Victory Song
All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to the Lord; and all the families of the nations shall worship before You. Psalm 22:28 (Hebrew text)
Remember – Do you know the beginning of the 22nd Psalm? “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” That doesn’t sound like a victory song, does it? If all you know about the 22nd Psalm is the second line (the first in our English translations), then you really don’t know what this psalm is about. You see, it’s not a song about being abandoned. It’s a song about vindication, domination and glory.
Go read the song again. It starts out looking pretty bad. But remember that Hebrew is a phenomenological language. It describes the way things appear to the eye of the beholder. And if you were standing on Golgotha on that day, it would certainly appear as though everything was lost. Your hoped-for dream of throwing off the oppressor was crushed. Your rabbi was dying on the cross. Everything looked as if it ended in disaster. As far as you are concerned, God has abandoned His chosen one. If you stop reading at the end of the first stanzas, you won’t see the victory and the power. All you will see is the grave.
The psalm describes what it looks like when things seem to be failing. Then it describes the jeering, mocking cat-calls of the crowd. It paints a picture of apparent total rejection. But things change when the reality behind the appearance is revealed. Suddenly, the song becomes a cry of victory and vindication. The one who appears to have been abandoned by God is no longer despised, no longer afflicted, no longer hidden from the face of YHWH (verse 25). The rejected one begins to praise God in front of his detractors. Suddenly we discover that the humble, the oppressed and the forgotten are near to the heart of God. And then the victory cry, “All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn.” The victim is vindicated. God’s real purpose is revealed.
Think about this verse for a minute. Notice that it doesn’t say, “All the ends of the earth will be evangelized.” It doesn’t say that the gospel will be preached to all nations. It says that everyone will remember. That implies that they already knew but had forgotten. When God’s true purpose is revealed, their minds are opened and they remember. What do they remember? That God is God and that their plans and perceptions are not the real story. God is in control. And how it is possible for them to remember this if they have not been evangelized? Ah, for that answer, we need to turn all the way back to Genesis. We need to remember that the homophone for “male” (zakar as a noun) is the verb “to remember” (zakar as a verb). The truth of God’s power and majesty is built into the DNA of being a man. It only needs to be uncovered for men everywhere to remember that the Lord is King. Isn’t this exactly what Paul says in the first chapter of Romans? The wicked are not held accountable because they denied that Yeshua was the Messiah. They are held accountable because they refused to acknowledge who God is and they were not grateful. They already knew. And now, when the final curtain is pulled back, they will remember.
How about you? Does your life reflect the whole psalm, or did you stop reading at verse 21? Are you living on the basis of appearances, or do you see the victory ahead? Are you remembering?
Topical Index: remember, zakar, male, victory, Psalm 22:28
and now.. one more thing.. Hebrew is a precise language. Yeshua mentioned something about “jots and tittles”. How we need to “pay attention” (heed) and how we need to shema- (harken) listen and obey. In Marine Corps bootcamp I was taught “attention to detail”, I had to clean the screws on the butt-end of my rifle and snip the loose threads on my uniform to stand “inspection.” Why all the fuss?? Because it is the details the make the difference. How we need to become awake and aware (kavannah..another fine Hebrew word). Zechariah 4.10 states, “For who has despised the day of small things” And the manna which fell from heaven was it not a small “what is it?” Proverbs states “wisdom is with the lowly”, Jesus said, “I am meek and lowly in heart”.. details, details.. One more thing to add to one more thing.. “Thine O LORD is the victory”- Jesus IS LORD. We pray from victory not for victory.. He IS LORD. How many times to we need to look at this before we SEE IT!!! The cross, the cross, the cross.. I will glory in the cross of Jesus the Christ.. Look unto me and be saved… all the ends of the earth.. What about the bronze serpent mentioned in Numbers?? What was that all about??
Great post Skip!
It is so often lost that for us to be “in Yeshua” we of course must have been “in Adam” … and there with him because Adam is the alpha of the flesh!
From generation to generation “le dor ve dor” is not some esoteric concept or word of mouth sequencing activities that we go through as a function of being. As you point out we are all of Adam … we are all of the guilt! In the same manner we are all in Yeshua …. none exempted …. both are facts. Yeshua’s New Essence is not created just for some people …. He creates for all people!” Yeshua does not destroy some of the “old creation” but all of it.
As such what the first man was, did and became “is in us” … what the Second Man was, did and became is in us. So we can choose to remember Adam or we can choose to remember Yeshua! We choose the first order of creation or the new order of creation … at least for the time being people have a choice! We live to this world or we accept our death in Yeshua!
The New Creation (Yeshua being First Fruits thereof) is no less real and tangible as the creation of Adam. It is already done …. 2,000 years ago …. there is no waiting for the memory of truth to be discovered when we die and go to heaven! We know this is true because we have knowledge today of things that did not come by way of flesh … so from where did truth come?
As far as remembering Adam … this is simple because it is baked right into our flesh … our physical fabric. As far as remembering Yeshua …. it is baked into our Spirit and only available to us through faith. … Yet these memories are not esoteric at all; they are just as real! As Skip points out …. these memories are not new thoughts being put into minds … they are deep rooted truths being exposed to memory. Otherwise known as “revelation”!
Ultimately when all things are revealed there will be no choosing to remember …. The Spirit of YHVH will bring remembrance to all …. with or without faith …. because it is fact … YHVH has declared as much. This is Yeshua’s due … all flesh will bend the knee! To Him the glory and praise!
So we bend our knees in worship and praise … not because of what will be done or what will be made known, but because of what has been done and what has been made known! If it has been done well then let us simply ask Ruach HaKodesh to remind us! If we can’t see what has been done because of the treachery of the this first order of creation that offends our eyes … let us look past the delusion … because it is already smoked and blackened toast!
