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Tag: creation

A Happy Hope in the LORD our God Psalm 146
Are YOU a happy sort of human being?

Where do YOU find your hope in all that is happening?

The Psalmist points you (and me) to the LORD and away from mortals and empty promises for hope that can never satisfy.

Psalm 146:

הַלְלוּ־יָהּ הַלְלִי נַפְשִׁי אֶת־יְהוָה׃

As is the case with so many Psalms — songs of worship (from the original Hebrew) — Psalm 146 begins and ends with praise.

Praise the LORD! Praise the LORD, O my soul!

Psalm 146:1 RSV

The LORD will reign for ever, thy God, O Zion, to all generations.

Praise the LORD!

Psalm 146:13

Who IS the LORD?

Before we get to the text of the Psalm and happiness promised, let’s clarify the focus of Who we worship in the LORD.

יְהֹוָה

יְהֹוָה Yᵉhôvâh, yeh-ho-vaw’; from H1961; (the) self-Existent or Eternal; Jeho-vah, Jewish national name of God:—Jehovah, the Lord. Compare H3050, H3069.

Source: BlueLetterBible.org

Yehovah is used for the LORD from the very beginning of Scripture:

These are the generations of the heavens and the earth when they were created. In the day that the LORD God made the earth and the heavens..

then the LORD God formed man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being.

Genesis [בְּרֵאשִׁית] 2:4,7 RSV

LORD: Yehovah Eloheim

AND Yehovah is frequently used in conjunction with ‘אֱלֹהִים
- ʼĕlôhîym, el-o-heem’; plural of H433; gods in the ordinary sense; but specifically used (in the plural thus, especially with the article) of the supreme God
AND (in Psalm 146 and other poetic praise) Ya [יָהּ] – a contraction of LORD, God or Jehovah and meaning the same.

Source: BlueLetterBible.org.

Psalms uses:
- Ya (for LORD) 43x
- Yehovah (for LORD) 687x
- אֱלֹהִים – ʼĕlôhîym (for God) 387x
בְּרֵאשִׁית בָּרָא אֱלֹהִים אֵת הַשָּׁמַיִם וְאֵת הָאָרֶץ׃

In the beginning God [ĕlōhîm] created the heavens and the earth.

Genesis 1:1

Like other Psalms, even when not expressing human reactions other than happiness and hope, Psalm 146 is written and sung for the express purpose of worshiping the LORD God.

I will sing praises to my God while I have being.

Worship of the LORD as long as you live is a given for EVERY believer — and Psalm 146 opens with our response to the LORD our God:

While I live will I praise the LORD:

I will sing praises unto my God while I have any being.

Psalm 146:2 KJV

Then the Psalmist contrasts the futility of those who do NOT praise the LORD our God:

Do not put your trust in princes, in human beings, who cannot save.

When their spirit departs, they return to the ground; on that very day their plans come to nothing.

Psalm 146:3-4 NIV

Can you think of some princes, presidents, premiers, prime ministers, popes, persistent politicians WE have trusted?

AND is it not so?

.. his thoughts and plans perish.

v. 4d- AMP

How blessed..

Blessed are…

Strong’s Definitions אֶשֶׁר ʼesher, – happiness; only in masculine plural construction as interjection, how happy!:—blessed, happy.

Happy are you..

Happy are you, O Israel!
Who is like you, a people saved by the LORD,
The shield of your help
And the sword of your majesty!
Your enemies shall submit to you,
And you shall tread down their high places.”

Deuteronomy 33:29 NKJV – from Moses; blessings to the tribes who were captive in Egypt and before the Hebrews would follow the LORD conquering the promised land.

Now the Psalmist leads us in worship:

Happy is he who has the God [ēl] of Jacob for his help,
Whose hope is in the LORD [Yᵊhōvâ] his God [ĕlōhîm],

Psalm 146:5 NKJV

Why Our Happy Hope?

The Psalmist outlines good reasons for worshipers of the LORD God to be happy. And it all points to CREATION, both in the beginning and in our everyday experience.
- He made heaven and earth,
- (He made) The sea,
- and (God made) all that is in them (the heavens, the earth and the seas);
- [it is He} Who keeps truth forever,
The LORD opens the eyes of the blind;
The LORD raises those who are bowed down;
The LORD loves the righteous.

The LORD watches over the strangers;
He relieves the fatherless and widow;

Psalm 146:8-9b NKJV

Consequence for those NOT blessed

WE don’t like to think about curse — only blessing (as if ALL receive blessing and are happy in the Lord our God).

