“Let All Things Praise the LORD!”

 Prophetic Scripture: The Book of Psalms

Psalm is the book of praise. It portrays Christ as Our All in All!

Psalm 150 

Let Everything That Have Breath Praise the LORD!!!

Each of the five divisions of the Book of Psalms closes with a doxology (a hymn or form of words containing an ascription of praise to God).

(Psalm 41:13; 72:18-19;  89:52; 106:48). This entire psalm can be seen as a doxology that not only closes the fifth and final volume of the collected psalms, but also closes the entire Book of Psalms.

41:13: Blessed be the LORD God of Israel from everlasting, and to everlasting. Amen and Amen.

72:18: Blessed be the LORD God, the God of Israel, who only doeth wondrous things.  Vs 19: And blessed be his glorious name for ever: and let the whole earth be filled with his glory; Amen, and Amen.

89:52: Blessed be the LORD for evermore.  Amen and Amen.

106:48: Blessed be the LORD God of Israel from everlasting to everlasting: and let all the people say, Amen. Praise you the LORD.

Psalm 150, contains no argument, no real teaching, no real explanation. It is an eloquent, passionate cry to all creation to give Yahweh the praise due to Him.

“The psalm is more than an artistic close of the Psalter:  it is a prophecy of the last result of the devout life, and, in its unclouded sunniness, as well as in its universality, it proclaims the certain end of the weary years for the individual and for the world.” (Alexander Maclaren).

Unlimited praise to the God who is unlimited in His greatness:

David said, in every place, praise the LORD.

Praise (Heb. Haw-lal’), meaning to shine; hence to make a show; to flash forth light; to boast, or be boastful.  Further down in the Brown-Driver-Briggs definition, it means to make a fool of; make into a fool; to act madly; to act like a madman.  (Example):  David danced out of his clothes.

Praise the LORD!
Praise God in His sanctuary;
Praise Him in His mighty firmament!

Praise the LORD:  LORD in Hebrew is Jah; Yahweh; Jehovah (Yeh-ho-vaw); The Self-Existent or Eternal. This is the proper name of the One True God.

This last of the five ending psalms shares the same beginning and ending line as the previous four. People are praised, and God’s people are encouraged, and exhorted to praise Him. No crisis or enemy is in view, for this is totally pure praise.

Praise God in His sanctuary: The sanctuary of God is a most fitting place for His praise. It is a place set apart for His honor and involves special recognition of His presence. It’s consecrated, dedicated, and holy.  If Yahweh is to be praised anywhere, it should be in His sanctuary.  His sanctuary, is the one not made by hands, but the one in which He dwells, which is within you and me!

In light of the New Covenant, we realize that God’s sanctuary is not fixed to a particular building in Jerusalem.

Jesus serves His people in a sanctuary in the heavens:  Hebrews 8:1: Now of the things which we have spoken, this is the sum:  we have such a high priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens:  Vs  2: A minister of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man.

Jesus makes His sanctuary among His people collectively:  2^nd Corinthians 6:16: And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols?  For you are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.

Jesus makes His sanctuary in the individual believer: 1^st Corinthians 3:16: Know you not that you are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?

Ultimately, Jesus Himself will be and is the sanctuary of God among His people:  Revelation 21:22: And I saw no temple therein:  for the Lord, God Almighty, and the Lamb are the temple of it.

It in Greek in this verse is ow-tos’, meaning, himself, herself, themselves, itself, he, she, it, the same. Simply meaning US!!! The Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the “temple” (dwelling place) of “IT” (the city) that we the Church are become, in them, because we are all ONE!! Hallelujah 🙌

·         Matthew 5:14: You are the light of the world.  A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid.

·         John 17:20: Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word:  vs 21: That they all may be one, as thou Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us, that  the world may believe that thou hast sent me.

Praise God in His mighty firmament: The wide expanse of sky, with all its might in storms and weather, is also a fitting place to praise God. Since the firmament stretches from horizon to horizon, it tells us that God should be praised in every place under the sky.

“His glory fills the universe; his praise must do no less.” (Kidner).

Praise God in His mighty firmament: Through the whole expanse, to the utmost limits of his power.  Praise Him whose power and goodness extend through all worlds; and let the inhabitants of all those worlds, share in the grand chorus, that it may be universal. (Clarke)

Firmament means in Hebrew, to beat, stamp, or pound the earth.

