Psalm 68:4-5

NASB	NLT	VOICE
4 Sing to God, sing praises to His name; Exalt him who rides through the deserts, Whose name is the Lord, and be jubilant before Him.	4 Sing praises to God and to his name! Sing loud praises to him who rides the clouds. His name is the Lord – rejoice in his presence!	4 Sing songs of praise to the name that belongs to the True God! Let your voices ring out in songs of praise to Him, the One who rides through the deserted places. His name is the Eternal; celebrate in His glorious presence.
5 A father of the fatherless. And a judge for the widow, Is God in His Holy dwelling.	5 Father to the fatherless, defender of widows – this is God, whose dwelling is holy.	5 The True God who inhabits sacred space is a father to the fatherless, a defender of widows.

Singing was a communal activity often with instruments. Sing praises to God was a way to express significance to God’s character and attribute. In the Hebrew culture, it represented the essence and authority of who God was. They celebrated God’s eternal presence and his covenantal faithfulness. The imagery of God riding on the clouds is a way to depict his power and majestic qualities. In ancient Near Eastern culture, deities were often associated with the sky and weather – but the Bible uniquely attributes this power to God only. Using the Hebrew name of God – Yahweh – signifies God’s self-existence, eternal nature, and faithfulness to His promise. A reminder of God’s identity and His relationship with His people. Rejoicing is an expression of joy and gratitude of God’s presence and blessing. Rejoicing was associated with festivals and community, where people celebrated God’s provision and protection.

This rejoicing is something that we can incorporate into our daily life. Worship is a time where we express our gratitude for God’s provision and protection. God is the ultimate source of what we receive. God provides everything that we need and the resources needed to achieve them as we progress through life. God, through the Holy Spirit, will help us achieve a balance where we’re not taking more than we need, but allowing us to use our resources to honor God and take care of our neighbors and community.

God’s compassionate nature is for those who are vulnerable and marginalized. In ancient Israel, orphans were among some of the most defenseless people of society, lacking the protection and provision of a family. The idea of God as a father to the fatherless emphasizes His role as a protector and provider. Widows were often left without support in the patriarchal society of ancient Israel. God’s active role in ensuring justice for those who cannot defend themselves. God has ultimate care for the vulnerable – this is a great representation of who he truly is.

As believers, we are called to reflect God’s character by caring for the vulnerable and marginalized in our communities. We are in a time when a lot of people outside of the white, heterosexual, Christian men are being stripped of their rights and their ability to live a life that God created them to live. It’s not only happening here in the United States, but all over the world. We must work to stand up and speak up for those who are vulnerable. We must dedicate some time, energy, and resources to making sure each person God had created has the rights to a quality life that we have. If we can’t be in the middle of the work needed to ensure this, we must speak up. Share things on your socials. Have tough conversations with your community. Speak to your representatives and ensure that they hear your concern. We must show his love through our actions. Put your money where your mouth is.

Psalm 40:3

NASB	NLT	VOICE
3 He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God; Many will see and fear And will trust in the Lord.	3 He has given me a new song to sing, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see what he has done and be amazed. They will put their trust in the Lord.	3 As if that were not enough, because of Him my mind is clearing up. Now I have a new song to sing – a song of praise to the One who saved me. Because of what He’s done, many people will see and come to trust in the Eternal.

New songs were often sung in response to what God has done. Placing that song in one’s soul shows us that true worship originates from God’s actions in our life. What these songs can be are a way to build community, to connect with the same goodness and provision that God gives to each of us. People will hear this and potentially be led to reverence and awe. Fear is not about terror, but a profound respect and recognition of God’s power and holiness. It’s a sign of his reality and power. The goal in sharing these songs is to lead others to trust him.  We need to trust God with all of who we are and trust that God is going to take care of us and guide us along our journey. This kind of trust is not passive but involves our dependence and obedience to God.

What we say and do reflects a lot of who are to those around us. Many Christians get this wrong and show others an untrue reflection of who God is. We can even say all the right things, quote the right verses, and teach the right methods – but it’s meaningless if we don’t act them out. Like Paul says in 1 Corinthians 13, “If I gave everything to the poor and sacrificed myself, I could boast on it – but if I didn’t love others, I have nothing.” We should not strive for earthly pleasantries and celebrations but do the work for eternal blessings and earthly progressions.

