Tabernacle of the Holy Spirit

Tabernacle of the Holy Spirit A set of ideas, principles and resources to enable home groups of like-minded believers worldwide. Each Tabernacle is required :

1. Prayer
e. Why the Tabernacle?

The Tabernacle of The Holy Spirit ("The Tabernacle") is a non-denominational Christian organization dedicated to fulfilling the mission given to Christ's disciples in Matthew, and Acts, through encouraging the growth of like-minded Tabernacles throughout the world. To bear witness of the resurrection of Christ to all nations

2. To disciple the elect through:
a. The sacrament of Baptism in the Na

me of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit
b. The sacrament of the Lord's Supper
c. The Ministry of teaching the Word and Doctrine
d. Assembling together to break bread and fellowship

This page is dedicated to providing ideas, principles and resources to enable small groups of like minded, on-fire believers throughout the world minister in the power and might of the Holy Spirit, through discovering their gifts, and using them for the glory of God and His Christ. As living stones, we are the Tabernacle of the Spirit, if it so be, that He birthed, and indwells us. Because we feel that the focus of mainstream churches has become the growing of a congreg*tion for the support of a building/institution, to the pleasing of men rather than God, moving away from faithful expository preaching of the Word, and finally, denying the power and gifts of the Spirit.

08/23/2026

“ To the chief Musician upon Shushaneduth, Michtam of David, to teach; when he strove with Aramnaharaim and with Aramzobah, when Joab returned, and smote of Edom in the valley of salt twelve thousand.

'O God, thou hast cast us off, thou hast scattered us, thou hast been displeased; O turn thyself to us again. Thou hast made the earth to tremble; thou hast broken it: heal the breaches thereof; for it shaketh. Thou hast shewed thy people hard things: thou hast made us to drink the wine of astonishment.

Thou hast given a banner to them that fear thee, that it may be displayed because of the truth. Selah. That thy beloved may be delivered; save with thy right hand, and hear me.

God hath spoken in his holiness;

I will rejoice, I will divide Shechem, and mete out the valley of Succoth. Gilead is mine, and Manasseh is mine; Ephraim also is the strength of mine head; Judah is my lawgiver; Moab is my washpot; over Edom will I cast out my shoe: Philistia, triumph thou because of me.

Who will bring me into the strong city? who will lead me into Edom? Wilt not thou, O God, which hadst cast us off? and thou, O God, which didst not go out with our armies?

Give us help from trouble: for vain is the help of man. Through God we shall do valiantly: for he it is that shall tread down our enemies. “ - Psalm 60

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REJOICE IN THE LORD ALWAYS
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Psalm 60 is profound and complex in its history, the history alluded to in the Psalm, and the thoughts expressed.

The Psalm cannot be certainly dated, for one, though there are opinions as to who may have written it, and of Davids authorship. Verses 5-12 are used verbatim in Psalm 108: 1-13,implying that this psalm, was well known amongst the compilers of the Psalter.

The circumstances in the Title, refer to a period when the Davidic kingdom was prosperous, and not in dire straits.

In 2 Samuel 7, we are told “ And it came to pass, when the king sat in his house, and the LORD had given him rest round about from all his enemies; That the king said unto Nathan the prophet, See now, I dwell in an house of cedar, but the ark of God dwelleth within curtains. “

THEN, in 2 Samuel 8 we hear of Davids campaigns against the Syrians (Aram-Naharaim) , the king of Zobah (Aram-Zobah) , the Moabites, Philistines and Edomites. In all of these, he was successful, till we read.. “2 Sa 8:15” And David reigned over all Israel; and David executed judgment and justice unto all his people. "

The specific citation of Joab, smiting Edom in the valley of salt (12000), generally aligns with David’s campaigns against Syria & Edom (2 Sam 8:13 - And David g*t him a name when he returned from smiting of the --Syrians in the valley of salt, being eighteen thousand men.). It is possible the Edomites chose the same battlefield later, and a similar number defeated by Joab reprising Davids achievement, but it is not elsewhere recorded in scripture.

Nevertheless, there was a time when David WAS “striving” with these kingdoms, and the Psalm self attests to his writing this, during that time, TO TEACH.