So, when situations, circumstances, chaos, confusions, sickness or any attacks are launched by the enemy, the Word says in 1^st Peter 5:7: Casting all your care upon him; for he cares for you.  Casting means to throw or place upon Him.  So don’t allow people or situations or circumstances to burden you down.  Possess the power of the Holy Ghost given by God to prevail.  Knowing that every situation you go through is for your good, you have to praise God for your battles, and the victory is in your praise!!!

For every reason, praise the LORD.

Psalm 150:2: Praise Him for His mighty acts; praise Him according to His excellent greatness!
God’s mighty acts are one reason to praise God in every place. He has done great and powerful things, especially what Jesus accomplished at the cross and the empty tomb.

The singer of this psalm had only shadowy knowledge of it, but the ultimate demonstration of God’s power would come in the resurrection of Jesus.  Ephesians 1:19: And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power:  vs 20: Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places.

For this and all His mighty acts, we should praise Him.

His mighty deeds might be rendered His heroic [or, valiant] acts. The reference is to His deliverance of His people as a clear manifestation of prowess or conquering might.  (Maclaren)

‘Mighty’ were the ‘acts’ which God wrought for Israel; and ‘great’ was the Holy One in the midst of His ancient people.  But mightier acts did He perform in Christ Jesus, for the redemption of the world. (Horne)

Praise Him according to His excellent greatness.  While it is right to praise God for the mighty things He does, there is perhaps something even greater in praising Him for who He is, in all the excellence of His greatness. This greatness surpasses all else in the entire universe, excellent above all.

We can’t praise Him enough for His excellent greatness, or greatness of greatness, which yet can never be done, but must be endeavored. (Trapp)

The psalmist said, Psalm 34:1: I will bless the LORD at all times:  his praise shall continually (tamiyd’) [stretch; continuance extension; constantly; regularly; daily; evermore] be in my mouth.

Psalm 150:3-5 is saying, to us, “With every expression, praise the LORD.”

Vs 3: Praise Him with the sound of the trumpet:  praise him with the psaltery and harp.  Vs 4: Praise him with the timbrel and dance:  praise him with the stringed instruments and organs.  Vs 5: Praise him upon the loud cymbals: praise him upon the high sounding (clashing) cymbals.

the trumpet:

There was good reason to mention the trumpet first in this long list. The sound of the trumpet is associated with the grandest and most solemn events, such as the giving of the law, the proclamation of jubilee, the coronation of Jewish kings, and the raging of war. It is to be thought of in reference to the coming of something.

Trumpet in Hebrew is from shophar’, meaning to incise (cut into); a coronet (giving a clear sound).  It goes to shaphar’, meaning to glisten (shine; glitter); cheer; majestic sound; be (make) fair; goodly. 

Out of “trumpet” comes the word “trump”. 

1^st Thessalonians 4:13-18 [speaks of the appearing/manifestation of Christ] (not the Christ that “is coming”, but the Christ that “is come”) [present tense]:

In verse 16, mention is made of the “trump of God”:  For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven (He already has) with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God:  and the dead in Christ shall rise first.

Trump in Greek is sal’pigx, meaning reverberation (repeated sound; re-echoing; resounding; reproduction) of what the morning stars and sons of God were speaking and doing in the beginning before the fall of creation.  All they believed and spoke was LIFE, as they walked in the dominion, authority, power, wisdom, understanding, and knowledge of the Most High God!!!

The Adam race of people before the fall were walking and living in their “divinity” – but the fall of creation placed them back into their “humanity”!  That’s what God requires of us now, to move out of that which pertains to “humanity” and live in that which pertains to His “divinity”!

 

We must understand that the “trumpet” in scripture is a voice.  On the Isle of Patmos when John was given the revelation of Christ, look at what he said:  Revelation 1:10: “I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s Day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet.”

Voice in the Greek, is phone’ (fo-nay’), meaning, a disclosure; a tone (articulate); an address (for any purpose); saying or language; noise; sound.

The voice (disclosure [secret being made known], the address [message]; saying or language), John heard said:  vs 11: “I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last:  and what thou see, write in a book, and send it unto the seven churches which are in Asia; unto Ephesus, and unto Smyrna, and unto Pergamos, and unto Thyatira, and unto Sardis, and unto Philadelphia, and unto Laodicea.”   Vs 12: And I turned to see the voice that spoke with me.  And being turned, I saw seven golden candlesticks (7 churches): vs 13: And in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle.  Vs 14: His head and his hairs were white like wool (the Lamb of God), as white as snow:  and his eyes were as a flame of fire.  Vs 15: And his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace:  and his voice as the sound of many waters.

