Adonai – Judy in the Sky

Read Psalm 40 – Beloved, I am in a season. I have been rereading Deuteronomy 12 and my mind wanders. Heavy things are happening in my life and I am desperate for something more intimate than the cautions to the Israelites.
I share this, not for pity, but that you may also be attune to times when you need to change gears… God’s Word is not labor. It is His gift to us that we may know Him and how he delights to draw us near.
When I was pouring out my heart this morning and feeling like a disappointment; he drew me to Psalm 40. “I waited patiently for ADONAI, till he turned toward me and heard my cry. He brought me up from the roaring pit, up from the muddy ooze, and set my feet on a rock, making my footing firm. He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God. Many will look on in awe and put their trust in ADONAI.” 40:1-3. I am using my COMPLETE JEWISH STUDY BIBLE today… there’s something about the richness of their word for the LORD, ‘ADONAI’, that makes my heart swoon.
And the air around me was feeling like muddy ooze – life can get so heavy – and knowing that God’s Word can relate to my heart does give me the ‘song of praise’ King David mentions.
“How much you have done, ADONAI my God! Your wonders and your thoughts toward us – none can compare with you! I would proclaim them, I would speak about them; but there’s too much to tell!” :4 Beloved, gratitude changes the very air we breathe!
My friends, can you join me today in this life giving Psalm? How is the LORD, ADONAI, reaching out to your heart in these precious 17 verses? He is great and glorious, our helper and rescuer, there is joy to be had for all who seek him… I’ll let you go on your own treasure hunt for these; they are all found in Psalm 40.

Read Genesis 11 – We can be dangerous people when left to our own devices.

Verse :1 sounds lovely, everyone understood each other with one language. But take a look at verse :4, THEN THEY SAID, “COME, LET’S BUILD OURSELVES A CITY WITH A TOWER THAT HAS ITS TOP REACHING UP INTO HEAVEN, SO THAT WE CAN MAKE A NAME FOR OURSELVES AND NOT BE SCATTERED ALL OVER THE EARTH.” What’s missing? God is missing – any level of reverence for Him – obedience is missing – God said, “Be fruitful and multiply throughout the earth.” These people wanted to challenge God. They wanted to reach the heavens. They wanted to gather together when God said to spread out over the earth.

I had the privilege of having a well versed Jewish passenger yesterday who was happy to answer my inquiry about Nimrod during our 5 hour flight. He said Nimrod was believed to be the architect behind the tower of Babel, and that he was a hunter before Adonai (that’s the Hebrew word for God… I love it, it feels rich and reverent when I speak it. Try it on. It’s beautiful.) In other words, Nimrod hunted men. He wanted to rule the world, and, same old story as in the garden, be god.

This does not escape the LORD’s attention. He responds by saying, “Come, let’s go down and confuse their language,”:7. Isn’t that radical? First, we get another subtle reference to the trinity with “Let’s”. Second, the LORD doesn’t destroy the tower; He confuses the language…. thereby, confusing the people and returning them to His commission to spread out over the earth without taking away their free-will.

Chapter 11 then goes into the lineage from Noah’s son, Shem, to Abram, who will become Abraham, who will become the first Hebrew patriarch.

Beloved, can you think of a time you were headed down a path of sin, and the LORD intervened to get you back on course? It was probably something from left field. There is no such thing as a coincidence. 🏗🏙💬📖☝🙌🌏