The Psalmist, however, adds a brief contrast to happiness here — we all see it in many others.. or at times even in our own non-response to the blessings of God.

.. but the way of the wicked he brings to ruin.
Psalm 146:9c ESV

Do YOU choose to be HAPPY , that is: BLESSED in the LORD God?
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A heading for PSALM 146 in the AUTHORIZED KING JAMES VERSION reads: 
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The blessedness of trusting God

Do YOU trust God?

.. but the way of the wicked he turneth upside down.

Surely, you who trust God are not wicked.

Why then, would you not be happy?

The Psalmist closes singing with great joy and praise!

The LORD shall reign for ever, even thy God, O Zion, unto all generations.
Praise ye the LORD.
Psalm 146:10 AKJV

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Why not add YOUR COMMENT and reaction to PSALM 146 or any Psalm for this summer.
July 11, 2025
The Heavens are Telling the Glory of God
The Glory of God – written in the Creation on the Heavens and on the earth.

What is the chief end of man?

A. Man’s chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy him for ever.

1 Cor. 10:31; Rom. 11:36; Ps. 73:25-28.

In our previous PSALM we focused on how a man or woman might best start our day.

And our focus turned from SELF toward the LORD — to rejoice — to experience God’s gladness in His creation and in us.

You might say, by extension, a daily disposition toward JOY becomes our worship in serving the LORD.
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Perhaps you know Beethoven's ODE TO JOY from the finale of the composer's Nineth Symphony. 

Did you know that text of Ode to Joy is taken from Psalms 104 and 145:10? 
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Today’s theme: the GLORY of God

Perhaps you know our PSALM from a scripturally-focused hymnal (of old).

The CREATION

Psalm 19

The heavens, O God, Thy glory tell
Composer: Ludwig van Beethoven
Published in 14 hymnals

The Heavens are telling – Beethoven

Many of you will know another glorious large composition of praise from an oratorio of Haydn near the end of the 18th century

The Heavens are Telling the Glory of God,
(from “The Creation”)

— The Heavens Are Telling.

Hayden: Chorus:

The heavens are telling the glory of God,
The wonders of his work displays the firmament;

Today that is coming speaks it the day,
The night that is gone to following night.

In every land [In all the land] resounds the word,
never unperceived, ever understood.

Music by Josef Haydn
Lyrics translated by Robert Shaw, based on Psalm 19.

What is the GLORY of God?

“You said, ‘Behold, the LORD our God has shown us His glory and His greatness,

and we have heard His voice from the midst of the fire;

we have seen today that God speaks with man, yet he lives.

Deuteronomy 5:25 NASB

By contrast we might ask, ‘What is the glory of man?’

By the weight of your wrath against man’s sin, the glory of his form is wasted away; truly every man is but a breath. (Selah.)

Psalm 39:11 BBE

The glory of the heavens?

The LORD is high above all nations,

and his glory above the heavens.

Psalm 113:4

OR of the firmament?

And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters... And God called the firmament Heaven.

Genesis 1:6,8a KJV

OR

What is the glory of the earth, you might ask?
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But in fact, you cannot find any glory in 'the earth' separate from the glory of the LORD its Creator. 
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- Psalms sing of GLORY in one form or another over 400 times!
– kāḇôḏ כָּבוֹד

Who is this King of glory?

The LORD of hosts, he is the King of glory.

Selah.

Psalm 24:10
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(You likely know some contemporary Christian songs expressing these words.)
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Just what does it mean to GLORIFY God?

You who fear Yahweh, praise Him;

All you seed of Jacob, glorify Him,

And stand in awe of Him, all you seed of Israel.

Psalm 22:23 LSB

“The beasts of the field will glorify Me,

The jackals and the ostriches,

Because I have given waters in the wilderness

And rivers in the wasteland,

To give drink to My chosen people.

Isaiah 43:20

Psalm 19:

Let’s take a closer look at this Psalm of David.

The heavens are sounding the glory of God;

the arch of the sky makes clear the work of his hands.

Day after day it sends out its word,

and night after night it gives knowledge.

Psalm 19:1-2 BBE (Bible in Basic English)

Do you see God’s glory?

Look up! o man of dust! you creature beneath the night sky — with eyes to see above,

but not so near to the Lord’s glory.

You cannot deny His glory— ALMIGHTY Hands that formed — HIS fire which will refine your flesh into burned away dross scorched in the daytime sun.

There are no words or language;

their voice makes no sound.

Their line has gone out through all the earth,

and their words to the end of the world.

