JEHOVAH-YESHA = Jehovah is Salvation Ps. 27:1

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1 JEHOVAH-YESHA = Jehovah is Salvation Ps. 27:1 Each of the titles the Bible attributes to God is exclusive to Him. In the manner in which they are used, they apply to God, and to God alone. This is a wonderful and a very personal psalm. According to the Septuagint, - the ancient Greek translation of the Old Testament Hebrew Scriptures, - this psalm was written by David before he was crowned king when Saul was beginning to resent him and cause trouble for him and eventually David had to flee into the wilderness. [Note v.2 When the wicked, even mine enemies and my foes, came upon me to eat up my flesh, they stumbled and fell. 12 Deliver me not over unto the will of mine enemies: for false witnesses are risen up against me, and such as breathe out cruelty]. In fact, when you read this psalm you come across a man who faces the reality and fears of adversity. Just because he has been anointed of God, the efforts of the evil one was no less hurtful and dangerous towards him. You can pick this out, for example, in the fear of circumstances (vv.1-6) where David is in no doubt of the enemy s capability. Oh, I belong to God, nothing can happen to me! Yes, that is true but it doesn t mean you throw all caution and common sense to the wind. David was wise to beware of the potential for the fear of circumstances. Because you are a Christian, it is often the case the enemy is out to try to get you even more! And then he could also have had the potential for the fear of failure (vv.7-10) v.7 I cry with my voice: have mercy also upon me, and answer me 9 Hide not thy face far from me; put not thy servant away in anger: thou hast been my help; leave me not, neither forsake me. Saul was the king of a large army; Saul had originally been chosen by God David, on the other hand, was a son even his father had almost forgotten to present to Samuel, when Samuel came looking for a king. When Saul offered David his daughter Michal in marriage (I Sam. 18:18 Who am I? and what is my life, or my father's family in Israel, that I should be son in law to the king?) [By the way, Michal is the feminine variant of Micah, Who is like God (El) Who is like YAH? ] the fear of failure. The fear of circumstances, the fear of failure, and there is also a hint here of the fear of the future (vv.11-14) v.13 I had [almost] fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living.

2 As you read through this psalm, you see a real man facing real dangers in real situations and yet his trust was in the Lord. He describes Him as His Light, Jehovah-Ore and of course this is a study in itself. The word ore raa, is one of the first words in the Bible, Gen. 1:3 And God said, Let there be light: and there was light. I Jn. 1:5 God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. He appeared as light in the wilderness, in the tabernacle, in the temple but notice here David made it personal, Ps. 27:1 The LORD is my light. Even in the cave in which he hid from Saul, the Lord was His light shining in the darkness of an uncertain path before him. To know the Lord as your light is altogether important because all around you is spiritual darkness, Job said, (24:13) They are of those that rebel against the light; they know not the ways thereof, nor abide in the paths thereof. We see the world in an altogether different manner to the unsaved. And in the midst of its spiritual darkness we can confidently say, The Lord is my light But let s consider the second of his descriptions of the Lord, The Lord is my salvation, Jehovah-Yesha. Yes, I am the lowliest of all my brethren, I was a sheep-herder When they were out fighting giants, I was only good enough to bring them their lunch. I ll probably be nothing more than a sheep-herder the rest of my days! And yet the Lord sent Samuel to search out a man after God s own heart, and when young David came before the old prophet, the Lord told him, I Sam. 16:12 Arise, anoint him: for this is he. 13 Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the midst of his brethren: and the spirit of the LORD came upon David from that day forward. Believer, do you realise you are the anointed of God? JEHOVAH- YESHA is your salvation. When we talk about the Lord being our salvation we, of course, must enter out into a realm that is foreign to the capability of our understanding THE LORD IS MY SALVATION BECAUSE OF HIS ETERNAL DECISION. The psalmist declared, Ps. 45:7 thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows. Salvation is all of the Lord; Samuel did not leave Jesse s home until he had found the man God sent him to search for. Samuel did not choose David to be king the choice was all of God. Jesse was so excited, One of my boys is going to be king! and he presented the eldest first of all, - Eliab ( God is Father ) -, and then 2

