Your righteousness, O God, is very high, You who have done great things; O God, who is like You? You, who have shown me great and severe troubles, shall revive me again. (Psalm 71:19-20)
Things that are elevated, whether high mountains or the celestial bodies, by nature of their lofty state, provoke us to look up to them and be inspired by their beauty and magnificence. Some find their grandeur and brilliance to be awe inspiring. That being so, David reminds us that the Almighty is above all these things, in fact, He created these things. Therefore, His power and righteousness is certainly worthy of our reverence and adoration. The great and mighty things He has done defy description, a fact that inspires those who love Him to proclaim, “O God, who is like You?”
This declaration echoes that of Moses and Israel when they rejoiced at the destruction of Pharaoh’s army and exclaimed, “Who is like You, O Lord, among the gods?” When the waters of the sea swallowed the Egyptians, Israel’s deliverance was made sure, and for all time, they would remember how God saved them. It was not done quietly or discreetly; their salvation was the result of “a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, and by great terrors, according to all that the Lord your God did for you in Egypt before your eyes? (Deuteronomy 4:34). Though they had toiled in Egypt and suffered severe trouble at the hands of their taskmasters, God did not leave them to die; He revived them. When they emerged from the sea bed, they witnessed His matchless power; struck with awe, they were compelled to look up to Heaven and exalt the Almighty and to declare that there is no God like our God.
Centuries later, this same declaration — “Who is like You, O Lord, among the gods?” — became the rallying cry for a group of Jews called the Maccabees. These were men who, having suffered under the tyranny of yet another pagan despot, rose up and, against all odds. overcame their oppressors, purging the land of idolaters. Their courage and determination to reclaim the land and to rid the Temple of idols gave birth to the Feast of Dedication, also known as Hanukkah. I would also add that their courage was based on faith and a belief that the God of Israel, and He alone, is to be worshiped and adored. Though they were outmatched and outnumbered, they were confident that He would stretch out His arm and do great and mighty things on their behalf — and He did.
Therefore, with confidence, you and I can look to Heaven and be filled with the same awe and confidence that God will revive us. Not only the individual, but He has promised to revive His people at large. It may be that we will see “great and severe troubles,” but rest assured we shall also see the great and mighty works of the Lord. And so we also proclaim, “Who is like You, O Lord, among the gods?”
Blessings and Shalom,
Bill
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