The
Apple of His Eye ... commentary of Psalm 74
The Apple of His Eye
… A commentary of Psalm
74
Verse Five
Psalm 74:5 “A man was famous according
as he had lifted up axes upon the thick trees.”
So, you want to be Famous
Some want to be celebrated!
Some want fame … whatever the price!
And some love to have people to talk highly
about them.
Some are always in line to get praise.
Some want to be renowned!
Some want to be known for great
exploits.
Yes, it’s all about position and
fame.
Our verse begins like this:
“A man was famous…
There are people that you
will meet in life who just crave position, power
or wealth or maybe it’s all the above.
Now, just close your eyes
for a moment and maybe you will recall so and so,
and what so and so desired the most, that
so and so was in a trajectory … set for fame.
We have here placed
by the Spirit of God [in the book of Numbers,
chapter sixteen] an incident involving three men who
were seeking fame, renown and
position above the people.
Here is what these men
did. These three men “took men” [two
hundred and fifty princes of the assembly, already
“famous in the congregation”] to perform as
co-conspirators with them, and they all “rose
up” against Moses. It was a rebellion!
All for FAME!
The end of this story
shows where these cravings for fame will take a
person or persons. It is BAD END!
Let’s begin reading this
passage: “Now Korah, the son of Izhar, the son of
Kohath, the son of Levi, and Dathan and Abiram, the
sons of Eliab, and On, the son of Peleth, sons of
Reuben, took men:
And they rose up
before Moses, with certain of the children of
Israel, two hundred and fifty princes of the
assembly, famous in the congregation, men of renown:
And they gathered
themselves together against Moses and against Aaron,
and said unto them, Ye take too much upon
you, seeing all the congregation are holy,
every one of them, and the LORD is among
them: wherefore then lift ye up yourselves above the
congregation of the LORD?” [Numbers
16:1-2]
Now it is obvious
to anyone who reads this narrative involving Korah,
Dathan and Abiram.
It’s … as plain as the
nose on your face what they were after in life.
·
Korah wanted fame.
·
Dathan wanted fame.
·
Abiram wanted fame.
And all three were most
willing to do most anything [This includes
causing strife and usurping authority] to
come out on top of the pile.
Notice this: They
gathered themselves together to push their
agenda.
[The two hundred and fifty princes + Korah + Dathan + Abiram = 253 rebels.]
Observation:
Rebels always have a tendency to gather
with other rebels.
A man seeking fame
may mean getting a name down here [on Earth]
but not getting a name up there in Heaven.
Those that are known of men down here … are
not the same men to be known of God up in Heaven.
Observation:
Some throw away the eternal for the temporal gain.
Now, the rest of the
story will not come out well for Korah, Dathan
and Abiram. If you read on down from verse
five through thirty, and you will see how everything
gets sorted out in the contest between
God’s man [Moses], and these three rebels.
[Numbers 16:5-30]
See verse thirty-one, and
we will continue there.
The fame seekers
now meet their end: “And it came to pass, as he
had made an end of speaking all these words, that
the ground clave asunder that was under them:
And the earth opened
her mouth, and swallowed them up, and their houses,
and all the men that appertained unto Korah,
and all their goods.
They, and all that
appertained to them, went down alive into the
pit, and the earth closed upon them: and they
perished from among the congregation.
And all Israel that
were round about them fled at the cry of them:
for they said, Lest the earth swallow us up also.
And there came out a
fire from the LORD, and consumed the two hundred and
fifty men that offered incense.
And the LORD spake
unto Moses, saying,
Speak unto Eleazar the son of
Aaron the priest, that he take up the censers out of
the burning, and scatter thou the fire yonder; for
they are hallowed.
The censers of these
sinners against their own souls, let them make them
broad plates for a covering of the altar: for
they offered them before the LORD, therefore they
are hallowed: and they shall be a sign unto the
children of Israel.
And Eleazar the priest
took the brasen censers, wherewith they that were
burnt had offered; and they were made broad
plates for a covering of the altar:
To be
a memorial unto the children of Israel, that no
stranger, which is not of the seed of Aaron,
come near to offer incense before the LORD; that he
be not as Korah, and as his company: as the LORD
said to him by the hand of Moses.”
[Numbers 16:31-40]
These men sinned
against their own souls. They paid a
horrible price to pursue fame. The
ultimate commentary for this whole story is given to
us by no less than by God HIMSELF, when HE walked
down here on this earth in HIS first advent.
Now, are you ready for this? Jesus Christ, the Son of God propounded, [in the Gospel of Mark, chapter eight, verse thirty-six] this: “For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?” [Mark 8:36]
The Exploits
Down through the ages,
the people that are famous here on earth
among men do exploits. The famous
do exploits! The mighty men do
exploits!