Context established, now to the Psalm itself.

“Through God we shall do valiantly: for --he it is that shall tread down our enemies.”

If ever there was a bottom line or a bumper sticker candidate, here it is!

Remember, 2 Samuel 7:1 says David had been given rest from his enemies. There was a rest that he was already enjoying, but his future would hold new trials, and new victories as well. David writes --- because it is GOD who is working out His Plan, everything WE DO in obedience to that (working THROUGH Him), is designed to succeed, and this prophecy was definitely fulfilled in Davids’ lifetime (cf: 2 Samuel 8:15).

The opening, however, seems very alien to David’s at-rest condition.

“O God, thou hast cast us off, thou hast scattered us, thou hast been displeased; O turn thyself to us again. Thou hast made the earth to tremble; thou hast broken it: heal the breaches thereof; for it shaketh. Thou hast shewed thy people hard things: thou hast made us to drink the wine of astonishment. “

The immediate reference is to Israel, but there is a larger application. Israel was certainly visited with calamity from the day they walked out of Egypt. Their travails were not limited to the wilderness, as they had to contend with the peoples of the lands they were dispossessing/conquering.

The Israelites(& Church’s) track record of self-righteous self-reliance on their own judgment, despite the revelations sovereignly granted to them, mirrors that of God’s people today. God has shown both Israel and the church, “hard things”. Difficult things. Terrible things even, where God allows his chosen people to be blinded and in stupor to false doctrine, a doctrine that elevates man over the Sovereign will, Grace & Mercy of God!

What are we to do if God justly turns his face away from us? Go to Him for Mercy!

“Thou hast given a banner to them that fear thee, that it may be displayed because of the truth. Selah. That thy beloved may be delivered; save with thy right hand, and hear me.”

Take His Word as truth, wave his promises aloft as banners that will strike terror in the hearts of the enemy! We ask GOD to SAVE us, His beloved, because WE ARE INCAPABLE OF DOING IT….. how does He respond?

God speaks, IN HIS HOLINESS!

“I WILL REJOICE. “

If you wanted to know the will of God, here is one place you can find it…. And bear in mind, that we are asked to Rejoice in the LORD ALWAYS! ( and the apostle repeats it for emphasis!)

God is DETERMINED to REJOICE!!

The worries of Syria, Edom, Moab are as nothing. Ephraim and Judah are chosen vessels of God’s Mercy, and the other nations are as consequential as utensils used for washing feet, or storing shoes.

The God who cast off, and did not join in battle with Israels armies in anger at their disobedience, waits to show Himself strong on behalf of those who wait on Him. He moves, when we confess that we are utterly unable to turn a single hair of our head from white to black.

He moves to CREATE (not fix) a NEW HEART within us, and RENEW the steadfast Spirit we first possessed before we fell from Grace. He gives us rest from our enemies, and anoints us with the oil of gladness more than others!

May we be always encouraged to look towards Jesus, and not the waves… for the waves bring up all the fears man has been running from since his birth, but Jesus offers us HIS strength and HIS PROMISE to keep us, till we are safely HOME!

Trust in God today, wave His banner over your head like a prize. Go forth in His strength, and with His anointing, and He will move ahead of you to accomplish His will, to rejoice and bring joy to the world around you!

“ I have not spoken in secret, in a dark place of the earth: I said not unto the seed of Jacob, -----Seek ye me in vain-----: I the LORD speak righteousness, I declare things that are right.

Assemble yourselves and come; draw near together, ye that are escaped of the nations: they have no knowledge that set up the wood of their graven image, and pray unto a god that cannot save.
Tell ye, and bring them near; yea, let them take counsel together:

who hath declared this from ancient time? who hath told it from that time? have not I the LORD? and there is no God else beside me; a just God and a Saviour; there is none beside me.

Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else.

I have sworn by myself, the word is gone out of my mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, That unto me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear.

Surely, shall one say, in the LORD have I righteousness and strength: even to him shall men come; and all that are incensed against him shall be ashamed.

In the LORD shall all the seed of Israel be justified, and shall glory. “ – Isaiah 45:19-25

Hallelujah!!!

08/16/2026

“To the chief Musician, Altaschith, Michtam of David; when Saul sent, and they watched the house to kill him.

