WPC <;vKJ/4^Y:/4W+Sj7-A(2ӹ?fu z`s$pr Birr9jk`=aZA#bj.~]D]!ZfƉ고t.+I&03Ds’7,}Dw?Ixj(2e :.C:`,r! [[sl@D(> C }UaDGp#-Z4}G${;@4;CFG]O,ڧ?MKyuAKM=[Ij]\:w`gK{boehPbyB jj=~ Mzh(H̐R}_FN^ZB_nRL*Whۼf&1IB #!UN %' 0(-NUw@W4 m^ #|xEPSON40BD71 (ET-4850 Series)0(9 Z6Times New Roman RegularX($ UEEEE-TheheartofGod:Fromfarthesteasttofarthestwest̀̀̀̀

Coveringtheglobefromfarthesteasttofarthestwest

    ThewordsinPsalm113:3aboutpraisingtheLordallover_the @-(, Earthclearlyenvisionworldevangelismtakingplace.DothewordsabouttherisingandsettingsuninPsalm113refertodaylighthoursoraretheygeographicalreferences?SimilarwordinginPsalm50aboutpraisingGodisclearlyageographicalreferencesinceitsays"towhereitsets."<_li>If_ԀGodisnotbeingpraisedsomewherefromthefarthestEasttothefarthestWest,thenarenotHispeopleobligatedtodosomethingtochangethesituation?

    Missions:TheheartofGod

    <_mark>Does_ԀPsalm113:3meanfromsunrisetosunsetordoesitmeanfromEasttoWest?

    "Fromtherisingofthesuntotheplacewhereitsets,thenameoftheLordistobepraised"--Psalm113:3,similarwordinginPsalm50:1

    <_p>Nearly_Ԁ30yearsagoyoungpeoplecamehomefromaquadrennialNazareneYouthConferencesingingStephenP.Smith's"FromtheRisingoftheSun."WatchingthemputtingmotionsofarisingandsettingsuntothatmusicalrenditionofPsalm113:3,IrealizedtheyweresingingaboutfulfillingtheGreatCommission.

    <_p>The_ԀwordingofPsalm113:3issometimestakentomean"fromsunrisetosunset."Thatignoresthecontextoftheverse.Verse2,whichsays<_i_>"nowandforevermore,"clearlyreferstotime.Tosayversethreealsoreferstotimemayoverlookthephrase"<_i>to_Ԁtheplacewhere[thesun]sets."Versethreeissaying,asBarnes'classic<_i>Notes_ԀontheBibleputsit:"Fromthefarthesteasttothefarthestwest."ThatmeaningisevenclearerinthewordingofPsalm50:1:
    <_cite>The_ԀMightyOne,God,theLord,
    &_nbsp_;&_nbsp_;&_nbsp;speaks_Ԁandsummonsthe_earth&_nbsp_;&_nbsp_;&_nbsp;from_Ԁtherisingofthesuntowhereitsets."

    <_p>The_ԀauthorofPsalm113isnotidentifiedinScripture.SomescholarshavesuggesteditwasMoses.IfMoseswastheauthor,maybehewrotethosewordswhilethinkingaboutGod'scallinExodus19forHispeopletobe"<_i>a_Ԁkingdomofpriests,"aphrasemeaningtheyweretobeapeoplewhereallseektobringtherestofhumanityintoGod'spresence.

    <_p>This_ԀparticularPsalmhaslongbeensungatJewishPassovercommemorations.Therefore,itlikelywouldhavebeensungbyJesusandHisdisciplesattheUpperRoommealpriortoJesus'arrestandcrucifixion.AfterHisResurrection,Jesusspoketohisdisciplesaboutmakingdisciplesin"<_i>all_Ԁnations"(Matthew28:19-20).Isitpossiblethattheideaof"fromthefarthesteasttothefarthestwest"fromPsalm113:3wasstillechoinginthedisciples'mindsfromthatPassovercelebrationasJesusspokethewordsofHisGreatCommissiontothem?