These many waters were people:  Revelation 17:15: The waters which thou saw, where the whore sits, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues. 

Sound here in verse 15, has the same definition as voice.  John was seeing Jesus Christ in His fullness in us (the church), and us (the church), in our fullness in Jesus Christ, preaching and teaching what Jesus came preaching and teaching:  KINGDOM (Mark 1:15)The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom (dominion; authority; power) of God is at hand:  repent ye, and believe the gospel”:  and LIFE (John 10:10) I am come that they might have LIFE, and that they might have it more abundantly!!

Back to Psalm 150:

Psaltery/Lyre: Neh’-bel (nay’-bel), is a hollow stringed instrument; perhaps like the guitar.

Harp (Kinnor): is another stringed instrument, played on with the hands or fingers.

The books of Chronicles explain that the harp and lyre were the instruments played by the Levites for temple music (1^st Chron.15:16).

In addition to making music, these instruments were understood to have something of a numinous (strong spiritual) effect. The playing of the harp and lyre drove the evil spirit out of Saul (1^st Sam. 19:9–10), and according to 2^nd Chronicles 5, the harp and lyre were played prior to the arrival of the glory of Yahweh.

Timbrel (toph):  was a drum, tabret, or tomtom of the ancients; a skin stretched over a broad hoop; perhaps something like the tambourine.

After the great miracle of the splitting of the Sea, Moses led the Jewish people in singing praises to God. The Torah (the books traditionally ascribed to Moses) then describes how Miriam led the women in singing their own song of praise, while dancing and playing musical instruments.

Miriam, the prophetess, Aaron’s sister, took a timbrel in her hand, and all the women came out after her with timbrels and with dances. And Miriam called out to them, “Sing to the Lord, for he hath triumphed gloriously:  the horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea” (Exodus 15:21).  

The Talmud (ancient teachings regarded as sacred and normative by Jews) tells us that the Jews were redeemed from Egypt in the merit of the righteous women. Many men had lost hope and chose not to procreate so as not to subject their offspring to a fate of slavery and suffering. The women kept hope alive, trusting that they would soon be redeemed.  With that in mind, they enticed their husbands to procreate.

This faith is reflected in the words “a timbrel in her hand.” The Midrash (a Jewish genre of literature that interprets and expands on the Bible) explains that the righteous women were so confident that God would perform miracles that when they left Egypt, they took musical instruments with them “in hand,” ready to sing praise.

Dance is from machol (maw-khole), or chuwl (khool), which means to twist or whirl (in a circular or spiral manner), fear, tremble, travail, bear or bring forth. 

As similarly in Psalm 149, the call to dance and make music in Psalm 150 functions in an anticipatory manner. The psalmist invites “everything that has breath” to sing and dance before the Divine King in praise of who He is and in anticipation of what He will do.

Dance is used as an act of worship in Scripture and can continue to be used in that way today. However, churches should take care to avoid dance that leads others to temptation or sin, and the focus must remain on worshiping God. Dance is a beautiful art form that can communicate truth, bringing glory to God and edifying others.

Stringed instruments:  Both words are from the Hebrew word men (mane), meaning to apportion; a part; a musical chord (as parted into strings): instrument. This literally signifies strings put in order; perhaps a triangular kind of hollow instrument on which the strings were regularly placed, growing shorter and shorter till they came to a point.”

The book of Psalms has 'gems' and this is one of them. The stringed instruments are often a construct state which is a generic symbol for ordinances, laws or statutes, godly or ungodly.

The ten 'stringed instrument', signifies the ten commandments of Moses.

Whereas, to sing or play music, signifies walking/behaviors according to the 'ordinances' in question.

The 'ten strings' denote the ten commandments of Moses on 2 tablets stones which aspect is also reflected in the two sides of the 'ten stringed instrument', hence the two 'fives of strings' on the instrument.

The stringed instruments typify ordinances or laws also illustrated in Isaiah 14, in that the devil goes to the pit with his 'ordinances', the 'psalteries/viols' which he used to deceive people in all the earth. When the ordinances are ungodly, the 'sound' of that 'instrument' is said to be a 'noise'.

