Welcome to Day 2803 of Wisdom-Trek. Thank you for joining me.

This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom.

Day 2803 – Wisdom Nuggets – Psalm 115:19-18 – Daily Wisdom

Wisdom-Trek Podcast Script - Day 2803 Welcome to Wisdom-Trek with Gramps! I am Guthrie Chamberlain, and we are on Day 2803 of our Trek. The Purpose of Wisdom-Trek is to create a legacy of wisdom, to seek out discernment and insights, and to boldly grow where few have chosen to grow before. The title for today’s Wisdom-Trek is: The Living Choir – Trusting the Maker of Heaven and Earth Today, we are continuing our grand expedition through the Egyptian Hallel, that magnificent collection of praise songs sung by the Jewish people during the Passover festival. We are stepping into the second half of Psalm One Hundred Fifteen, covering verses nine through eighteen, in the New Living Translation. To properly set the stage, we must remember the theological fireworks from our previous trek. In the first eight verses of Psalm One Hundred Fifteen, the psalmist drew a sharp, mocking contrast between the God of Israel and the gods of the surrounding pagan nations. He declared that our God is in the heavens, doing whatever He pleases, while the idols of the nations are nothing more than dead blocks of wood, silver, and gold. They have mouths but cannot speak, eyes but cannot see, and feet but cannot walk. The chilling warning was that those who make them, and trust in them, will become just like them—spiritually deaf, blind, and paralyzed. Now, in this second half of the psalm, the tone shifts from a theological argument, to a vibrant, liturgical choir. Having exposed the absolute uselessness of the pagan idols, the psalmist turns around to face the congregation of Israel. If the idols are dead, where should we put our trust? The answer rings out in a beautifully structured, responsive song. We will see the congregation divided into three distinct groups, receiving a threefold call to trust, followed by a threefold promise of blessing. Finally, the psalm concludes with a profound statement about cosmic geography, revealing our true human purpose on this earth, and the urgent necessity of praising God while we still have breath in our lungs. So, let us enter the temple courts, and join the choir. Psalm One Hundred Fifteen: verses nine through eleven O Israel, trust the Lord! He is your helper and your shield. O priests, descendants of Aaron, trust the Lord! He is your helper and your shield. All you who fear the Lord, trust the Lord! He is your helper and your shield. Imagine being in the temple courtyard. The worship leader, perhaps the High Priest, stands on the steps, and calls out to different sections of the gathered crowd. This is a responsive liturgy, designed to engage everyone present, regardless of their status or background. First, he addresses the entire covenant nation: "O Israel, trust the Lord!" This is the baseline of their identity. They are the people brought out of Egypt, the physical descendants of Jacob. In a world full of glittering, tempting idols, they are commanded to place their entire weight, their complete confidence, on Yahweh. Second, he turns to the religious leadership: "O priests, descendants of Aaron, trust the Lord!" The house of Aaron had the intense, dangerous job of mediating between a holy God and a sinful people. They handled the sacrifices. They stood in the holy place. Yet, even the spiritual elite cannot rely on their rituals, their lineage, or their religious garments. They, too, must practically, and daily, trust the Lord. Third, he looks beyond the ethnic boundaries of Israel, and addresses a broader group: "All you who fear the Lord, trust the Lord!" In the ancient world, there were many Gentiles—foreigners—who recognized the bankruptcy of paganism, and attached themselves to the God of Israel. They were known as "God-fearers." The psalmist throws the doors wide open. You do not have to be born a physical descendant of Abraham to experience the protection of Yahweh; you simply have to fear Him, revere Him, and trust Him. And what is the congregational response to each call? A resounding, united shout: "He is your helper and your shield." Think about the contrast from the first half of the psalm. An idol needs you to be its helper. If an idol falls over, you have to pick it up. If it gets dusty, you have to polish it. If it needs to move, you have to carry it on your shoulders. But Yahweh is completely different. He carries you. He is the helper, the one who steps into the battle to deliver you. He is the shield, the active, defensive barrier between you and the chaotic forces of the world. You do not protect Him; He protects you. Psalm One Hundred Fifteen: verses twelve through fifteen The Lord remembers us and will bless us. He will bless the people of Israel and bless the priests, the descendants of Aaron. He will bless those who fear the Lord, both great and lowly. May the Lord richly bless both you and your children. May you be blessed by the Lord, who made heaven and earth. When we offer our trust, God responds with His blessing. The psalmist assures the congregation, "The Lord remembers us and will bless us." In the biblical worldview, when God "remembers," it is not merely cognitive recall. It is not as if God suddenly slapped His forehead, and said, "Oh right, I forgot about Israel!" For God to remember, is for God to act upon His covenant promises. When God remembered Noah, He sent a wind to recede the floodwaters. When He remembered Rachel, He opened her womb. When He remembers us, He unleashes His active blessing. Notice how the blessing flows back down to the exact same three groups that were called to trust: the people of Israel, the descendants of Aaron, and those who fear the Lord. God’s blessing is tailored and specific, reaching both the great, and the lowly. The high priest in his jeweled breastplate, and the poorest foreign widow gleaning in the fields, are both equally recipients of divine favor when they trust in Him. Then, the psalmist pronounces a beautiful, generational benediction: "May the Lord richly bless both you and your children." In the Hebrew, it literally reads, "May the Lord add to you, to you and to your children." The blessing of Yahweh is expansive. It multiplies. It is not a stagnant pool; it is a flowing river that spills over the banks of your own life, and waters the soil of the next generation. And the source of this blessing is absolutely crucial: "May you be blessed by the Lord, who made heaven and earth." The idols of the nations did not make the heaven and the earth; they were made from the earth. They are pieces of the creation, shaped by human tools. But Yahweh stands outside the cosmos. He is the uncreated Creator. When you are blessed by Him, you are tapping into the ultimate source of reality. Psalm One Hundred Fifteen: verse sixteen The heavens belong to the Lord, but he has given the earth to all humanity. This single verse is a masterpiece of cosmic geography. It beautifully encapsulates the Ancient Israelite Divine Council worldview, as taught by scholars like Dr. Michael S. Heiser. It explains exactly how the universe is structured, and what our job is within it. "The heavens belong to the Lord." The spiritual realm, the unseen dimensions, the headquarters of the Divine Council—this is Yahweh’s exclusive domain. He is the Most High God, reigning supreme over all spiritual authorities, principalities, and powers. That is His throne room. "...but he has given the earth to all humanity." Here is the stunning paradox of the biblical narrative. God is the sovereign owner of everything, yet He chose to delegate the administration of the physical world to human beings. This takes us all the way back to Genesis Chapter One. God created humans in His own image—His Imago Dei. In the ancient Near East, victorious kings would set up stone images of themselves in distant territories, to declare, "I am the ruler of this land." God did not create stone or wooden idols to represent Himself. He created you. He created humanity. He breathed His Spirit into dirt, and said, "You are my living statues. You are my imagers. I am giving you the earth. Rule it, subdue it, and steward it on my behalf." The pagan nations got it completely backward. They built dead idols, and begged them to bring the power of heaven down to earth. But Yahweh says, "I don't want dead statues. I want living partners. I have given the earth to you. Your job is to reflect my character—my justice, my creativity, and my love—into the physical world." We are the authorized vice-regents of the King. Psalm One Hundred Fifteen: verses seventeen through eighteen The dead cannot sing praises to the Lord,...