Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;
it is high; I cannot attain it.
Where shall I go from your Spirit?
Or where shall I flee from your presence?
If I ascend to heaven, you are there!
If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there!
[Psalm 139:6-8]
To see the beauty of verses 6-8, let’s compare this passage to Amos 9. In the context, God is prophesying judgment for Israel and the prophet Amos is reporting his words:
I saw the Lord standing beside the altar, and he said: “Strike the capitals until the thresholds shake, and shatter them on the heads of all the people; and those who are left of them I will kill with the sword; not one of them shall flee away; not one of them shall escape.
If they dig into Sheol, from there shall my hand take them; if they climb up to heaven, from there I will bring them down. If they hide themselves on the top of Carmel, from there I will search them out and take them; and if they hide from my sight at the bottom of the sea, there I will command the serpent, and it shall bite them.
And if they go into captivity before their enemies, there I will command the sword, and it shall kill them; and I will fix my eyes upon them for evil and not for good.” (Amos 9:1-4)
The language is strikingly similar. However, for David, the inability to hide from God’s presence is a comfort. He writes in 139:10, “…even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me.” But for Amos, this same inability is intended to be a terror. How do we ensure that God fixes his eyes on us for good and not for evil?
Answer: Wash your robes in the blood of the Lamb.
The book of Revelation presents a contrast much like we see between David and Amos. Consider Revelation 6:15-17:
Then the kings of the earth and the great ones and the generals and the rich and the powerful, and everyone, slave and free, hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains, calling to the mountains and rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who is seated on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb, for the great day of their wrath has come, and who can stand?”
Jesus will terrify those who oppose him. However, for those who embrace him, his arm will shepherd rather than crush. The Warrior will wipe away your tears.
Then one of the elders addressed me, saying, “Who are these, clothed in white robes, and from where have they come?” I said to him, “Sir, you know.” And he said to me, “These are the ones coming out of the great tribulation. They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
“Therefore they are before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple; and he who sits on the throne will shelter them with his presence. They shall hunger no more, neither thirst anymore; the sun shall not strike them, nor any scorching heat. For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of living water, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.” (Revelation 7:13-17)
August 21, 2009 at 7:04 am
Excellent.
August 21, 2009 at 1:10 pm
Agreed. Excellent.
August 21, 2009 at 1:11 pm
What a great defense God’s Word is! I’m amazed that verses I memorized in childhood are still there in my memory. Even though it’s harder now to memorize verses, it’s still a great thing to do for spiritual well being and protection. Thanks for this post.
August 21, 2009 at 2:51 pm
However, for those who embrace him, his arm will shepherd rather than crush. The Warrior will wipe away your tears.
Beautiful!
Yet…
These are the ones coming out of the great tribulation-
thlipsis, thlip’-sis; from Greek 2346 (thlibo); pressure (literal or figurative) :- afflicted (-tion), anguish, burdened, persecution, tribulation, trouble.
Not to be underestimated.
Acts 14:22
strengthening the disciples and encouraging them to remain true to the faith. “We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God,” they said.
grace and peace,
Martha
August 21, 2009 at 2:55 pm
p.s.
I meant to say, the Word for “hardships” is the same Word, “thlipsis.”
August 21, 2009 at 3:44 pm
Beautiful. I started to memorize scripture last fall but then got lazy. This inspires me to really pick it back up and learn it and dwell on it and treasure it. Thank you. I am going to subscribe to this website. What a blessing!
August 24, 2009 at 1:34 am
Memorizing scripture is important when faced with crisis, but it is more important to know the Word, himself. It is interesting to note that the scripture that refers to the “sword of the Spirit, which is the WORD of God,” is referring to the rhema word, not the logos word. It is not the scripture itself, but the scripture breathed by a living God into our own personal life that will defeat the enemy.