Do these words apply to me?

[complete]

The Lord thy God in the midst of thee is mighty;
He will save, He will rejoice over thee with joy;
He will rest in His love,
He will joy over Thee with singing.'
(Zephania 3:17)

Hello there,

I sang this verse as a worship song, years ago when I met together with other believers at a house group, I loved the words, and loved the music. Yet, as with other things done, said, believed and sung in days gone by innocently, I was totally unaware of to whom it was spoken, with what intent etc., it just gratified the need of the moment.

In doing so, I inadvertently took the hope of the believers of Jerusalem in a day yet to come and applied it to myself. The fact that God the Father is mighty towards those who have believed His word, and placed their trust in His saving grace, made theirs through the sacrificial work of His Beloved Son: and that He will indeed save us from the wrath to come, and does rejoice over us with joy, is true: Yet in taking the words applied to another, in quite a different context, and making application of it to ourselves I believe is a form of robbery. Taking what was given to another company, in another time, in relation to a future happening, and making it ours, without permission, or acknowledgement.

What are your thoughts. Can you think of other hymns and spiritual songs which are perhaps wrongly applied?
Thank you
In Christ Jesus
Chris

 

[Dave M]

Very interesting thanks for this post, I will be praying and thinking on it

Edit

Hey @complete
just want to make sure I understand you correctly. You are implying that because this is in the OT and not written to you, or should I say was not written to gentile believers you have no right of using it.

Am I understanding correctly? thanks, Chris for posting this,

I really think this will be a God moment in our lives at some point in this thread.

 

[complete]

Very interesting thanks for this post, I will be praying and thinking on it

Edit

Hey @complete
just want to make sure I understand you correctly. You are implying that because this is in the OT and not written to you, or should I say was not written to gentile believers you have no right of using it.

Am I understanding correctly? thanks, Chris for posting this,

I really think this will be a God moment in our lives at some point in this thread.

Hello @Dave M,

I came across this verse (again) in my reading of the minor prophets recently, and it brought back memories of when I had sung it as a spiritual song years ago, in the fellowship group I referred to in the OP. Reading it within it's context, seeing it's application, and rejoicing in it's future fulfilment for those who trust in God in Jerusalem at a yet future time, I realised that, when singing it, I had no knowledge of this. That I had taken it, and sung it, in regard to my own experience of Him, without taking into consideration the verse itself, who had said it, to whom, and in relation to what. Did I even know that it was a verse of Scripture at the time? I really can't remember.

I believe that the believing community has taken much which applies to Israel and made it their own over the centuries, and thereby robbed them. The blessings at least! No one wants the curses do they.

Thank you for responding, brother-in-Christ.
Within the love of Christ our Saviour
our Lord and Head.
Chris

 

[complete]

'And not holding the Head,
from which all the body
by joints and bands having nourishment ministered,
and knit together,
increaseth with the increase of God.'
(Colossians 2:19)

Hello again, @Dave M,

I hope you do not mind my continuing to talk to you about this subject, but thoughts are coming to me which I would like to express.

When I saw the unique nature of the Church which is the Body of Christ: with Christ as it's Head; having nourishment ministered by Him, and increasing with the increase of God; it called into question much that I had been taught and appropriated to myself from God's past administrations; and also what was being appropriated from that yet to come. e.g.,

' ... Wherefore if ye be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world,
why, as though living in the world,
are ye subject to ordinances, (Touch not; taste not; handle not;
Which all are to perish with the using )
after the commandments and doctrines of men?
Which things have indeed a shew of wisdom
in will worship, and humility, and neglecting of the body;
not in any honour to the satisfying of the flesh.'
(Colossians 2:20-23)

Thank you again,
In Christ Jesus
Chris

 

[Dave M]

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When I started reading the bible, never once did I ever think well that is for this group of people, and this part if for this group of people. I have always thought God's word OT and NT is for everyone, and his words can have dual meanings also.