Isaiah 14:9: Hell from beneath is moved for thee to meet thee at thy coming: it stirs up the dead for thee, even all the chief ones of the earth; it hath raised up from their thrones all the kings of the nations.  Vs 10: All they shall speak and say unto thee, art thou also become weak as we?  Art thou become like unto us?
Vs 11 Thy pomp is brought down to the grave, and the noise of thy viols: the worm is spread under thee, and the worms cover thee.
Vs 12: How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!

This is the same figure of noise of the harps that Israel made to God in Amos 5:23-24, and which was 'rejected' by the Most High.

Amos 5:23: Take away from me the noise of your songs; I will not even listen to the sound of your harps.  Vs 24: But let judgment run down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.

On the other hand, when the ordinances are in righteousness, the sound is signified as a new song or sound, or simply 'dancing' before God.

·         Psalm 149:3: Let them praise his name in the dance: let them sing praises unto him with the timbrel and harp.

It is the same song of Moses and the song of the Lamb in Revelation.

Revelation 15:2: And I saw as it were a sea of glass mixed with fire, beside which stood those who had conquered the beast and its image and the number of its name. They were holding harps from God.  Vs 3: And they sang the song of God’s servant Moses and of the Lamb: Great and wonderful are your works, Lord God Almighty! Just and true are your ways, O King of the nations!

That's why the psalmist is specifying to God the EXACT instrument with which he is going to sing to Him. The harp was a ten stringed instrument, typifying the symbolic laws of Moses.

Organs (Uwgabk) [oo-gawb’]:  means, in the sense of breathing.  Another root word is agab’, meaning to breathe (after) that (is) to love:  Pipes (chaliyl) [khawleel’], a flute (as perforated [to pierce]:  Flutes (mashrowqiy) [mashrokee’], a (musical) pipe (from its whistling sound).  They are very likely the syrinx (sir-ingks) or mouth organ; Pan’s pipe; each of the ancients and moderns.  

This “breathing after” is the unconscious breathing of the Holy Ghost.  It’s simply the piercing breathing in or inhaling of the mind of God, His knowledge, His wisdom and His immortality, into ourselves (the body of Christ), enabling us to manifest God’s glory in the earth.

Loud cymbals (Tselatsal’):  defined as a clatter; a whirring or buzzing (of wings)]. Two hollow plates of brass, which being struck together, produced a sharp clanging sound.  The whirring or buzzing (of wings), we know by revelation, is the message of the kingdom of God, which is the gospel/good news of Jesus Christ. 

·         Ezekiel 10:5: And the sound (qowl) [call aloud; a voice; proclamation] of the cherubims wings (message of the Kingdom of God) was heard even to the outer court:  as the voice (qowl) of the Almighty God when he speaks.

High sounding cymbals:  Sounding is from teruwah’, meaning, clamor; acclamation of joy or a battle-cry; clangor of trumpets, as an alarum (loud noise) or an alarm:  shout (ing); jubilee; rejoicing.

The cymbals, perhaps, were those of a larger make, struck above the head, and consequently emitting a louder sound.  To make a “high sound” was to shout, raise a sound, cry out, give a blast or shout a war-cry or alarm of battle!

The list of instruments is not meant to be comprehensive, though it may be. The point is actually that everything you have can be used to worship God.

The broad list of musical instruments tells us that God wants every class and group of people to praise Him, because these instruments were normally played by different types of people.

The horn (qe’ren) [a horn (as projecting); coronet (resembling an elephant tooth); a ray (of light); power]--[also known as a shophar’],   was curved and was blown by the priests:  the harp and psaltery were played by the Levites: the timbrels were struck by women [as they were] dancing and playing on stringed instruments, pipes and cymbals.  These instruments were not reserved for the Levites only, but for all people.

Praise Him with loud cymbals: The individual instruments must be played with strength and celebration, and the collection of them together would fill the room with sound. This was not halting or hesitant praise – just like the love and goodness of God are not halting or hesitant toward us in any way.

Psalm 150:6: Let everything that hath breath, praise the LORD.  Praise you the LORD.  With every available breath, praise the LORD.

This is a remarkably fitting conclusion to this psalm and to the entire Book of Psalms. Everything that breathes should give its praise to the One who gave it breath. Every breath is the gift of God and praise is the worthy response we should make for that gift.

The word breath in Hebrew is neshamah’,  meaning, a puff; wind; vital breath; divine inspiration; intellect; an animal; blast; spirit; souls.  This denotes all living creatures, endowed with life by the Creator.

