Scriptures: Psa.84:6; Isa.12:3; Jer.17:6
Greetings "Fan"-tastic Passengers,
Believers in Christ, as pilgrims to the heavenly city, may have to pass through many a valley of weeping, and many a thirsty desert, as they sojourn through earth. Notwithstanding, the prophet Isaiah in Isaiah 12:3 prophesied saying, “Therefore, with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation.” These wells of salvation, however, will be opened to the sojourning pilgrims, where they will be able to find consolation for their support.
According to Barnes notes on the Bible the word "Baca" as used in Psalm 84:6 mean, weeping or lamentation. The connotation is also given to a certain tree - some species of balsam - from its weeping; that is, because it seemed to distil tears, or drops of balsam resembling tears, both in size and appearance. Conversely, in 2 Samuel 15:23-24 and 1Chronicles 14:14-15 it is translated to mean mulberry trees. Nevertheless, the true rendering is, "valley of lamentation," or weeping. It is to no wonder then that the prophet in Jeremiah 17:6 prophesied of, “…those who inhabit the parched places in the wilderness, in a salt land and not inhabited.” Furthermore, the word “Baca” is believed to have reference to some lonely valley in Palestine - where there was no water, only a gloomy way, through which those commonly passed who went up to the place of worship. Here in Psalm 84:6 we see the psalmist using it as emblematic of human life, to illustrate "a vale of tears." It is an illustration of the effect of one’s faith in God, which is able to activate God’s supernatural and divine ability to diffuse hope and freedom, to His pilgrims, in a barren and desolate valley, where there was nothing but hopeless troubles and oppressive sorrow.
Notwithstanding, in a miraculous modus, the pilgrims to the heavenly city, “Who passing through the valley of Baca make it a well; the rain also filleth the pools” (Psa.84:6). Consequently, you will find hope and freedom, in the arid, harsh and barren vale, which was intended for your annihilation, as, “Therefore, with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation”(Isa.17:6).
In a similar manner in 1 Peter 4:12-13 the apostle of hope, Simon Peter, encouraged the strangers, who were scattered abroad, to rejoice while enduring the sweltering circumstances of their sojourning, which came to try their faith in God. Instead of thinking of the fiery trials as being an odd occurrence in their lives, he exhorted them to: “Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.” In essence, Peter was telling them that, “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it” (1 Cor.10:13). Furthermore, if they put their faith and trust in God, as they sojourn as strangers and pilgrims on earth, He would transform their scorching, unproductive, vale, into one which is filled with rejoicing, liberation and a lively hope in the Lord.
In David’s situation, it was his faith in the Mighty God of Wonders, which occasioned miracles from Him. In the context of this parched, lifeless and barren vale, David describes God’s providence of consolation and comfort, for His pilgrims, by means of the “wells of salvation.” It is supposed that David penned this psalm when he was forced by Absalom’s rebellion to vacate his city, which he lamented his absence from it, not so much because it was the royal city but because it was God’s holy city, the place where He chose in that dispensation, to reveal his presence to His people (2 Sam.15). Consequently, the psalm expresses David’s deep longing for the presence of God, while he was in captivity. While believers in Christ do not have to travel to a special location to enjoy God’s presence, the psalm gives voice to the yearning and happiness experienced in Christ’s nearness by those who worship Him (John 4:21-24). Therefore, David was confident that if God could provide sustenance for him in this dry valley, then He could sustain him in any situation. He believed that if God could give life in a place which was deemed uninhabitable for any form of life, then He could surely keep him alive in any fruitless situation.
David had faith in God and was able to enjoy happiness, hope, freedom and prosperity in Him. Interestingly the arid, harsh and barren vale is called “Baca.” There is a similar sounding Hebrew verb meaning “to weep.” Some scholars have identified the noun as a certain kind of tree, such as the balsam or aspen that flourishes in dry places. In addition, in Hebrew, when two words share such common qualities, they are usually connected in some fashion. Nevertheless, this begs the question, “what could possibly be this connection between this parched, harsh and barren vale and the emancipating qualities of hope and freedom?