Deliver me from mine enemies, O my God: defend me from them that rise up against me. Deliver me from the workers of iniquity, and save me from bloody men.

For, lo, they lie in wait for my soul: the mighty are g*thered against me; not for my transgression, nor for my sin, O LORD. They run and prepare themselves without my fault: awake to help me, and behold.

Thou therefore, O LORD God of hosts, the God of Israel, awake to visit all the heathen: be not merciful to any wicked transgressors. Selah.

They return at evening: they make a noise like a dog, and go round about the city. Behold, they belch out with their mouth: swords are in their lips: for who, say they, doth hear?

But thou, O LORD, shalt laugh at them; thou shalt have all the heathen in derision.

Because of his strength will I wait upon thee: for God is my defence.
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The God of my mercy shall prevent me: God shall let me see my desire upon mine enemies.

Slay them not, lest my people forget: scatter them by thy power; and bring them down, O Lord our shield. For the sin of their mouth and the words of their lips let them even be taken in their pride: and for cursing and lying which they speak.

Consume them in wrath, consume them, that they may not be: and let them know that God ruleth in Jacob unto the ends of the earth. Selah.

And at evening let them return; and let them make a noise like a dog, and go round about the city. Let them wander up and down for meat, and grudge if they be not satisfied.

But I will sing of thy power; yea, I will sing aloud of thy mercy in the morning: for thou hast been my defence and refuge in the day of my trouble. Unto thee, O my strength, will I sing: for God is my defence, and the God of my mercy.” (Psa 59:1-17, KJV)

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A pack of hungry Dogs, outside a City at evening
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Psalm 58, showed us vivid imagery pertaining to justice perverted, and the character of those perverting it. A deaf and poisonous snake, a snail ( seemingly melting into the ground ), thorns crackling into flame and instantly being consumed… ( ref:our previous post )

This time, we have them characterized as —feral canines, wandering around a CITY, baring their teeth at it — scrounging for scrap & food, but going to bed with their stomachs and mouths growling with dissatisfaction at their appointed ration.

Picture this image, but imagine the City as being THE celestial city spoken of in Revelation 21, and the wicked, as humans, that have been resurrected, but that are NOT permitted inside the city, ever!

The fact that entrance to the —-City is —restricted, is clearly documented— “ And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb's book of life. “ - Rev 21:27

The fact that there is a WITHOUT ( external to the city ), is also clearly given, for confirmation ( two or three witnesses are required, and this Psalm would be a third witness ) - “ Blessed are they that do his commandments —- , that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the g*tes into the city. For —-without—- are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie.” - Rev 22:15

Citizens are EXPECTED TO BE commandment keepers! Now, and always !

Breaking them, in the New Heaven and New Earth, bars you from entry to the city. You may live on the new Earth, eating of it as you wish, living a long and healthy life ( Isaiah talks about extended lifespans ) , but you WILL eventually die —- because eating from the tree of Life, the key to rejuvenation, WILL BE denied to those that fit the description in the verse above!

Don’t kill the wicked - the Psalm says - let them be a constant reminder of the consequences of Sin, but render them completely powerless

“Slay them not, lest my people forget: scatter them by thy power; and bring them down, O Lord our shield. For the sin of their mouth and the words of their lips let them even be taken in their —pride: and for cursing and lying which they speak. “

Pride is a difficult thing to deal with…. one could lay the root of all human suffering at its door …. the fact that a being could plot to replace its Creator… is a plot line introduced only in the Bible!! Clearly, this issue will always be a possibility, as it was when Satan sinned.

GOD will be The Vindication of the Righteous, those that keep His commandments as their conscience instructs them, those that do not delight in lying, anger, immorality! Keeping such alive, but completely powerless is judgment on a scale we cannot comprehend, and is what has been revealed, for the benefit of BOTH Earth, and Heaven!

Yes, those that have accepted Jesus, been martyred for the Father and His Christ, will be joint-heirs with Him, have privileges to be kings and priests with Him, represent and judge men and angels.

But there is a vast section of humanity that takes no delight in evil, and they will have their just reward of eternal life!

