941 God of vengeance—Jehovah! God of vengeance, shine forth. 2 Be lifted up, O Judge of the earth, Send back a recompence on the proud. 3 Till when 'do' the wicked, O Jehovah? Till when do the wicked exult? 4 They utter—they speak an old saw, All working iniquity do boast themselves. 5 Thy people, O Jehovah, they bruise, And Thine inheritance they afflict. 6 Widow and sojourner they slay, And fatherless ones they murder. 7 And they say, 'Jehovah doth not see, And the God of Jacob doth not consider.' 8 Consider, ye brutish among the people, And ye foolish, when do ye act wisely? 9 He who planteth the ear doth He not hear? He who formeth the eye doth He not see? 10 He who is instructing nations, Doth He not reprove? He who is teaching man knowledge 'is' Jehovah. 11 He knoweth the thoughts of man, that they 'are' vanity.
12 O the happiness of the man Whom Thou instructest, O Jah, And out of Thy law teachest him, 13 To give rest to him from days of evil, While a pit is digged for the wicked. 14 For Jehovah leaveth not His people, And His inheritance forsaketh not. 15 For to righteousness judgment turneth back, And after it all the upright of heart, 16 Who riseth up for me with evil doers? Who stationeth himself for me with workers of iniquity? 17 Unless Jehovah 'were' a help to me, My soul had almost inhabited silence. 18 If I have said, 'My foot hath slipped,' Thy kindness, O Jehovah, supporteth me. 19 In the abundance of my thoughts within me, Thy comforts delight my soul. 20 Is a throne of mischief joined 'with' Thee? A framer of perverseness by statute? 21 They decree against the soul of the righteous, And innocent blood declare wicked. 22 And Jehovah is for a high place to me, And my God 'is' for a rock—my refuge, 23 And turneth back on them their iniquity, And in their wickedness cutteth them off; Jehovah our God doth cut them off!
951 Come, we sing to Jehovah, We shout to the rock of our salvation. 2 We come before His face with thanksgiving, With psalms we shout to Him. 3 For a great God 'is' Jehovah, And a great king over all gods. 4 In whose hand 'are' the deep places of earth, And the strong places of hills 'are' His. 5 Whose is the sea, and He made it, And His hands formed the dry land. 6 Come in, we bow ourselves, and we bend, We kneel before Jehovah our Maker.
7 For He 'is' our God, and we the people of His pasture, And the flock of His hand, To-day, if to His voice ye hearken, 8 Harden not your heart as 'in' Meribah, As 'in' the day of Massah in the wilderness, 9 Where your fathers have tried Me, Have proved Me, yea, have seen My work. 10 Forty years I am weary of the generation, And I say, 'A people erring in heart—they! And they have not known My ways:' 11 Where I sware in Mine anger, 'If they come in unto My rest—!'
961 Sing to Jehovah a new song, Sing to Jehovah all the earth. 2 Sing to Jehovah, bless His name, Proclaim from day to day His salvation. 3 Declare among nations His honour, Among all the peoples His wonders. 4 For great 'is' Jehovah, and praised greatly, Fearful He 'is' over all gods. 5 For all the gods of the peoples 'are' nought, And Jehovah made the heavens. 6 Honour and majesty 'are' before Him, Strength and beauty in His sanctuary. 7 Ascribe to Jehovah, O families of the peoples, Ascribe to Jehovah honour and strength. 8 Ascribe to Jehovah the honour of His name, Lift up a present and come in to His courts. 9 Bow yourselves to Jehovah, In the honour of holiness, Be afraid of His presence, all the earth.
10 Say among nations, 'Jehovah hath reigned, Also—established is the world, unmoved, He judgeth the peoples in uprightness.' 11 The heavens joy, and the earth is joyful, The sea and its fulness roar. 12 The field exulteth, and all that 'is' in it, Then sing do all trees of the forest, 13 Before Jehovah, for He hath come, For He hath come to judge the earth. He judgeth the world in righteousness, And the peoples in His faithfulness!
14 And I am persuaded, my brethren—I myself also—concerning you, that ye yourselves also are full of goodness, having been filled with all knowledge, able also one another to admonish; 15 and the more boldly I did write to you, brethren, in part, as putting you in mind, because of the grace that is given to me by God, 16 for my being a servant of Jesus Christ to the nations, acting as priest in the good news of God, that the offering up of the nations may become acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit.