While the answer to the question is not so evident, it is embedded in the context of the psalm itself, which indicates that, even though the vale may be arid, sterile and barren, it is God who miraculously transforms it into a place of consolation and life-giving comfort, by the presence of the joyful, emancipated and hopeful pilgrims.
Subsequently, even though you are sojourning through an arid, harsh and barren vale of limitations, you can discover true hope and freedom, which occurs when you find your God who is all sufficient.
Perhaps you are sojourning through a dry, fruitless and barren vale in your life right now. Nothing seems to be thriving for you. Therefore, you wonder, “How will I pay my bills?” “How will I ever get better from this illness?” How will I ever be healed emotionally from all those losses, disappointments and painful situations? How? How? How? It is important to know that as you sojourn earth as a stranger and pilgrim, God is with you through every dark alley, to show you mercy, favour and to make you prosperous (Gen.39:2, 21). Therefore, as you place your faith in God like David demonstrated, you too can experience uncovering hope and freedom from a naturally hopeless and imprisoning situation, as you grow in grace and in the knowledge of God, to learn that He can abundantly bless you in spite of your present circumstances. Your God of more than enough patrols the path through the darkest alleys of the earth and can sustain life in the most scorching, harsh and barren of valleys because His providence for His children is not limiting but boundless.
Stay strong! Stay encouraged!
Many thanks to all of you for your continued support in purchasing my music. If you have already purchased yours, you may also wish to consider purchasing music to bless the life of someone else. Joy Creed album/s or track/s, may be purchased at any of the following:
http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/joycreed
www.joycreed.com/audiocd
https://www.reverbnation.com/joycreed
https://itunes.apple.com/ca/album/yadah-single/id52179152
Your Conductor,
Joy
©Creed's Melody
'Positive Message: Diverse Cultures'
Website: http://www.joycreed.com
Blog: (http://joycreed.blogspot.ca/)
Facebook: http://facebook.com/joy.creed
Twitter: http://twitter.com/joycreedmusic
Radio: http://www.joycreed.listen2myradio.com
Youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CiN68R6Qo5g
ReverbNation: http://reverbnation.com/joycreed
Greetings "Fan"-tastic Passengers,
Believers in Christ, as pilgrims to the heavenly city, may have to pass through many a valley of weeping, and many a thirsty desert, as they sojourn through earth. Notwithstanding, the prophet Isaiah in Isaiah 12:3 prophesied saying, “Therefore, with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation.” These wells of salvation, however, will be opened to the sojourning pilgrims, where they will be able to find consolation for their support.
According to Barnes notes on the Bible the word "Baca" as used in Psalm 84:6 mean, weeping or lamentation. The connotation is also given to a certain tree - some species of balsam - from its weeping; that is, because it seemed to distil tears, or drops of balsam resembling tears, both in size and appearance. Conversely, in 2 Samuel 15:23-24 and 1Chronicles 14:14-15 it is translated to mean mulberry trees. Nevertheless, the true rendering is, "valley of lamentation," or weeping. It is to no wonder then that the prophet in Jeremiah 17:6 prophesied of, “…those who inhabit the parched places in the wilderness, in a salt land and not inhabited.” Furthermore, the word “Baca” is believed to have reference to some lonely valley in Palestine - where there was no water, only a gloomy way, through which those commonly passed who went up to the place of worship. Here in Psalm 84:6 we see the psalmist using it as emblematic of human life, to illustrate "a vale of tears." It is an illustration of the effect of one’s faith in God, which is able to activate God’s supernatural and divine ability to diffuse hope and freedom, to His pilgrims, in a barren and desolate valley, where there was nothing but hopeless troubles and oppressive sorrow.
Notwithstanding, in a miraculous modus, the pilgrims to the heavenly city, “Who passing through the valley of Baca make it a well; the rain also filleth the pools” (Psa.84:6). Consequently, you will find hope and freedom, in the arid, harsh and barren vale, which was intended for your annihilation, as, “Therefore, with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation”(Isa.17:6).
