April 23, 2017: Day 113 – Psalm 113

This isn’t what I was looking for, but I guess it will work.  I was looking for a song that I used to sing that said:  “From the rising of the sun, to the going down of the same, the Lord’s name is to be praised”.  It is interesting that there are some phrases that elicit some great childhood memories for me.  That song was associated with VBS and those times that I went to Christian camp.  

Once again we find the psalmist pointing to the needy as those for whom God has favor.  He lifts the poor from the dust and the needy from the ash heap.  The ash heap would have been the place that the poor would have gone to collect charcoal which could be sold or used in the home for fuel for the fire.  It truly was a place where only the poor would find themselves.  We also see a reference to God who looks with favor upon the barren.  So much of the Old Testament is centered upon the role of the woman being somewhat singular.  She was responsible for bearing children.  We read in many different Scriptures that those women who could not bear children were ashamed and felt worthless (Sarah, Rachel, Rebecca, Hannah and others).  They felt like God had cursed them and had withdrawn His presence from them.

But here we find quite the opposite.  We find him giving her a home.  But it again centers back on her being gifted with children.  Not a word of comfort for the families today who are not able to bear children.