And there is a company of the recalcitrant… that will never obey, be retained and shown mercy, as an object lesson, generation after generation. Blessed to still be part of Creation, but begrudging their lot… their lack of prey….and destined to ultimately wither away. Is their fate worse than the truly vile, consumed and exiled with Satan and His angels in the lake of Fire? You be the judge….

“Consume them in wrath, consume them, that they may not be: and let them know that God ruleth in Jacob unto the —ends of the earth—. Selah. “

“Deliver us from evil” is a phrase we pray often, “Deliver me from the workers of iniquity, and save me from bloody men”… is an echo of that sentiment. That Prayer was answered in Egypt, in Israel ( David ), in Jesus, and we are amazed to see that Deliverance coming closer and closer, in ever greater clarity, as we look at what is unfolding around us!

Every Word, written in this book, is there for a reason. Sometimes you have to dig deep, sometimes it is graciously revealed…. but it is always CONSISTENT with everything that goes before, or comes after it! Skipping the Psalms is NOT recommended if you want to know the FULL COUNSEL of God !!

The next few chapters of human history ( the Tribulation/Glorious Appearing of Christ/ the Millennium/ the New Earth ) are likely to be as interesting and dynamic… new conditions, new environment…. how will we do?!?! We don’t need to speculate, as ALL of this information has been given to us in advance!

“But thou, O LORD, shalt laugh at them; thou shalt have all the heathen in derision. “

Again, the words from this Psalm, bear witness to an earlier one, that will conclude this study.

Psalm 2 says, “ Why are the nations in an uproar, And the peoples devising a vain thing? The kings of the earth take their stand And the rulers take counsel together Against the Lord and against His Anointed, saying,”Let us tear their fetters apart And cast away their cords from us!”

He who sits in the heavens laughs,The Lord scoffs at them.”

Then He will speak to them in His anger And terrify them in His fury, saying, “But as for Me, I have installed My King Upon Zion, My holy mountain.” I will surely tell of the decree of the Lord: He said to Me, ‘You are My Son, Today I have begotten You. Ask of Me, and I will surely give the nations as Your inheritance, And the very ends of the earth as Your possession. You shall break them with a rod of iron,You shall shatter them like earthenware.’ ”

Now therefore, O kings, show discernment;Take warning, O judges of the earth. Worship the Lord with reverence And rejoice with trembling. Do homage to the Son, that He not become angry, and you perish in the way, For His wrath may soon be kindled. How blessed are all who take refuge in Him!”

Hallelujah!!!

08/04/2026

“And thou shalt remember all the way which the LORD thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness, to humble thee, and to prove thee, to know what was in thine heart, whether thou wouldest keep his commandments, or no.

And he humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that he might make thee know that —-man doth not live by bread only,—- but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the LORD —- doth man live.” - Deuteronomy 8:2-3

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Bread from Heaven
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When Christ referred to Himself as a new manna, ( the Bread of Life ) remember the verse He quoted to Satan when asked to turn stones into bread, in the wilderness of Judea? —- Man does not live by bread alone ( highlighted above ).

Man’s needing Bread to Eat to live ( Jesus had been fasting for 40 days when this test was given to Him ) is a reality every human has to go through, to live.

But simply existing, is not man’s ultimate goal. Our mental and spiritual lives, are governed by —language—, and we need that to live in the company of fellow humans, to enjoy what we would call “ Life”. Life is more than just living!

Jesus, The LORD, & the Spirit, are PHYSICALLY combined here,on record in the Bible, as saying that God’s Moral Laws are more essential than Bread, and personified in Christ… who is the —Word of God.

The text is from the Hebrew Bible—, Jesus, like Israel (both placed in the wilderness), representatives of Mankind who at a minimum, were conversant with it,the historical happenings of the Exodus, and the Israelites wanderings towards Canaan.

A history uniting God, PHYSICALLY, with Mankind, both of God with Moses/& Israel, and of Jesus (who would make bread & wine, a symbol of His love) with mankind -real, physically starving humans, in the Judean wilderness.
That Word, makes —God, the author of human natural & spiritual life, everything that is, and —not Man!

