Tag / Promised Land

by jdansmall

Psalm 106

Moses Strikes RockHallelujah! We give thanks to Adonai
Hallelujah! Thank Him for His endless love
Hallelujah! Adonai, our Lord is good

Count His wonders, tell His praise.
Blest are all who walk uprightly
Keeping justice all their days

Lord, with favor look upon me
Count me with Your chosen ones.
Then will I rejoice with gladness
Praising You with all the saints.

We, Your people, have done evil
Sinned against You willfully
Like our fathers down in Egypt
Mindless of Your mighty deeds
Soon forgot Your acts of kindness
And rebelled at the Red Sea.

But for Your name’s sake You saved them
Making known Your mighty pow’r
Led them ‘cross the dried up water
Rescued from their enemies
Then the waters were unfettered
For their foes a watery grave.

Joyful songs, His praises singing
Grateful for His promises
But then quickly they forgot them
Waiting not for Him to guide
In the desert wastes they lusted
Testing God with their complaints.
God relented, granted wishes
But with leanness to their soul

When their leaders they did envy
Moses, Aaron, God’s select
Ground was opened and did swallow
Abiram, Dathan, and their kin
Fire fell upon their foll’wers
And consumed the wicked lot.

Then they made a calf in Horeb
Worshiping a man-made god
They exchanged their God of glory
For an ox that lives on grass.

They forgot the Lord their Savior
Who had done great things for them
Great deliverance from Egypt
And the Red Sea miracle
God decided to destroy them
But His servant, Moses, pled
Asking God to turn from anger
Rescued them from certain doom.

Then they grumbled, wouldn’t enter
Canaan’s pleasant Promised Land
They would not believe God’s promise
Chose instead to doubt His word
That’s when God declared His judgment
In the wilderness they’d die
To the nations they’d be scattered
Since His voice they would not heed.

Then they worshiped Baal at Peor
Fellowshipped with demon-gods
Once again God’s anger stirring
Deadly plague began to spread
Phinehas arose with courage
Interposed to stop the scourge
He will always be remembered
Honored for his righteous deed.

When at Meribah they grumbled
And complained against the Lord
Moses struck the rock in anger
Bringing judgment on himself.

When they finally entered Canaan
Failed to wipe out pagan tribes
Mingled with their evil customs
Worshiped idols, were defiled
Sacrificed their sons and daughters
Filled the land with murd’rous deeds
Adult’rous hearts preferring idols
So God turned His back on them
Gave them over to their enemies
Sent them off to pagan lands
They were crushed by cruel kings.

O’er and over down through hist’ry
God would rescue, they’d rebel
When by sin destroyed and wasted
He would hear their piteous cries
Call to mind His cov’nant promise
Turn again to heal and save
He would change the hearts of captors
Causing kindness to prevail.

Save us, Lord our God, we beg You
Gather us from foreign lands
Then we’ll bless and praise and thank You
Boasting in Your holy name
To the Lord, the God of Israel
Everlasting praises be
Join all peoples in agreement
Hallelujah! and Amen!

© 2014  J Dan Small

by jdansmall

Psalm 105

pillar of fireO give thanks unto the Lord and call upon His name
Sing His praises, tell His wonders, spread abroad His fame
Ye who worship Adonai rejoice with gladdened hearts
Never cease to seek His presence and His strength He will impart.

Call to mind His countless wonders, untold marvels, wise decrees
Sons of Jacob, all His chosen, come before Him, bend your knees
He, the Lord our God, is righteous, faithful to His promises
For a thousand generations He will do just what He says.

Once He promised Canaan’s portion as their lasting heritage
Abra’m, Isaac, Jacob, Israel –wand’rers on a pilgrimage
God preserved them and protected “touch not My anointed ones”
Warning kings of foreign nations not to harm His chosen sons.

As His sov’reign plan unfolded, Canaan’s famine caused them grief
But He sent ahead a savior who would bring them much relief
Joseph, sold as slave in fetters, down to Egypt bound with chains
Tested, tried, and oft rejected, in dark prisons he remains.

Then, when time had reached its fullness, he would see his dreams come true
Pharaoh made him prince of Egypt, wise men sought his point of view
Then it was in Ham they settled, Jacob’s humble tribe of few
There they prospered and were hated as their numbers grew and grew.

Over time they were subjected to oppressive slavery
God had turned the hearts of Egypt planning their delivery
Moses, Aaron, chosen servants, worked His signs and wonders there
Caused the captors grievous troubles driving them to deep despair.

When the land was cloaked in darkness, Egypt would not set them free
Water turned to blood around them, frogs and flies, a scourge of fleas
Hail and light’ning shattered trees and hordes of locusts ate their fields
Hardened hearts would not surrender, still to God they would not yield.

Then the firstborn sons of Egypt, pride and joy of every home
Were the object of death’s angel, Israel now was free to roam
Throughout all the tribes of Israel no one stumbled or was hurt
Egypt gave them all their treasures, having earned their just deserts.

Out they went with cloud to shield them, fiery pillar lit night skies
Quails and manna, food from heaven, water from a rock supplies
Faithful to His sacred promise, out they came with joyful songs
Eating crops they had not planted, now the land to them belongs.

All these things the Lord accomplished, faithful to His covenant
As He promised Abraham with sacred oath and testament
So these loved and chosen people would His will and laws obey,
Follow closely all His teachings, from His precepts never stray.

Hallelujah! Praise the Lord!  All God’s children sing His praise!
Shout for joy, recount His blessings, to His throne your voices raise!

© 2014  J Dan Small