2 Timothy 3:16​

All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness,

God's word is a living word, not a dying word. The OT is revealed in the NT they are not separate books for separate people IMO, the mysteries of the OT spoken of by the prophets were not even understood by the people of the OT until the mysteries were revealed in the NT. JMO but I think God would be very pleased that you found comfort in his words of the OT and that you sang them. I do not think for one second you robed anyone of anything we are one people under GOD, I do not look at the church and Isreal being separate, I see the church evolving from Isreal, The church I see as an assembly of people who believe in God and serve God that simple, man tries to complicate it. What did God do to those Israelites that did not obey him, he cursed them, and non but 2 made it to the promised land.

Proverbs 30:5​

Every word of God proves true; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him.

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[Dave M]

Hi Chris @complete

God's word is for all people who love him, to dismiss or disregard his word simply because of who the letter is written to seems like a good way to dismiss what God is saying to his children whether it is a blessing in a song like this or it is the command of the way we live. God's word, his bible is not an ordinary book, it is the living word of God that will last forever and is for everyone. IMO

For another example, James is written TO the 12 tribes, but I could not see anyone thinking that it was not written FOR those who love God and want to please him and follow what it says no matter what race of people. Yet if we as gentiles dismiss it because it was written to the 12 tribes, we won't ever understand what saving faith is verse just words of faith.

I mean God's people are God's people if we start dividing them on the race that they are isn't that what society calls?

God shows no partiality, so I am always surprised when so many of us do.

racism
the belief that different races possess distinct characteristics, abilities, or qualities, especially so as to distinguish them as inferior or superior to one another.

PS
I hope you are feeling better

 

[Br. Bear]

Greetings,

perhaps another way to say that is...

if it was good for those people, is there something in it that we can benefit from?

At the same time, I fully appreciate that while studying the Bible, we can often have better or clearer understanding if we do recognize to whom the passage or book was written to.

Best always to ask our Lord for understanding and how He would have us grow as we feed upon that which he has supplied for our needs, daily


Bless you both @Dave M & @complete ....><>

 

[complete]

Hi Chris @complete

God's word is for all people who love him, to dismiss or disregard his word simply because of who the letter is written to seems like a good way to dismiss what God is saying to his children whether it is a blessing in a song like this or it is the command of the way we live. God's word, his bible is not an ordinary book, it is the living word of God that will last forever and is for everyone. IMO

For another example, James is written TO the 12 tribes, but I could not see anyone thinking that it was not written FOR those who love God and want to please him and follow what it says no matter what race of people. Yet if we as gentiles dismiss it because it was written to the 12 tribes, we won't ever understand what saving faith is verse just words of faith.

I mean God's people are God's people if we start dividing them on the race that they are isn't that what society calls?

God shows no partiality, so I am always surprised when so many of us do.

racism
the belief that different races possess distinct characteristics, abilities, or qualities, especially so as to distinguish them as inferior or superior to one another.

PS
I hope you are feeling better

Hi @Dave M,

Yes, I am fine now, thank you.

I agree that all Scripture is for us: but not all Scripture is about us. I do not dismiss or disregard one word of God's Truth, it is all there for our learning, and is profitable in all it's parts. Yet to not take into consideration to whom a letter was originally written, at what time and with what intent, also deprives us of valuable understanding.

Regarding the term, 'the People of God', you will agree that in the Old Testament record it is specifically related to the offspring of Abraham through Isaac and the twelve tribes of Jacob. God called them, 'My People'. Only in 1 Peter do you find it used of any other company, and they themselves, I believe, were the believing remnant whom God called out of Israel through the ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ in the land of Israel itself: and through the ministry of the Apostles out of the dispersion.

'But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people;
that ye should shew forth the praises of Him Who Hath called you
out of darkness into His marvellous light:
Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God:
which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.
Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims,
abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul;
Having your conversation honest among the Gentiles:
that, whereas they speak against you as evildoers,
they may by your good works, which they shall behold,
glorify God in the day of visitation.'
(1 Pet. 2:9)

Thank you
In Christ Jesus
Chris