17 I have, then, a boasting in Christ Jesus, in the things pertaining to God, 18 for I will not dare to speak anything of the things that Christ did not work through me, to obedience of nations, by word and deed, 19 in power of signs and wonders, in power of the Spirit of God; so that I, from Jerusalem, and in a circle as far as Illyricum, have fully preached the good news of the Christ; 20 and so counting it honour to proclaim good news, not where Christ was named—that upon another's foundation I might not build— 21 but according as it hath been written, 'To whom it was not told concerning him, they shall see; and they who have not heard, shall understand.'
22 Wherefore, also, I was hindered many times from coming unto you, 23 and now, no longer having place in these parts, and having a longing to come unto you for many years, 24 when I may go on to Spain I will come unto you, for I hope in going through, to see you, and by you to be set forward thither, if of you first, in part, I shall be filled. 25 And, now, I go on to Jerusalem, ministering to the saints; 26 for it pleased Macedonia and Achaia well to make a certain contribution for the poor of the saints who 'are' in Jerusalem; 27 for it pleased well, and their debtors they are, for if in their spiritual things the nations did participate, they ought also, in the fleshly things, to minister to them. 28 This, then, having finished, and having sealed to them this fruit, I will return through you, to Spain; 29 and I have known that coming unto you—in the fulness of the blessing of the good news of Christ I shall come.
30 And I call upon you, brethren, through our Lord Jesus Christ, and through the love of the Spirit, to strive together with me in the prayers for me unto God, 31 that I may be delivered from those not believing in Judea, and that my ministration, that 'is' for Jerusalem, may become acceptable to the saints; 32 that in joy I may come unto you, through the will of God, and may be refreshed with you, 33 and the God of the peace 'be' with you all. Amen.
(Read Romans 15:14-21)
The apostle was persuaded that the Roman Christians were filled with a kind and affectionate spirit, as well as with knowledge. He had written to remind them of their duties and their dangers, because God had appointed him the minister of Christ to the Gentiles. Paul preached to them; but what made them sacrifices to God, was, their sanctification; not his work, but the work of the Holy Ghost: unholy things can never be pleasing to the holy God. The conversion of souls pertains unto God; therefore it is the matter of Paul's glorying, not the things of the flesh. But though a great preacher, he could not make one soul obedient, further than the Spirit of God accompanied his labours. He principally sought the good of those that sat in darkness. Whatever good we do, it is Christ who does it by us.
(Read Romans 15:22-29)
The apostle sought the things of Christ more than his own will, and would not leave his work of planting churches to go to Rome. It concerns all to do that first which is most needful. We must not take it ill if our friends prefer work which is pleasing to God, before visits and compliments, which may please us. It is justly expected from all Christians, that they should promote every good work, especially that blessed work, the conversion of souls. Christian society is a heaven upon earth, an earnest of our gathering together unto Christ at the great day. Yet it is but partial, compared with our communion with Christ; for that only will satisfy the soul. The apostle was going to Jerusalem, as the messenger of charity. God loves a cheerful giver. Every thing that passes between Christians should be a proof and instance of the union they have in Jesus Christ. The Gentiles received the gospel of salvation from the Jews; therefore were bound to minister to them in what was needed for the body. Concerning what he expected from them he speaks doubtfully; but concerning what he expected from God he speaks confidently. We cannot expect too little from man, nor too much from God. And how delightful and advantageous it is to have the gospel with the fulness of its blessings! What wonderful and happy effects does it produce, when attended with the power of the Spirit!
(Read Romans 15:30-33)
Let us learn to value the effectual fervent prayers of the righteous. How careful should we be, lest we forfeit our interest in the love and prayers of God's praying people! If we have experienced the Spirit's love, let us not be wanting in this office of kindness for others. Those that would prevail in prayer, must strive in prayer. Those who beg the prayers of others, must not neglect to pray for themselves. And though Christ knows our state and wants perfectly, he will know them from us. As God must be sought, for restraining the ill-will of our enemies, so also for preserving and increasing the good-will of our friends. All our joy depends upon the will of God. Let us be earnest in prayer with and for each other, that for Christ's sake, and by the love of the Holy Spirit, great blessings may come upon the souls of Christians, and the labours of ministers.