Genesis 1:24: And God said, “Let the earth bring forth the living creature after his kind, cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of the earth after his kind”:  and it was so.  Vs 25: And God made the beast of the earth after his kind, cattle after their kind, and everything that creeps upon the earth after his kind:  and God saw that it was good.

So people of God the only pre-requisite for praise, is to have breath!

Genesis 2:7: And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.

So the Yehovah Elohim squeezed and pressured the man (Aw-dawm’) [male/female], into a living soul.  He became alive, revived, and made whole by the breath (Spirit/Ru’wach) of the Living God!

Psalm 150:6: Praise the LORD: The last line of the Psalter could be nothing else, other than Hallelujah!  Yahweh is to be praised and honored and will be so among His people and all creation forever.

The psalter begins with ‘Blessed’, and ends with ‘Hallelujah’!!

Your life may resemble the psalter with its varying moods, its light and shadow, its sob and smile; but it will end with hallelujahs!!!

“That is, as long as you will keep true to the will and way and work of the Most Holy.”

Hallelujah! Clap Your Hands and Give God the highest praise!!!

 

Assistant Pastor

Jackie Burton

Recognize your Purpose!! / Take Your Position!! [Pt 1]

 TEXT:  Ephesians (Shows Christ as Our ALL IN ALL)

·        Ephesians 1:3: Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:  vs 4: According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:  vs 5: Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will: Vs 9: Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself:  vs 10: That in the dispensation of the fullness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth, even in him.  Vs 11: In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who works all things after the counsel of his own will. 

Purpose in verse 9 is the Greek word protith’emai, meaning to place before, (for oneself) to exhibit (put on display):  (to oneself) to propose (determine [control; decide; regulate]): set forth.

Purpose in verse 11, is the root word proth’esis, which is a setting forth, in relation to a proposal (intention); specifically, the showbread [or face bread] (in the Temple) as exposed (uncovered; revealed) before God.

God told Moses in the construction of the tabernacle, to make a table of shittim’ wood (incorruptible arcacia wood) [typifying Jesus Christ], and overlay it with pure gold (the divine nature of God Himself), and this was where he was to put the showbread (face bread) [twelve loaves] [typifying the sons of God], that had to be before God continually (Exodus 25:23-30).

These definitions of “purpose” here, show that in relation to the “showbread” (face bread), God had already ordained or purposed in Himself to have sons (male/female), to not just be before His face, but that He would eventually expose (uncover; reveal) Himself in their face!  As he is, so are we, in this world (1^st John 4:17).

Therefore, it is expedient (advantageous; beneficial; in one's own interest) that we recognize our purpose and take our position as sons of God!!

Position, is a place where someone or something is located or has been put.

Recognize, is to be aware of as known before:  to know by some detail, as of appearance: to perceive.  God wants us to recognize, know, and understand that before the foundation of the world, He had already purposed (had motives; grounds) for us to be here, and had a place prepared for us within Himself, that He would be glorified through us being positioned in Christ.  Especially we as females, we better know our purpose and place in God!

For the most part “women” throughout scripture are a subordinate figure, especially in the Old Testament.  To some extent a woman was her husband’s property (Genesis 12:18; Exodus 20:17; 21:3), and owed him absolute fidelity, because he was recognized as lord and master.  Through her diligence and love she created an honorable position for herself within family and community circles.

Any notability women attained was obtained by force of character such as Deborah (a judge of Israel) (Judges 4:4); Esther who delivered the Jews from extinction.

Throughout history, man, through pride, ignorance or moral misrepresentation has treated women as being greatly inferior, and has enslaved and degraded her accordingly.

In some countries today, women have no rights whatsoever in relation to equality with men.  But God through Jesus Christ has brought “full emancipation” (liberation; freedom; release; deliverance) to womanhood, and has given us equality with man in Him:

·        Galatians 3:28: There is neither Jew nor Greek (Gentile), there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female:  for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

This is the importance of us recognizing our purpose and taking our position in the body of Christ!

There’s proof of who we are especially as women and there’s a sacred record of the “female’s special creation”.   Someone may say, “Oh yes, her special creation was when God took the rib from the man and made woman”. Well if that’s all you know, then that’s why many women have been grilled and eaten alive through measures of society and especially with ecclesiastical do’s and don’ts.

 Females weren’t put here by God just to be incubators (barefoot and pregnant); bed warmers; chefs; maids; insubordinates; etc.  Let’s take a look at the record or the plan God created for both male and the female.