In them has he put a tent for the sun,

Who is like a newly married man coming from his bride-tent,

and is glad like a strong runner starting on his way.

His going out is from the end of the heaven,

and his circle to the ends of it;

there is nothing which is not open to his heat.

Psalm 19:3-6 BBE

David — the king and Psalmist — proclaims a GLORY of the LORD words cannot convey with pictures that only hint of God’s evident greatness.

Now David proceeds to

the benefits of GOD’s law:

The law of the LORD is perfect,
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We do NOT like the LAW — we resist it— we rebel against it — for the laws and precepts of every mortal man are imperfect. 

AND, by contrast, 

the Law of the Lord— like Almighty GOD — is perfect and good and breathes life into fallen flesh and our impure soul. 
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The law of the LORD is perfect,

reviving the soul;

the testimony of the LORD is sure,

making wise the simple;

the precepts of the LORD are right,

rejoicing the heart;

the commandment of the LORD is pure,

enlightening the eyes;

the fear of the LORD is clean,

enduring for ever;

the ordinances of the LORD are true,

and righteous altogether.

Psalm 19:7-9 RSV

FEAR in the Face of HIS GLORY

the fear of the LORD is clean,

enduring for ever;

the ordinances of the LORD are true,

and righteous altogether.

Psalm 19:9 RSV

fear (of Yᵊhōvâ) -yir’â -יִרְאָה
- fear, terror
- awesome or terrifying thing (object causing fear)
- fear (of God), respect, reverence, piety
- revered
Psalm 2 connects this fear of the LORD not only with trembling, but with rejoicing or reiterating our joy.

Serve the LORD with reverential awe

and rejoice with trembling.

Psalm 2:11 CSB
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David's Psalm becomes practically proverbial in teaching why WE must not only FEAR the LORD, 
but also OBEY his LAW 
and instructions (or ordinances). 
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They [God’s ordinances] are more desirable than gold —

than an abundance of pure gold;

and sweeter than honey dripping from a honeycomb.

In addition, your servant is warned by them,

and in keeping them there is an abundant reward.

Psalm 19:10-11 CSB
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Note that the king (David) humbly proclaims himself — though sovereign over men — as a SERVANT of the LORD. 

MORE fatherly advice: 
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But who can discern their own errors?

Forgive [lit. ‘acquit me – a legal determination] my hidden faults.

Keep your servant also from willful sins;

may they not rule over me.

Then I will be blameless,

innocent [lit. acquitted] of great transgression.

Psalm 19:12-13 NIV

Redeemed for our transgressions

How can a mere man stand before the glory of the Lord our God?

David intercedes in his Psalm on behalf of his loyal subjects. (For his mercy endures forever. – Psalm 136)

transgression (84x), trespass (5x), sin (3x), rebellion (1x). – pešaʿ -פֶּשַׁע

AND you have heard it before — from the later prophesy of Isaiah long after the fall of King David’s chosen nation.

But He was pierced through for our transgressions,
He was crushed for our iniquities;
The chastening for our peace fell upon Him,
And by His wounds we are healed.
Isaiah 53:5 LSB – of the suffering servant

Even Christ JESUS — Son of David; Son of Man — the very Son of the Father — born in the flesh and crucified for the redemption of those chosen to eternal life — will return in his GLORY!!!

David’s familiar benediction:
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a plea of my own heart frequently heard from the pulpit by the flock of Christ as an invitation to receive Scripture into your own heart: 
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Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
be acceptable in your sight,
O LORD, my rock and my redeemer.

Psalm 19:14 ESV

Secure Links to sources
June 21, 2025
INTRO to our Story of The Gardener, the Shepherd and the Hunter
INTRODUCTION: Once upon a time...

I love a story that begins, Once upon a time, don’t you?

Your parents may have used different names for stories like this:
- Fairy Tales, Fables, Adventures, Fantasies, Science fiction. (I think Disney has a ‘LAND‘ for every one of them.)
- Romances… (You know, “.. AND THEY LIVED HAPPILY EVER AFTER.”)
- SuperHERO stories, cartoons, comics, games, and movies.
As a parent if I were to tell you our secret about any ‘Once upon a time‘ STORY, then I must confess that even though we call them CHILDREN’S STORIES, almost EVERY parent loves these stories too.

‘Once upon a time‘ STORIES are FICTION.

That is to say, they are NOT TRUE. And even some grown-ups forget that.

BUT.. these stories may tell an important truth to us.

ANY STORY may include an illustration of times in life beyond the bounds of time and place – a picture of some person at some time in some place that we cannot see, hear or touch.