Excellent Drew!
So true, sing on brother!
I think perhaps I am not in the same classroom as the rest of you. While I struggle to put all the posts together over the last few days, I am left with a sense of not achieving enough understanding, not belonging. And worse, not measuring up to man or to God. I am in the thick of a battle with knowing this God and He as turned into a multi-faced man that I do not understand.
Maybe I just don’t belong to this group. It’s high school and I am struggling to pass the elementary classes.
Dear Carol,
I want you to think about this: God pushes those whom He loves most to places where they are uncomfortable because He knows that those who love Him most are worthy of the pain of learning. I actually feel sorry for followers whose lives are undisturbed because that tells me that God knows they are unable to deal with the deeper things of the Spirit. EVERYONE of us is in school. But none of us can graduate without attending class. So, stick with it. Take away only what edifies and enlightens and remember, God sees you as COMPLETE already. He doesn’t have any problem with your learning. Take His point of view and enjoy the journey.
Skip
Sister,
Know only what is important …. He is a loving all powerful and wholly righteous G_D Who gave to us His only begotten Son to: atone for our sins, destroy our sinful nature, provide us with new life and let us share in The Son’s Glory for all eternity in complete reconciliation. If only this we know then we are wiser than Solomon!
Pursuit of the deeper things of The Spirit is for blessings, intimacy and purpose. Please stay with it and have faith (it is all that we can do) …. He always delivers. If we abide in Him then He will love us no more or less based upon what we know!
So smile 🙂 … you are loved! Yeshua loves ya, I love ya … we all love ya! And if you know the very basics in your heart …. you are already quite rich in wisdom!
i have never felt so unloved in all my 62 years. I feel as if I will die if He does’t rescue me soon.
‘ADONAI Eloheinu, I praise Your glorious Name this morning. I thank You for loving us even as we don’t feel it in this world at times. I praise You that Your Ruach is working in our favor despite our feelings. I thank You that Your Ruach and Your Son are praying this very moment in accordance with Your will over Carol’s life. I praise You that You are sanctifying our very emotions in the darkness that threatens to consume us. I praise You that as long as You give breath to our lungs, You have an intensely meaningly purpose for us…for Carol. I ask that Your Ruach cover Carol today with strength, joy, perseverance, gratitude, light, love, grace, truth and understanding. I pray that You lift her chin and cause her to feel Your Presence…because not feeling Your Presence indeed, can be as darkness. Until you do, strengthen her bones and fill her with a hope beyond her comprehension…beyond anything she ‘does’. Thank You for breaking into our lives most unexpectedly. I praise You ADONAI Eloheinu…and I thank You that even when we are faithless, You remain FAITHFUL, for You cannot deny Yourself. According to Your good pleasure, ADONAI, move and work in and around Carol…in that unseen realm. Thank You ABBA, for reminding us that without darkness, there can be no Light…and without a battle, there can be no victory, and without a time of brokenness, there can be no rebuilding…and finally as Yeshua showed us, without death, there can be no RESURRECTION LIFE. I am thanking You, ABBA, because You are faithful to do it in Carol’s life! ALL for the sake of HaSHEM…’
…praying Colossians 1:9-14 over you today, Friend.
“9 And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, 10 so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God. 11 May you be strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience WITH JOY, 12 GIVING THANKS to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. 13 He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.”
Carmen …. Ahmein and Ahmein!
Heal us and we shall be healed! Rescue us and we shall be rescued! For the one we praise is You Elohim!
Please Abba … for the sake of Yeshua, and in His Name, relieve our sister Carol of her burden this very day. Please Abba do so swiftly and soon. Ahmein.
Barukh Attah Adonai Go’el Yisrael
I stand in the throne room with my brothers and sisters and intercede in one accordance with praise and thanksgiving and His Word for the life of Carol at this hour. Praise and Glory and Honor. I lift my voice in praise and prayer and petition Dear Savior for this body in Christ.
How can we help?
What can you do to helP? Continue with me to pray and believe. I have pretty much run out of steam.
It was the command of Jesus that called Lazarus out of the tomb of death, but it was His people (obeying His command, still) who took the stone away and undid the wrappings that bound him. I know I have been taken out of death but I still stink horribly and am bound tightly.
The majority of the body of believers that I live around continue to stand against the stone and I doubt that any of the 350 people on your mailing list are “neighbors.” I yearn to leave this area to go to somewhere that is spiritually healthy. I am committed for another 10 months. I just need to be propped up until then – with encouragment, with prayer and with truth.
Carol….yes you are bound tightly…in the love of Christ and in the prayers of His people. I may not know you and your intimate need, but I know the Savior Who does know you in the inner most places….I will petition Him on your behalf. 🙂
Dear Carol my dear Sister, I am Praising God for you and your struggles, It is a good thing when we run out of our own strength, “for when we are weak then He is strong” it seems that I grow more in love with Yehshua when I am in a dry and weary place because it causes me to look and seek Him more than when all is well. So press on my sister and God will see you through.
a fellow traveler on the way,
Jeffrey
I do sense the power of your prayers today. I have felt His strength in me. Thank you all.
Amen and Amen.
Hno. queria comentarles que he recibido sus mensajes
solo que estoy con la dificultad que no se ingles y me
es muy dificil estar traduciendo tendria la posibilidad
de enviarmelos en español gracias
Can someone translate that for me?
Going back to the Victory Song, according to Lamsa’s translation from the Aramaic of the Peshitta, the Peshitta text reads: “Eli, Eli, lemana shabakthani! My God, my God, for this I was spared.” That is shown in Mark 15 and Matt. 27. Interesting.