·        Genesis 1:26: And God said, "Let us make man (not just the male species only) in our image, after our likeness:  and let them have dominion (radah’) [to tread down; subjugate; prevail against; reign; (bear, make to) rule (-r; over); take] over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creep upon the earth.  Vs 27: So God created man [male/female] in his own image, in the image of God created he him:  male and female created he them:  Vs 28: And God blessed them, and God said unto them, “Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it:  and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moves upon the earth”.

Even then the “female” was classified (categorized) as “ADAM”, in equality!

·        Genesis 5:1: This is the book of the generations of Adam, in the day that God created man, in the likeness of God made he him:  (vs 2): Male and female created he them; and blessed them, and called their name Adam, in the day when they were created.

Adam wasn’t just one man.  Adam was a group of people composed of both “male and female”.  This was a special group of people that God called Adam that He had taken out of a people that would show His blood in their face and manifest Him in flesh form in the earth.  They were operating in the wisdom, knowledge and understanding of God demonstrating His dominion, authority and power in the earth! 

That’s why the question was asked in Psalm 8, which speaks of God’s glory and man’s honor.

·        Psalm 8:3: When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers (God's power), the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained:  vs 4: What is man that thou art mindful of him?  And the son of man, that thou visit him?

The first word man in this verse is the Hebrew root word enowsh’, meaning a mortal; a man (singly or collect): people; person.  Then it goes to another root word anash’, meaning to be frail, feeble or melancholy:  desperate (ly wicked); incurable; sick; woeful; (mankind).

Mindful in this verse is the root word zakar’, meaning to mark (so as to be recognized); to remember; to (make) mention (of); be mindful; recount; record (er); make to be remembered; bring (call, come, keep, put) to (in) remembrance; think on; well.

God said through the Prophet, Jeremiah 29:11, “I know the thoughts that I think toward you, said the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end".

Peace, being shalowm’, meaning for one to be safe, well, happy, friendly, healthy, prosperous, favored, and restful:  to be safe (in mind, body, or estate):  to be (make) complete; perfect; prospered; restored; rewarded. 

God also said through the Prophet, Isaiah 26:3: I will keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on me, because he trusts in me.  In 3^rd John 2, it is written, I wish above all things that thou may prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospers.

Evil in Jeremiah 29:11, is from the root word Ra’ (rah), meaning bad, wicked, mischievous, hurtful, trouble, affliction, adversity, calamity, distress, or grief.  These aren't the thoughts God has toward His people.  Our Heavenly Father, only wants that which is good, safe, and prosperous for His children (sons) [male/female].  

• Psalm 91:1: He that dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.  Vs 2: I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress:  my God:  in Him will I trust.

Why “an expected end”?  Expected is the root word tiqvah’, defined as a cord (as an attachment); a (measuring) cord (as if for binding); line.  End is from the root word achariyth’, meaning, future; outcome; reward.

Even after the creation fell, God had a cord or a measuring line attached to it, knowing that He (God) still had a future, an outcome, that would bring the creation or mankind back to Himself, with rewards included for mankind (male/female), inclusive of eternal life, divine health, perfect peace, dominion, authority, and power!!  These are good thoughts and not evil!

·        2^nd Corinthians 5:19: To wit (know), that God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing (holding against) their trespasses unto them:  and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.

You can find some of those rewards or recompenses [amends to someone for loss or harm suffered], in Ephesians 1:3: Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath (already) blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ.

·        Vs 4-11: He has chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love; we’re predestinated to be sons; we’re accepted in Him; we’re redeemed by His blood; forgiven of sins; He’s made known to us the mystery of His will, and we have obtained an eternal inheritance, which is, for us to live and not die, and declare the works of the Lord (Psalm 118:17).

Back to Psalm 8:  The Psalmist said to God:  vs 4: “When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained:  vs 4: What is man that thou art mindful of him”?

This word man mentioned here in the first part of Psalm 8:4, is defined a little different from the word man in the last part of this verse.  The word “man” in the first part of this verse as I mentioned earlier is enowsh’, meaning, a mortal; a man (singly or collect): people; person.  It goes to another definition which is anash’, meaning to be frail, feeble or melancholy:  desperate (ly wicked); incurable; sick; woeful; (mankind).  The word “man” in the second part of this verse is defined the same as the “man” in Genesis 1:26, which is Adam’ (aw-dam’), meaning, to show blood in the face; be dyed red; ruddy.

