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Pastor's Blog April 25, 2019
"God Has Spoken From His Sanctuary"
{Scroll over scripture reference to read the scripture or reference.
Psalm 108:7 says, "God has spoken from his sanctuary: 'In triumph I will parcel out Shechem and measure off the Valley of Succoth'" (NIV). We've seen this passage about holiness before. This same verse is also found in Psalm 60:6 (in fact, Psalm 108:6-13 and Psalm 60:5-12 are exactly the same). And this means that what was true for Psalm 60:6 is also true for Psalm 108:7 - namely, that the Hebrew word for "sanctuary" is literally "holiness," because the word for "sanctuary" in Hebrew is derived from the Hebrew word for holiness. But there is something profoundly different about Psalm 108 that we didn't find in Psalm 60: praise.
The psalmist uses a reference to God's sanctuary/holiness in Psalm 60 as a way to emphasize the fact that God hears us when we lament and bemoan our situation; whether we have rebelled against God or we are simply facing difficult times without a sense of God's presence in our lives, Psalm 60:6 maintains that God is still there and hears us in our dire circumstances. Reference to God's sanctuary/holiness in Psalm 108, however, serves to further clarify why the psalmist is praising God - because Psalm 108 is all about praise to God for his love and faithfulness.
The question we are faced with is why: why do two different psalms use the same reference to God's sanctuary/holiness for two different responses to life? Why does Psalm 60 refer to God's holiness as a sanctuary for the ills we face in life, while Psalm 108 refers to God's holiness as a sanctuary-like response to the goodness we have received from God? I think the reason this verse (and several verses, really) show up verbatim in two very different psalms is because Scripture wants to stress the consistency of God.
Our life circumstances will change; we will find ourselves in discouraging situations at times, followed by joyful life scenarios, followed again by sorrowful ones. But God's holiness as love, faithfulness, and victory meets all the varied situations we face with exactly the same results: God is constantly with us. Literally from the Hebrew, "God says in his holiness" - and God continues to speak to us in his holiness and from within his heavenly sanctuary.
Whether you have rebelled against God, you are up against a wall, or you find yourself rejoicing in what the Lord has done for you, it is heartening to know that God still speaks to you in and from his holiness. God's holiness means he does not give up on us - EVER! And this is a comforting thought.
God Bless.
Pastor Nathaniel Gamble