Israel ( and mankind, through Jesus ) are tested with their adversity in a wilderness, but a new food, is DIVINELY PROVIDED, to bring them to — a KNOWLEDGE of the Person of God, and an UNDERSTANDING of the importance of Gods Word/Law, to their existence!

Life, and Language are capabilities that are not of basic origin, and neither is human history, corporate, or individual. There are no accidents in Gods universe.

Just as Israel received a moral law that mankind could not conceive ( love your neighbor ), and bread, that no human had ever eaten before —— there is the gift of sentience to every individual human, then, the knowledge of the God of the Bible, His Christ & the Gospel —- all divinely Gifted !!….( which, just by the way, also includes eternal Life! )

In an eternally, LIVING SOCIETY, there are rules. Food, Shelter, Healthcare taken of, what are people expected to do? Whatever they please!! … and that is the reason for the test down here, to see what choices you make, in the light of Gods Word.

The Ten Commandments are one standard, but loving our neighbor? Showing the love of Christ? ( Who has time for that… and they don’t deserve it anyway… we may be lucky we don’t have to live next door to yours! )

—— If all you ever did, was known to everyone you ever knew, and you had to live with them FOREVER… what would you do differently tomorrow ?——

Now consider the kindness of God in giving you rich and great promises, even eternal life, if you would simply treat your neighbor as He treats you!

Christ is the Manna, that came down to show us the Life that is in God, and leave an unmistakable witness, for all humanity after that!

—-We can’t save ourselves, God has to do it!—-

He kindly reveals His hand in our physical and spiritual life—a daily provision of bread ( for which we are to thank Him daily )…and our spiritual manna for Life as we walk through the wilderness of the world.

We thank Him for our Salvation, humbly acknowledging, that this is not knowledge equally evident to all mankind, but His Graciousness in drawing us sovereignly, and giving us the gifts of being called the sons and daughters of God!

The next few verses in Deuteronomy talk about His blessings in spiritual, and physical terms, but if we have experienced Life, Liberty, and happiness in this world, that would be enough, right there! But He has said, ETERNAL LIFE, and proven it by raising Christ from the dead, to quote the most important example!

Think once more, how would you live your life eternally here, if that began RIGHT NOW. Death is a bridge we all have to cross, but what if eyes closed here, is eyes open, there… and we carry right along, with people we know or knew!!! Tempting… but while we’re here, listening to the voice of God, should be our #1 priority…and that means going about our business as faithful stewards of the hope that is within us!

If Only Christians could be to the world, what the LORD intended for Israel ! But then again, if Israel hadn’t been disobedient, millions would not have received the blessing of the Gospel!

Read the text above again, ( and the blessings after it yourself in Deuteronomy ) , and then think of how much more, we have to be thankful for His Grace, all our lives!!

Hallelujah!!

08/01/2026

"To the chief Musician, Altaschith, Michtam of David.

Do ye indeed speak righteousness, O congreg*tion? do ye judge uprightly, O ye sons of men? Yea, in heart ye work wickedness; ye weigh the violence of your hands in the earth.

The wicked are estranged from the womb: they go astray as soon as they be born, speaking lies.

Their poison is like the poison of a serpent: they are like the deaf adder that stoppeth her ear; Which will not hearken to the voice of charmers, charming never so wisely.

Break their teeth, O God, in their mouth: break out the great teeth of the young lions, O LORD. Let them melt away as waters which run continually: when he bendeth his bow to shoot his arrows, let them be as cut in pieces.

As a snail which melteth, let every one of them pass away: like the untimely birth of a woman, that they may not see the sun. Before your pots can feel the thorns, he shall take them away as with a whirlwind, both living, and in his wrath.

The righteous shall rejoice when he seeth the vengeance: he shall wash his feet in the blood of the wicked.

So that a man shall say, Verily there is a reward for the righteous: verily he is a God that judgeth in the earth." - Psalm 58 (KJV)

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Justice as Inevitable as Mercy, and Protection
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Psalm 58 belongs to a category scholars call the "imprecatory psalms" — prayers that call down God's judgment on evildoers, and it is the first of its nature that we have come across, in our ongoing study of the Psalter.

It is an indictment, delivered via a sequence of images that are unforgettable, and should serve to keep this Psalm in your memory, whenever you are angry at crimes and misdemeanors in high offices!

