Psalm 83
With the war in the Middle East occurring and subsequently ending only days ago; I want to share a bit of news that few people realize happened close to the beginning of the war. A book was found. It wasn’t just any book, it was a special one, it was a prayer book. A book of Psalms. No, it wasn’t found in the Dead Sea desert. (Although, it does remind some of us of another similar find, albeit on a larger scale, only 58 years ago.) No, this find was found on the lofty island of Ireland. It was discovered in an bog, an ark made of peat moss.
It was definitely a miraculous discovery. Here’s a news snippet (does any one say snippet anymore?):
Irish archaeologists Tuesday heralded the discovery of an ancient book of psalms by a construction worker while driving the shovel of his backhoe into a bog. The approximately 20-page book has been dated to the years 800-1000… an engineer was digging up bogland last week to create commercial potting soil somewhere in Ireland’s midlands when “just beyond the bucket of his bulldozer, he spotted something.” Wallace would not specify where the book was found because a team of archaeologists is still exploring the site. (DUBLIN, Ireland (AP) CNN.com 07/25/06)
If it’s not clear exactly what happened imagine this, a huge bulldozer digging, a man sitting in his seat controlling the behemoth and just after he takes a chunk of peat and whatever else he spots something. A little something. A little 20-page book that’s hundreds of years old! That book was stuck open to a specific page. Yes!, Psalm 83!
National Museum of Ireland, AP
Now, the importance of this find is staggering when you consider that Israel was (actually they still are) facing a war that seemed to be escalating into a completely uncontrollable situation. We saw Israel fighting Lebanon in the north, Palestine on the west and east, and then Syria and Iran threatening as well. It was an entirely ludicrous war. It was started by Hizb’allah (party of allah) and then blamed on Israel by most (if not all) Muslims as well as the international community.
And in Israel when the war broke out the Rabbis called the Jewish people to pray several Psalms… one of those prayers was from… you got it, Psalm 83.
By all appearances Psalm 83 was happening.
And then in the Ire a tiny book was found dug out by a gaint. It was the prayer that was on all of our hearts who are faithful to the God of Israel. It was a prayer. A reminder to pray. It was a call, no, a pleading to stand with the Chosen people and care for their wounds. A reminder to stand with them to show that while the world might be against them we are not.
Heb. 3.15 (Psalm 95.7a-8) As it is said, “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion.â€
Take time to pray for the Beloved of God’s heart, the apple of His eye.
Jay
1 Comment
Ray Hill
On strictly a human level, we would find this to be amazing, nearly unbelievable, and quickly question the authenticity of finding a book of paper preserved in a bog of extreme moisture for a thousand years, and opened to Plasm 83… at this very specific time, that specific history is being made.
That’s exactly why we must remember that the battle in progress, and many more, worldwide, as well as personal, are of a spiritual realm… and thus, we are reminded to seek truth beyond our shell, and allow the Spirit to raise our awareness to a reality most too often disallowed.
Again, we are called to Faith… regardless of scientific findings.