    <_p>Psalm_Ԁ113:3aswellasthethreeotherpassageswithsimilarwording(Psalm50:12,Isaiah45:6,andIsaiah59:19)isphrasedasanimperative.Itisthusacommand.IfGodisnotbeingpraisedsomewherefromthefarthesteasttothefarthestwest,thenHispeopleareobligatedtodosomethingtochangethesituation.

    <_p>In_Ԁthemiddleofthe1700s,earlyProtestantmissionariesbeganleavingtheirhomelandsforotherpartsoftheworld.Atthatpointintime,BiblescholarJohnGillwrotethatPsalm113:3wasdefinitelyaboutworldevangelism.Hesaidtheverselookedforwardto"Gospeltimes,whentheGospelshouldbesentuntoalltheworld,andmanyshouldbecalledfromtheeastandwest,from_the_Ԁnorthandsouth."

     @-(, <_p>Psalm_Ԁ113:3issungtodayatJewishPassovercelebrationsandbyChristiansusingmusicalsettingscomposedbyStephenP.Smith,Paul_Deming_,andothers.Whenthosewordsaresung,theyneedtobeunderstoodbyhearersastheexpectationthatGod'speoplearetogettheGoodNewstoeveryplaceonearth.

    Discussionquestions

    <_ol_><_li>How_ԀdoestherestofPsalm113:3suggestthattheverseshouldnotbeinterpretedasareferencetodaylighthours?<_li>In_Ԁwhatwaysmighttheideaof"fromthefarthesteasttothefarthestwest"influenceourunderstandingoftheGreatCommissiongiveninMatthew28:19-20aswellasJesus'wordsinActs1:8?<_li>Why_ԀmightitbesignificantthatPsalm113:3wassungatJewishPassovercommemorations?HowmightthattieittoChrist'scallto"makedisciplesinthenations"?<_li>How_ԀmightunderstandingPsalm113:3asacommandaffecttheactionsofbelievers?

    &_nbsp_;&_nbsp_;&_nbsp_;--HowardCulbertson,

    <_p>This_Ԁmini-essayonaworldmissionsBiblepassageisoneofmorethanthreedozenarticlesinthe"HeartofGod"seriespublishedin<_i>Engage_,amonthlyonlinemagazine.ThatseriesexploreswhattheBiblesaysaboutmissions.

    

    <_iframe_Ԁloading=lazywidth="560"height="315"_src_="_https_://_www.youtube.com_/embed/_OlU_-EWclC4M"title="_YouTube_Ԁvideoplayer"allow="accelerometer;_autoplay_;clipboard-write;encrypted-media;gyroscope;picture-in-picture"_allowfullscreen_>

    

    Afterword

    <_p>In_Ԁageographicalsense,therisingandsettingofthesuninPsalm113symbolizetheentiretyoftheearth,fromeasttowest.ThewordsareacalltoworldwidepraiseofGodm,implyingthatinallculturalandethnic_contexts,_Ԁfromoneendoftheearthtotheother,Godisworthyofpraiseandworship.

    MoreforyoufromPsalms

    <_ul_Ԁclass="space">
  • Psalm1--"Blessed....Notso..."
  • Psalm9:11--"Proclaimamongthenations"
  • Psalms14:1-3;15;16:8-11--Gossiping:TellingTales
  • Psalm18:46--Amongthenations
  • Psalm22--Missionsdeclarationfromthecross
  • Psalm23--Heismyshepherd
  • Psalms22:1-5,23;24:7-10--SweetlittlebabyJesus
  • Psalm37:1-11--Leaningonthe @-(, everlastingarms
  • Psalm48:10--Missionsexistbecauseworshipdoesn't
  •  @-(, 
  • Psalm65:5--God,theglobalhope
  • _
  • Psalm68:32--Recruitingforthechoir
  • Psalm87:6--Registerofthepeoplesofearth
  • Psalm103--Gettingtheglorydown
  • Psalm105:1--"Makeknownamongthenations"
  • Psalm121:1-2--Activefaith,notfatalism
  • OverviewofthebookofPsalms
  • CitationsfromPsalmsonthissite

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