David opens with a challenge to rulers ("you gods," meaning human authorities acting as judges): "Do you indeed decree what is right?"

The picture is a courtroom where the scales are rigged — judges who were supposed to protect the vulnerable are instead the ones "dealing out violence" with their own hands. It's an image of institutional corruption: the very people meant to guard justice have become its enemy. The leaders the people trusted to look after them, are instead interested only in themselves! Sound familiar?

How did this come to pass?

"The wicked are estranged from the womb; they go astray from birth, speaking lies."

This isn't saying babies are born committing crimes — it's poetic shorthand for how deep-rooted sin can be. Think of a plant with a twisted root: the crookedness isn't just in the branches; it's baked in from the start. David is naming how stubborn and early forming evil can be, in a life left unchecked. The grossly misshapen form in the adult/geriatric phase is a record of a history of consistently choosing evil and the wrong path, from early childhood!

"They have venom like the venom of a serpent, like the deaf adder that stops its ear, so that it does not hear the voice of charmers."

In the ancient world, snake charmers were known for calming even dangerous snakes with sound.Tthis snake is different — it has plugged its own ears. No amount of wisdom, correction, or appeal reaches it. That's a picture of a heart so hardened that even good counsel bounces off. It's not that truth wasn't offered; it's that the listener refused to listen.

"O God, break the teeth in their mouths; tear out the fangs of the young lions."

The snake image shifts to a lion — a predator built to devour. Breaking its teeth doesn't kill it; it disarms it. David isn't asking God to torture anyone for sport. He's asking God to strip evil of its power to harm others. It's the image of a weapon being taken out of a violent hand.

"Let them vanish like water that runs away; when he aims his arrows, let them be blunted."

Picture rainwater on hard-packed desert ground — it doesn't soak in and nourish anything; it just runs off and disappears, leaving no lasting mark. And an archer's arrow that's blunted never seriously wounds or kills its target. Both images say the same thing: let evil's plans fail to land. Let them come to nothing.

"Let them be like the snail that dissolves into slime, like the stillborn child who never sees the sun."

Ancient observers believed a snail's slime trail was literally the snail's body wasting away as it moved — leaving a little less of itself behind with every inch. It's an image of self-consuming decay, evil that erodes itself from the inside. The second image, the stillborn child, is the rawest picture of a life with no future at all. Together, these images express the completeness of the appeal: not a partial stop to evil, but its –total-- undoing.

"Sooner than your pots can feel the heat of thorns, whether green or ablaze, may he sweep them away!"

Thorn branches burn fast and hot but briefly — barely enough to warm a cooking pot before burning out. David is asking for speed: let judgment come before evil even has time to finish "cooking" its plans.

The righteous will rejoice... he will bathe his feet in the blood of the wicked."

This is battlefield language for total, decisive victory — not David cheering personal revenge, but a picture of how completely evil will be reversed when God finally judges rightly.

And then the psalm makes it its real point, the verse the whole poem has been building toward:

"Surely there is a reward for the righteous; surely there is a God who judges on earth" (v. 11).

Every violent image before this verse exists to make one thing clear: God sees, and God judges — for real, in this world, not just someday in theory.

If the Psalms prior to this one have been CLEAR about the fact that there is a God that can be TRUSTED to Save, Redeem, Protect, and Nurture us, the same book tells us that He is Righteous, and every soul will be given its JUST reward for the deeds done in their bodies!

Hallelujah!!

07/26/2026

“To the chief Musician, Altaschith, Michtam of David, when he fled from Saul in the cave.

Be merciful unto me, O God, be merciful unto me: for my soul trusteth in thee: yea, in the shadow of thy wings will I make my refuge, until these calamities be overpast.

I will cry unto God most high; unto God that performeth all things for me. He shall send from heaven, and save me from the reproach of him that would swallow me up.

Selah. God shall send forth his mercy and his truth.

My soul is among lions: and I lie even among them that are set on fire, even the sons of men, whose teeth are spears and arrows, and their tongue a sharp sword.

Be thou exalted, O God, above the heavens; let thy glory be above all the earth.