3 3 Abinadab ( my father is generous ), and Shammah ( astonishing ), and then each of the other four sons But no, v.10 Samuel said unto Jesse, The LORD hath not chosen these. 11 And Samuel said unto Jesse, Are here all thy children? And he said, There remaineth yet the youngest, and, behold, he keepeth the sheep You can almost hear the tone of disappointment in Jesse s voice, because surely the Lord would not choose David! But we know the story, and we know the decision the Lord took not a decision He made there and then but a decision He had made before time began, v.1 fill thine horn with oil, and go, I will send thee to Jesse the Bethlehemite: for I have provided me a king among his sons. Even before Samuel came to Bethlehem, to the home of Jesse, God had already said through him to King Saul, I Sam. 13:14 now thy kingdom shall not continue: the LORD hath sought him a man after his own heart. JEHOVAH-YESHA, - The Lord is my salvation, - prepares your heart for Himself as he prepared the heart of David. I am saved because God has chosen to save me unto Himself. I was like David, a nothing, nobody noticed me, - I never stood out from the crowd and yet, today, I have the privilege of being able to say, The Lord is my salvation! He could have passed over me and gone to someone else but He did not miss me out. He called me long before I heard, Before my sinful heart was stirred, But when I took Him at His word, Forgiv n, He lifted me. Amazing grace! how sweet the sound, That saved a wretch like me! 'Twas grace that taught my heart to fear, And grace my fears relieved; How precious did that grace appear The hour I first believed! My salvation is all of God and I have no truck with anyone who says it is otherwise! Salvation is the name of God for God is the only God of salvation, Jehovah-Yesha and with the psalmist I can say, The Lord is my salvation. Yes, He made an eternal decision to save me, and He is JEHOVAH- YESHA, the Lord my salvation, also because of HIS ETERNAL DIRECTIVE. It is a fact the Lord rejects some. You find it in 16:1 that He rejected Saul and yes, Saul deserved to be rejected! Why did God reject Saul? Because Saul was disobedient. Look back at I Sam. 15:2, 2 Thus saith the LORD of hosts, I remember that which Amalek did to Israel, how he laid wait for him in the way, when he came up from Egypt. Now go and smite Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they

4 4 have, and spare them not; but slay both man and woman, infant and suckling, God even commanded the utter destruction of even the infant and suckling! I m not sure, - in fact, I don t think I could have carried the Lord s command out to the letter to have killed the infant and suckling but any command God makes is within the full context of His complete knowledge the nation of the Amalekites had fallen under particular judgment of God because of their wickedness towards the Israelites in earlier days Aye, but why should the children be punished? in the mind of God, - infant and suckling grow up and continue the legacy of hatred taught from their fathers so God s command was just. And with regards to Saul, the Lord rejected him because of his blatant disobedience to destroy the Amalekites absolutely and completely. And you also find that God rejected each and every one of David s brethren to be king. v.6 when they were come, [Samuel] looked on Eliab, and said, Surely the Lord's anointed is before him. But the Lord was teaching the old prophet a lesson, v.7 the LORD said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart. You see, God directs in accordance with His holiness, His sovereignty and for the salvation of His people. God s primary interest, - as far as this world is concerned, - is His people within it. One day, - and not because of any global warming, - God will call an end to His creation but from out of this creation He shall lift a people unto Himself. This people will have only one thing in common, and that is their knowledge of Jesus Christ as Saviour. CONCLUSION He is faithful because of His NATURE, He is faithful because of His NAME and He is faithful towards His PEOPLE. There are so many more aspects to this attribute of God, as there is to each and every other aspect too but, what about our prospects as a fellowship here? What about how long we can keep going?

5 5 What about your future as a child of God? Will you be able to keep going if a seemingly insurmountable barrier is placed in your path? What if you tire out? The answer to each and all of those questions, - and many more than might cause you concern, - has the same answer and it is contained in this wonderful title of God, Jehovah Aman, The Lord is Faithful Wherever He may lead you, keep holding unto this glorious promise, I Thess. 5:24 Faithful (Jehovah Aman) is he that calleth you, who also will do it.