Now, some men do exploits
in the strength of the flesh. Others do
exploits through the unseen powers
derived from “principalities, against powers,
against the rulers of the darkness of this world,
against spiritual wickedness in high places.”
[Ephesians 6:12]
Recall Nimrod: “He was
a mighty hunter before the LORD: wherefore it is
said, Even as Nimrod the mighty hunter before the
LORD.” [Genesis 10:9]
Now, there is someone
who in the near future will do exploits
because he hates God. He heart shall
be
against the holy covenant. He is
a vile person, who is located in the book of
Daniel, chapter eleven, verse twenty-five, and the
prophet prophecies of this exploit.
Daniel 11:28-32: “Then
shall he return into his land with great riches; and
his heart shall be against the holy covenant;
and he shall do exploits, and return to his
own land.
At the time appointed
he shall return, and come toward the south; but it
shall not be as the former, or as the latter.
For the ships of
Chittim shall come against him: therefore he shall
be grieved, and return, and have indignation against
the holy covenant: so shall he do; he shall even
return, and have intelligence with them that forsake
the holy covenant.
And arms shall stand
on his part, and they shall pollute the sanctuary of
strength, and shall take away the daily sacrifice,
and they shall place the abomination that maketh
desolate.”
And such as do
wickedly against the covenant shall he corrupt by
flatteries:”
In contrast to these
exploits [via flatteries against God] by certain
men, there will be exploits performed by
through faith in God by the people of God. Look
here now at the next verse in Daniel [see the last
part of verse thirty-two]: It continues here with
the word: BUT … “but the people that do know
their God shall be strong, and do exploits.”
So, the people of God,
and of HIS SON, Jesus Christ, also, do
exploits! The difference is:
They do exploits through faith in God
and in God’s word. The word of God
contains promises. These people had
faith: “Now faith is the
substance of things hoped for, the evidence of
things not seen. These people believed in the
promises of God.” [Hebrews 11:1]
Read the Epistle of Paul
the Apostle to the Hebrews in chapter eleven.
Come down to verse thirty-two and thirty-three, and
we see this: “And what shall I more
say? for the time would fail me to tell of Gedeon,
and of Barak, and of Samson, and of
Jephthae; of David also, and Samuel, and
of the prophets:
Who through faith
subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained
promises, stopped the mouths of lions,”
[Hebrews 11:32-33].
Conclusion:
Rather than pursuing fame, and renown,
here on this earth in the now, it is far, far
better, to seek to be famous with God
through FAITH in having our names written “in
the book of life”. [Philippians 4:3] Amen!
Now something else:
Believing on the LORD Jesus Christ
puts us on the road in the way of humility.
It puts us effectively on THE CROSS, so
that we can say, as Paul said:
“I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live;
yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life
which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of
the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for
me.”: [Galatians 2:20]
This identification
mark of humility borne in the believer
has other facets in the promises of God.
Mind you: There is a promise given to us
of God in the book of the Proverbs, twenty-two: “By
humility and the fear of the LORD are
riches, and honour, and life.”
[Proverbs 22:4] God does all the heavy
lifting for the humble in heart!!!
[Humility is the opposite of pride.]
It is better for one to
be humble and let God do the promoting:
“Humble yourselves in the sight of
the Lord, and he shall lift you up.”
[James 4:10]
In the Gospel according
to Luke [in chapter fourteen, verse ten], the LORD
gives further light with this divine directive:
“But when thou art bidden, go
and sit down in the lowest room; that when he that
bade thee cometh, he may say unto thee, Friend, go
up higher: then shalt thou have worship in the
presence of them that sit at meat with thee.”
[Luke 14:10].
Now take note: The desire of some men is to
be celebrated!
Some men just want all the fame …
whatever the price!
Observe: Some men love to have other people
talking highly about them.
And some men stand in line … only to get
praise.
Some men crave to be renowned!
For these, it is all about position
and fame.
Commentary:
There always has been certain men down through
history who have sought for position and fame.
Napoleon is one of
them.
“…according as he had lifted up axes upon the thick trees.”
Napoléon Bonaparte was
born 15 August 1769.
Napoleon was a French
statesman and military leader who rose to great
fame during the French Revolution and led
several successful campaigns during the French
Revolutionary Wars.
Napoleon’s thick axe
was his ability coalesce men around him and
galvanize them to action. He totally dominated
European and global affairs for more than a decade
while leading France against a series of coalitions
in the Napoleonic Wars. But for what price?
In the end he died
defeated, broken and in isolation
on May 5, 1821 on the island of St.
Helena at the age of 51.
Lesson learned?
Napoléon Bonaparte lifted his axe
upon the thick trees for a very short time, and for
what?
“For what is a man
profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose
his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange
for his soul?” [Matthew 16:26]