They have prepared a net for my steps; my soul is bowed down: they have digged a pit before me, into the midst whereof they are fallen themselves.

Selah. My heart is fixed, O God, my heart is fixed: I will sing and give praise.

Awake up, my glory; awake, psaltery and harp: I myself will awake early. I will praise thee, O Lord, among the people: I will sing unto thee among the nations.

For thy mercy is great unto the heavens, and thy truth unto the clouds. Be thou exalted, O God, above the heavens: let thy glory be above all the earth.” - Psalm 57

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A Light in the Darkness
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Last weeks Psalm was written when David escaped the Philistines by feigning madness. “ A silent dove amongst strangers” was the imagery in the Title and it uniquely summarized the plight of a helpless person in a foreign land, when every hand was against them.

This week, we have the words “Destroy not” , for that is what the word “Altaschith” means, and the imagery/context is that of a person, hiding like an animal in a cave, while lions rage outside, looking to devour.

The timeline of this Psalm could be immediately after the feigned madness of David in 1 Samuel 21:10-15. David has fled from Gath, and is holed up in a cave, at Adullam. He will be joined here by his father, mother, his brothers, and malcontents of various stripes from Judah that are unhappy with Saul, about four hundred men (1 Samuel 22:1-2). He will take all these to Moab ( another foreign country) where he will leave his father and mother as —hostage's — in Moab for a while, before being warned by Gad, a prophet, to get out of there as well.

Alternatively, it could have been inspired by the events of the cave at Engedi ( 1 Samuel 24 ) Here David was hiding from Saul’s men in the recesses of the cave, and had an opportunity to kill Saul ( when Saul went into the cave to relieve himself) , but he forbore, taking only a piece of cloth from Saul’s clothing, and later showing it to Saul as evidence that he bore him no ill-will.

This greatly moved the heart of Saul towards David for a while, he wept and said … “ And he said to David, Thou art more righteous than I: for thou hast rewarded me good, whereas I have rewarded thee evil. And thou hast shewed this day how that thou hast dealt well with me: forasmuch as when the LORD had delivered me into thine hand, thou killedst me not.” — Saul finally realized that David WOULD be king after him, and he asked David to swear that David would treat his family with the mercy that David had shown him (a vow David took and would later fulfill) and left him alone for a while.

This happy outcome is most likely what inspired this Psalm, given the twin themes of persecution, and joyous praise we see from the pen of David!

David’s actions bore WITNESS of the nature of God, who is both MERCIFUL, and RIGHTEOUS —- who could be totally justified in DESTROYING us, but spares our lives, and those of our children as well!

What a testimony, glowing as a light from the darkest depths of a CAVE, and the agonies of a persecuted soul !!!

“ I will praise thee, O Lord, among the people: I will sing unto thee among the nations. For thy mercy is great unto the heavens, and thy truth unto the clouds. Be thou exalted, O God, above the heavens: let thy glory be above all the earth.”

Daniel the prophet spoke of the end-times when he said,

“ And arms shall stand on his part, and they shall pollute the sanctuary of strength, and shall take away the daily sacrifice, and they shall place the abomination that maketh desolate. And such as do wickedly against the covenant shall he corrupt by flatteries:—— but the people that do know their God shall be strong, and do exploits.——“ ( Daniel 11:32 )

We can see the storm clouds g*thering, and a time coming when the people of God will need to take refuge in caves and the wilderness … BUT IF YOU KNOW YOUR GOD … ( and these people do ) … expect mighty deliverance from the hand of God, and powerful witness and testimony, even in those darkest times!!!

Perhaps those times are not something we may be privileged to see… maybe our cave experiences are right here and now, today…. unemployment or unjust persecution, poverty or want. These enemies are as real as the armies of Saul pushing us to the edge of black despair….

…. but let the knowledge of the ONE who is our shield, protector and redeemer give us strength —- let our hope and confidence be in His mercy and righteousness, who preserves his people , and will not lose a single one of His sheep, but watches over and cares for them like a bird does her chicks!

Let us praise and exalt Him early in the morning, on the first day of the week!

“ Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the LORD delivereth him out of them all. He keepeth all his bones: not —one— of them is broken.” - Psalm 34:19-20

Hallelujah!!

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