Why “red”?  Because God is ready to “dye” mankind with His own innocent (not guilty) blood that has eternal life in it.  In Matthew 27:3-10 [Judas betrays Jesus): 

•     Vs 3: Judas said, "I have sinned, in that , I have betrayed the innocent (ath'o-os) [not guilty / Alpha] blood". 
•     Leviticus17:11: The life of the flesh is in the blood!
•     John 6:54a: Whoso eats my flesh, and drinks my blood, hath eternal life.

Red is one of the colors in the light spectrum of God’s creation, and one of the seven Spirits of God mentioned in Revelation 4:5, and it connotes the color of “understanding”.  Letting us know that mankind must come into the understanding that there is no life outside of Jesus Christ! 

·        John 14:6: I am the way, the truth, and the life!

So the question was asked, “What is man (this mortal) that thou art mindful (remember; think) of him?  Well, the answer is found in the question.  Because when you define the word “mindful” in Psalm 8:4 and the word “male” in Genesis 1:27, So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him:  male and female created he them, they are from the same root word.  This root word is zakar’, which means to mark (so as to be recognized); to remember; to (make) mention (of); be mindful; recount; record (er); make to be remembered; bring (call, come, keep, put) to (in) remembrance; think on; well.

God is going to “hold (keep) man in His own remembrance”, because He (God) created and made “the male and the female” in His own image (having God’s mind) and after His likeness (demonstrating God’s power in the earth)! 

Man (male/female) was and is the acme or the apex (highest point) of God’s creation!  The other days in creation God said “Let there be”, and He said it was “good”!  But the day man (awdawm’) [male/female] was injected into the mix, God said, “It was very good” (Genesis 1:31).

Female, in Hebrew, is neqebah’, meaning, the female (from the sexual form); woman, or the man with the "womb".  

·        Matthew 19:4: And Jesus answered and said unto them (the Pharisees), “Have you not read, that he that made them at the beginning, made them male and female”?  

“Female” in the Greek is the’le, meaning a breast; to suckle; give suck. In the natural, it’s the “female” that gives suck to the babies.  This is a type of the church that feeds the sons (male/female) of God the sincere milk of the Word (1^st Peter 2:2), “till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ”, in the earth, that Paul spoke of in Ephesians 4:13.

This is what God wants us to recognize (identify; know again; acknowledge the existence of), the validity, or legality of who God is in us and who we are in Him.  God wants us to know that we (male/female) were with Him in the beginning and had ruling authority in and with Him then: 

·        St. John 1:1: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God:  vs 2: The same (you and I) was in the beginning with (united; accompanying] God.

That’s why He said:  Genesis 1:26: “Let US make man”.

We His chosen are marked (fingerprinted; or branded) by the Holy Ghost and it can’t be changed! 

I’m reminded of how farmers brand their live-stock.   A brand is a mark made by burning with a hot iron to attest manufacture or quality; or to designate ownership.  Farmers brand their cattle, denoting ownership.  We are also branded or sealed by God's Spirit, denoting ownership!

·        Ephesians 1:13: In whom you also trusted, after that you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation:  in whom also, after that you believed, you were sealed (sphragi’zo) [to stamp (with a signet or private mark) for security or preservation); to keep secret; to attest; (set a; set to) seal (up)] with that Holy Spirit of promise.

Therefore “male & female” must recognize their purpose (intention; determination; aim; goal) in the earth and take their position!!

Again in Psalm 8:4 [the question is asked]:  What is man (enowshe) that thou art mindful of him?  And the son of man (adam’) that thou visits him?

First of all, as a “son”, he’s a builder of the family name.  It’s the male that carries the seed.  Keep in mind, in Christ Jesus, there is neither "male nor female" (Galatians 3:28).  The female is a male in Spirit when she's ministering or giving out the Word (seed) of God.  The male is female in Spirit, when he receives the Word (seed) of God.  I pray you got that revelation.

I’d mentioned earlier that in Psalm 8:4, the second word “man” was defined differently from the first word “MAN” in this verse.  This second word “MAN” is the root word Adam’ (aw-dawm’) which is a human being (an individual or the species mankind): hypocrite; common sort; low (degree); men.  It also means to show blood in the face; ruddy; be dyed red.  I stated earlier this “man” (aw-dawm’) is different from the first word “man” (enowshe’), which is a mortal; to be frail, feeble or melancholy:  desperate (ly wicked); incurable; sick; woeful.

