Erling Thu

Category: Prophetic meditations

  • Collision of worldviews

    Collision of worldviews

    There is a war going on. It is a brutal war. In fact, all wars are brutal in one way or another. But this ongoing war that we are witnessing today, is a very brutal one. There are many victims in this war. Many people are being hurt. Innocent people are suffering in this ongoing conflict.

    The war is raging in Gaza and Ukraine, as well as in USA and Europe. There are terrible conflicts causing millions of refugees to flee for their lives in Africa and Asia as well. My heart is bleeding for all those who are suffering from violence and injustice.

    The ongoing war of worldviews is in many ways invisible, but recently it became very visible through the killing of Charlie Kirk. I must admit that I had never heard of him before the news about his death. The way it was presented in the Norwegian media was a wakeup call to me. Trough the main media he was portrait as a racist and a wright wing extremist. He was compared to Anders Behring Breivik, a Norwegian terrorist that killed 69 people a few years ago. Then I discovered that young Christians, born again believers, as well as young conservative politicians, said he was a hero. Some people rejoiced in the fact that he was dead, but a lot of young people was mourning in shock to the killing.

    A collision of worldviews was taken place before my eyes. Then I realised, it is not only a collision, it is a war of worldviews. A Christian humanistic worldview versus a secular, illiberal and hedonistic worldview. Prolife and pro human dignity versus killing of babies and of those who do not conform with the secular belief or correct political opinions.

    It is time to wake up. It is time for action. We need to stand up for truth and love. We must promote peace and understanding. Righteousness and justice will prevail and overcome hate and evil in all forms.

  • I want to lay hold on the word!

    Psalm 119.48 I will lift up my hands toward your commandments, which I love, and I will meditate on your statutes.

    It may be a little unclear as to David's intention to raise his hands towards God's commandments, but I think it's about raising his hands to grasp the word of God. He says he loves God and wants to reflect on God's precepts. That is why he wants to raise his hands to lay hold on the word of God and not let it go. He loves God and will meditate on the word to understand God's plan and will.

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  • Passion and delight in the Word of God

    Psalm 119.47 for I find my delight in your commandments, which I love. 

    I am so excited by the joy David finds in God's commandments. "I delight in your commandments." He finds joy and delight in God's law. In fact, it can be translated with: "I am entertaining me in your commands!" When many hear words like commandments, laws, rules, they respond negatively. Very many want to cast it in the sea and get rid of them, because they want to be free to follow their own sinful heart.

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  • I will not be ashamed of the word of God or His good arrangements!

    Psalm 119.46 I will also speak of your testimonies before kings and shall not be put to shame, 

    It is a bold David we meet in this words. But it is not wishful thinking he expresses. Before he was king, he was both bold and preached the word of God to King Ashish and Saul. After becoming king, he continued to speak to kings about God's testimony and law. He did not hide what he believed in and whom had his loyalty.

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  • I want to live in complete freedom!

    Psalm 119.45 and I shall walk in a wide place, for I have sought your precepts.

    When David has stated that he will always, at every moment, follow the law of God, he continues in this verse with a prayer to walk in an open landscape. I was born and raised in Jæren, at the south western coast of Norway, and I love open landscapes. At Jæren I can breathe freely. I am not created for trong fjords or valleys or deep forests. I have to have a view, preferably see water, to thrive. Tronge landscape depress me because I feel I'm trapped. For this reason, I have asked many times to get out into a wide and open place so that I can live and breathe freely.

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  • I will keep your law continually

    Psalm 119.44 I will keep your law continually, forever and ever, 

    In trusting that God answers and shows his faithful love, David comes with a bold promise. "I will always keep your law!" These are strong words, but it is a attitude that the Lord reewards. David will forever live in accordance with the law of the Lord.

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  • Courage to Say What God Says

    Psalm 119:43 And take not the word of truth utterly out of my mouth, for my hope is in your rules.

    Here, David begs God not to take the word of truth out of his mouth. The Word of Truth is about God's faithful love and saving grace. If the Lord had not saved him, it would have meant that this word had been ripped out from his mouth, because it would no longer be true. The good thing is that God saves in accordance with His good and true word which is the gospel of the Kingdom of God.

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  • I always want an answer to those who mock me!

    Psalm 119,42 Then I can answer the scoffers, for I trust in your word.

    This prayer is a close follow-up to what he asked for in the previous verse. There, David prayed that God's faithful love and his good salvation should come to him, as God had promised him. Now he tells God what he will do when he experiences God's mercy and works of grace.

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  • May your gentle and faithful love overwhelm me

    Waw is the Hebrew letter that the next eight verses start with. Very few Hebrew words start with this letter, but it is often used as a conjunction as "and". The theme of this section is trust in God.

    ו

    Psalm 119.41Let your steadfast love come to me, O Lord, your salvation according to your promise; 

    Again David prays to Jehovah, the Lord, the Eternal I Am. He prays for two things, mercy and salvation. They are in some ways synonymous words in this context, because they are all about the same. When God shows mercy, we share in His salvation.

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  • I long for your commandments!

     

    Psalm 119,40 Behold, I long for your precepts; in your righteousness give me life!

    David has just talked about the scorn and disgrace he gets because he stuck to God's word. With that in mind, I think what he says is very strong: "I long for your precepts!" That is a powerful statement that we need to look more closely at.

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