In a similar manner in 1 Peter 4:12-13 the apostle of hope, Simon Peter, encouraged the strangers, who were scattered abroad, to rejoice while enduring the sweltering circumstances of their sojourning, which came to try their faith in God. Instead of thinking of the fiery trials as being an odd occurrence in their lives, he exhorted them to: “Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.” In essence, Peter was telling them that, “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it” (1 Cor.10:13). Furthermore, if they put their faith and trust in God, as they sojourn as strangers and pilgrims on earth, He would transform their scorching, unproductive, vale, into one which is filled with rejoicing, liberation and a lively hope in the Lord.
In David’s situation, it was his faith in the Mighty God of Wonders, which occasioned miracles from Him. In the context of this parched, lifeless and barren vale, David describes God’s providence of consolation and comfort, for His pilgrims, by means of the “wells of salvation.” It is supposed that David penned this psalm when he was forced by Absalom’s rebellion to vacate his city, which he lamented his absence from it, not so much because it was the royal city but because it was God’s holy city, the place where He chose in that dispensation, to reveal his presence to His people (2 Sam.15). Consequently, the psalm expresses David’s deep longing for the presence of God, while he was in captivity. While believers in Christ do not have to travel to a special location to enjoy God’s presence, the psalm gives voice to the yearning and happiness experienced in Christ’s nearness by those who worship Him (John 4:21-24). Therefore, David was confident that if God could provide sustenance for him in this dry valley, then He could sustain him in any situation. He believed that if God could give life in a place which was deemed uninhabitable for any form of life, then He could surely keep him alive in any fruitless situation.
David had faith in God and was able to enjoy happiness, hope, freedom and prosperity in Him. Interestingly the arid, harsh and barren vale is called “Baca.” There is a similar sounding Hebrew verb meaning “to weep.” Some scholars have identified the noun as a certain kind of tree, such as the balsam or aspen that flourishes in dry places. In addition, in Hebrew, when two words share such common qualities, they are usually connected in some fashion. Nevertheless, this begs the question, “what could possibly be this connection between this parched, harsh and barren vale and the emancipating qualities of hope and freedom?
While the answer to the question is not so evident, it is embedded in the context of the psalm itself, which indicates that, even though the vale may be arid, sterile and barren, it is God who miraculously transforms it into a place of consolation and life-giving comfort, by the presence of the joyful, emancipated and hopeful pilgrims.
Subsequently, even though you are sojourning through an arid, harsh and barren vale of limitations, you can discover true hope and freedom, which occurs when you find your God who is all sufficient.
Perhaps you are sojourning through a dry, fruitless and barren vale in your life right now. Nothing seems to be thriving for you. Therefore, you wonder, “How will I pay my bills?” “How will I ever get better from this illness?” How will I ever be healed emotionally from all those losses, disappointments and painful situations? How? How? How? It is important to know that as you sojourn earth as a stranger and pilgrim, God is with you through every dark alley, to show you mercy, favour and to make you prosperous (Gen.39:2, 21). Therefore, as you place your faith in God like David demonstrated, you too can experience uncovering hope and freedom from a naturally hopeless and imprisoning situation, as you grow in grace and in the knowledge of God, to learn that He can abundantly bless you in spite of your present circumstances. Your God of more than enough patrols the path through the darkest alleys of the earth and can sustain life in the most scorching, harsh and barren of valleys because His providence for His children is not limiting but boundless.
Stay strong! Stay encouraged!
Many thanks to all of you for your continued support in purchasing my music. If you have already purchased yours, you may also wish to consider purchasing music to bless the life of someone else. Joy Creed album/s or track/s, may be purchased at any of the following:
http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/joycreed
www.joycreed.com/audiocd
https://www.reverbnation.com/joycreed
https://itunes.apple.com/ca/album/yadah-single/id52179152
Your Conductor,
Joy
©Creed's Melody
'Positive Message: Diverse Cultures'
Website: http://www.joycreed.com
Blog: (http://joycreed.blogspot.ca/)
Facebook: http://facebook.com/joy.creed
Twitter: http://twitter.com/joycreedmusic
Radio: http://www.joycreed.listen2myradio.com
Youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CiN68R6Qo5g
ReverbNation: http://reverbnation.com/joycreed