The “man” (Adam-aw-dam’) is a special kind of a man (male/female), after God “visits” him.  Before God “visits” him, he’s a hypocrite, a man of low degree, of a common sort or an enoshe man. He has no status (standing; rank; position) in the earth, until God "visits" him with friendly intent. 

Visiteth, is the root word paqad’, meaning to visit (with friendly or hostile intent); to oversee; muster; charge; care for; deposit; appoint; avenge; bestow, (appoint to have the, give a ) charge; commit; deliver to keep; empty; enjoin; go see; make; by any means; officer; (make) overseer; have (the) oversight; set (over). 

After God "visits" the "common or mortal man" with friendly intent, and breathes His Spirit [ru’wach in Hebrew; pneu’ma in Greek] into him, he becomes the “man Adam (aw-dawm’)”, with God’s blood in him, created in God's image and after His likeness.  

God’s breath, which is His Spirit, contains His blood that gives eternal life to the flesh!  God’s Spirit (breath) also contains wisdom, knowledge, dominion and power in it.  God is now ready to give the man [Adam] (male/female) charge, oversight over the creation!  This is what God did with the “man” (Adam) [male/female] in Genesis chapter one.

·        Genesis 1:28: And God blessed them, and God said unto them, “Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue (bring under your control) it:  and have dominion (tread down; prevail against; reign; rule) over the fish of the sea and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moves upon the earth”.

Also, this is what the LORD God did with the man (aw-dawm') when He formed him, of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and man (male/female) became a living soul (Genesis 2:7).

The same God that moved in that way then, is moving for His people today with that same power!!  When He sends His Kingdom messengers to us that exhales the truth of the gospel of God into us and we inhale it through acceptance by faith, that’s God’s blood giving us eternal and everlasting life!!  Remember what Jesus said!!

·        St. John 6:53: Except you eat the flesh of the son of man, and drink his blood, you have no life in you!!

We also receive the power by God’s Spirit: 

·        Luke 10:19: I give unto you power (exousi’a) [ability; competency; capability; liberty; authority] to tread (trample) on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy:  and nothing shall by any means hurt you!!

·        Acts 1:8: You shall receive power (du’namis)[miracle working ability; power] after that the Holy Ghost (Spirit) is come upon you.

This is because the Spirit and the blood agree in one.  1^st John 5:7: There are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost:  and these three are one.  Vs 8: And there are three that bear witness in earth (our body), the spirit, and the water (Word), and the blood:  and these three agree in one.

Agree is the root word eisi’ (i-see’), meaning, they are, be, is, were.  The other root word is eimi (i-mee’), meaning, I exist: am; have been; it is I; was.  What did Jesus say in Revelation 1:8?  “I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, said the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty”!!

His coming is not out in the sky, but in His people!!  We are ONE with Him.  We are members (limbs; parts) of His body, of His flesh, and of His bones (Ephesians 5:30).  We are Him, bodily (of a physical nature) in the earth!  As he is, so are we, in this world (1^st John 4:17).

This is the agreement in ONE, the homothumadon’ (unanimity; be with one accord or one mind) with the Father through Christ.  “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:  who being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God” (Philippians 2:5-6).

Also look at what Jesus said in His prayer to our Father:  John 17:20: Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word:  vs 21: That they all may be one, as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us:  that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.  Vs 22: And the glory which thou gave me I have given them:  that they may be one, even as we are one:  vs 23: I in them and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one: and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me.

This is the “purpose” of us being here in the earth, therefore we must recognize and accept this revelation, and take our position, as God's representatives and ambassadors, so as to manifest God in flesh form in the earth as Jesus did.  1^st John 4:17, “As he is, so are we, in this world”!!

So He gave us these gifts in the Church:  Ephesians 4:11-12:  And he gave some apostles, and some prophets, and some, evangelists, and some pastors and teachers:  for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:  vs 13: Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.

Being that we are members (mel'os) [limbs; parts] of his body (so'ma) of his flesh, and of his bones (Ephesians 5:30), that means that we are Him bodily as a sound whole, of a physical nature or in physical form, in the earth!!

So recognize who you are, take your position as a Son (male/female), fulfill your purpose, by ruling and reigning in your Father’s Kingdom with His dominion, authority, and power that He has given you!

Pastor Gracie Perry