge in him.”
Wrap your mind around the meaning of that verse.

Jesus said from the cross. “It is finished.” The Lord has indeed redeemed us. Now there is no condemnation. (Rom 8:1)

Hallelujah! (Every day should be a Hallelujah day. It’s not just a word for Easter Sunday morning!)

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