These stories may have men or women, boys or girls..

sometimes even animals we might like to be like.. or must be careful not to be..

or worse yet, those people, creatures and things we must stay away from altogether.

HEROES or VILLAINS (good or bad) may have been like someone we know (or don’t want to know). They may be just like real people who lived ‘once upon a time’ who we have never met.

THIS ‘once upon a time’ story, although it is FICTION, also includes some NON-FICTION characters at times – men and women who teach us good things for these times from their REAL lives a time long ago.. or even a time after any of us can imagine.

Parables, Allegories, Myths and more
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As part of my introduction to The Gardener, the Shepherd and the Hunter my intent is not to instruct you in literature, but rather to provoke additional thought about Scripture and my serial story which follows. - Roger Harned
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a Parable

You have read or heard many parables, especially those told by JESUS, written down for our instruction in the Gospels of the Bible.
- DID JESUS REALLY SEE THESE THINGS HAPPEN?
  - NO, I think. (I cannot be certain.)
- DO THE PARABLES OF JESUS illustrate TRUTH?
  - YES, Jesus paints pictures in His Words of absolute inviolable truths.
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I will open my mouth in a parable;
I will tell riddles of old,
Which we have heard and known,
And our fathers have told us.
We will not conceal them from their children,
But we will tell the generation to come the praises of the LORD,
And His power and His wondrous works that He has done. 
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CLICK HERE FOR ALL of Psalm 78 – A contemplative, moral instructive song of Asaph.
Listen, my people, to my instruction;
Incline your ears to the words of my mouth.

an Allegory
- a story, play, picture, etc. in which each character or event is a symbol representing an idea or a quality, such as truth, evil, death, etc.
  - – source: the Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary
Some Bible Stories are allegories.

The Holy Bible also contains fictional truths told as allegories in addition to many oral (or verbal) histories — each told, then later recorded in writing, as accounts of TRUE history, i.e. non-fiction.
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I believe that Moses' creation narrative may be an allegory -- a most accurate illustration of the truths of God and creation, good and evil; 
a screenshot outside of time (to update his picture) of THAT WHICH NO MAN can see of life (eternal or otherwise) and death.
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Theologians have debated such truths of the Bible for millennia; but we must not dismiss God’s Truth by any misconception of man which debates the literal and symbolic of any of God’s Scripture. – RH
Your COMMENT is welcome about God, Creation, Moses, JESUS or the Bible.
Roger@TalkofJESUS.com

The Gardener, the Shepherd and the Hunter

The story I introduce here today is neither parable or allegory, but quotes Biblical truth.

However, if you would like to sample a classic allegory from English literature, check out the best-loved Christian allegory of all time:

CLICK HERE to READ this classic English allegory,

“The Pilgrim’s Progress”

Myths and Fables
- myth –
- a story from ancient times, especially one that was told to explain natural events or to describe the early history of a people; this type of story; SYNONYM legend
  - ancient Greek myths
  - a creation myth (= that explains how the world began)
  - the heroes of myth and legend
    source: the Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary
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Permit me just one comment on this widely accepted definition of myth:  

Ancient Greek, Roman and eastern religion myths include gods (idols), legendary heroes (often gods or early icons of the faith), and a creation myth which includes one or more of the above. 

Many will attempt to dismiss ALL explanations of creation as false BECAUSE THESE ARE 'CREATION MYTHS;' however one explanation of creation must be TRUE (for the heavens and earth exist). 
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The stories of the LORD GOD and creation describe life beyond the bounds of time and place;
therefore creatures that we are, man can neither prove nor refute the eternal and immeasurable beyond this brief mortal life.
Roger@TalkofJESUS.com
- fables
- a fictitious narrative or statement: such as
  - a legendary story of supernatural happenings
  - a narration intended to enforce a useful truth
    especially : one in which animals speak and act like human beings
  - FALSEHOOD, LIE
  - source: Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary,
Fantasies

Many will know of or have read a famous Christian fantasy:

visit Narnia.com

C.S. Lewis also tells a favorite of mine appropriate for teens and especially adults, a story about two devils: Screwtape and his bumbling apprentice, Wormwood.
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C.S. Lewis delves into moral questions about good v. evil, temptation, repentance and grace. - source:
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A TIMELESS CLASSIC ON ‘HELL’S LATEST NOVELTIES AND HEAVEN’S UNANSWERABLE ANSWER’.

our Story of Three Characters
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It's up to you to solve the mystery of each to learn who they are.
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The Gardener, the Shepherd and the Hunter

NEXT: ACT 1: The Gardener
March 26, 2022