Wednesday 11 December 2019

Psalm: Psalm 103

Background

It was comforting to the Jews to believe that one day their faith would be vindicated. On this not-too-significant hilltop – Mount Zion (a figurative way of saying 'Jerusalem') - their god would appear in glory and show that the people had been right to put their trust in God.

But the appearance or manifestation was not merely so that the Jews could be vindicated. It was also so the world could be delivered. That, in essence, took some of the cause of Jewish pride away. Because God dealt with a certain people in certain ways, there is hope for all humanity.

"Feast of rich food" also translates as "a feast of fatness". To a people who did not have to worry about cholesterol, the fat portions of the meat were the best. These were the portions of sacrifices reserved for God (Leviticus 3:3; 4:8-9), but here, God, acting as host, is giving the rich food to the people.

But before humans can experience the joy of God's great feast, something must be done about the shroud of death which awaits all on every pathway. This will cause them to come to the feast with veiled faces. But God will swallow death, not merely remove its cold blight.

In verses 9-10, the theme turns from the salvation of the nations to the prior judgement, with Moab - a mountainous strip in modern-day Jordan - symbolising the rest of the nations. God wishes to deliver all the peoples of the world, but does this mean all will respond to the invitation?

Although it had seemed impossibly long at the time, eventually the 'waiting' will have been shown to be worth it all and the people burst into song (see Revelation 6:9-11; 7:9-12).

To Ponder:

• In verses 7-8 we are told of God's conquest of death and God's offer of the feast of life. Are there any parallels that we can draw from this text which could relate to the teaching of the New Testament?
• Who would you want to sit down next to at a feast for all peoples? How would you respond to people you are surprised to see there?