Psalm 68:33

NASB	NLT	VOICE
33 To Him who rides upon the highest heavens, which are from ancient times; Behold, he speaks with His voice, a mighty voice.	33 Sing to the ones who ride across the ancient heavens, his mighty voice thundering from the sky.	33 To Him who rides high up beyond the heavens, which have been since ancient times, watch and listen. His voice speaks, and it is powerful and strong.

The imagery of God riding across the ancient heaven is reminiscent of ancient Near Eastern depictions of deities of controlling the sky. It connects to the God of Israel as the supreme authority over all creation. God’s mighty voice depicts the idea that God’s word is active and effective.

The teachings of the Bible can feel outdated, antiquated, and inapplicable to our world today, but that’s not true. The teachings of God can be applied at any time for any reason. We often have to look beneath the teaching, parable, the history to obtain the core lesson to apply in the world today. It’s not easy to do this. A lot of Christians have adopted “The Bible says it. I believe it. That settles it,” and that’s a half-truth. We should believe God’s word, but we should wrestle with it and learn how to interpret it for our context today. The context it’s used in is a 2,000-3,500-year-old ancient European and Middle Eastern context. Today, we’re not using European laws for our American context. We have adapted the historical contexts to our world today and have tried to make it work for our society today. The teachings of the Bible should work in the same context. It has the same universal guidelines, but it needs to be adapted to the historical context of the work today.

Deuteronomy 10:18

NASB	NLT	VOICE
18 He executes justice for the orphan and the widow, and shows His love for the stranger by giving him food and clothing.	18 He ensures that orphans and widows receive justice. He shows love to the foreigners living among you and gives them food and clothing.	18 He enforces His justice for the powerless, such as orphans and widows, and He loves foreigners, making sure they have food and clothing.

In ancient Israel, the fatherless and widows were among the most marginalized, lacking the protection and provision typically provided by a male head of household. The Mosaic Law emphasizes the care of these groups – reflecting God’s justice and compassion. The execution of justice implies active intervention, suggesting that God not only cares but acts on behalf of the oppressed. In the ancient Near East, foreigners often had no legal rights or social standing. They were vulnerable to exploitation. This love that God has for the vulnerable is not just emotional, but tangible. Providing food and clothing recognizes meeting the basic human needs – reflecting God’s provision and care. This provision is part of the covenantal relationship between God and His people, where following his commands includes caring for the needy.

God’s love goes beyond what we know. It stretches across ethnic and national boundaries. It hits a human need. We are called to love those and care for those who are different from us. The immigrants and the refugees. The Native Americans and the African Americans. The impoverished and the LGBTQUIA+. God calls us to love other he loves us. God calls us to provide for their needs as God provides for ours. Some of us may not have had the same roadblocks and issues to obtain the basic rights to life, but we need to help ensure everyone has those same rights to life.

Deuteronomy 26:14

NASB	NLT	VOICE
14 I have not eaten of it while mourning, nor have I removed any of it while I was unclean, nor offered any of it to the dead. I have listened to the voice of the Lord my God; I have acted in accordance with everything that You have commanded me.	14 I have not eaten any of it while in mourning; I have not handled it while I was ceremonially unclean; and I have not offered any of it to the dead. I have obeyed the Lord my God and have done everything you commanded me.	14 I haven’t eaten any of it while mourning. I didn’t bring any of it here while I was ritually impure, and I haven’t offered any of it to the dead. I’ve listened to the voice of the Eternal, my God. I’ve done everything You commanded me to do.

In ancient Israel, the sacred portion refers to the tithe (the “it”) or offering that was set apart for God, given to the Levite, the poor, or used in religious feasts. Eating it while in mourning was inappropriate in this culture, because mourning was a time of ritual impurity and grief – not celebration or worship. Being unclean could come from various conditions. Handling the sacred offerings while unclean violated God’s holiness. This was vital to the culture because it emphasized the need for spiritual cleanliness and integrity for worship. Offering these sacrifices to the dead was forbidden. The author brought this up to highlight the Israelites’ commitment to God alone. This declaration of obedience reflected the covenant relationship between God and Israel, where blessings came upon following his commands. It showed the importance of being faithful and obeying God’s commands.

Managing what is dedicated for God with faithfulness is a sign of our trust to his provision. The Bible teaches us that we must give the first 10% of our earnings and dedicate it to him. We trust that God will provide everything we need to live a life that he has called us to live. We also must honor God with our earnings and resources, making sure that we are furthering God’s kingdom and obeying his command with it. When we are using more than what we are called to use, we feel our pride and ego taking over. We must work towards trusting him with what we have, so we can help others.

Next slice of manna: Manna for the Mind #227