Devotional Short Note to Psalm 138: The Transformative ideology that is built into sociology, psychology, philosophy, politics, education and economics is a soft version of Marxism and hardcore socialism. There is a Robin-Hoodism behind this ideology’s sofa. It is attempts to inspire populism to give permission for daylight robbing by using media, genres, fanning out its spider web. As Vygotsky et al indicates it tries to change the status quo by all means available to attain a change or a transformation. From “rebellion” and “revolution” philosophers are today softpadding it with “transformation” but the objectives and goals are no different. Bring someone else’s money or capital or property and put it in my hands so that I can gain. Like Charlie Chaplin said in his famous “The Great Dictator”s Speech (see Youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GU_rn1xzItk) which was a parody of extreme ideology of socialism: “dictators free themselves but enslave the people” and what our generation has seen is that they provide enough food for themselves and their cronies but everyone else goes hungry and is on UN food handouts. All in the name of socialistic transformational ideologies. They make machines of everyone and take from the machines with no heart. Gain comes to their pockets and that of their relatives or associates but without the approval of the Almighty, so it is doomed for it is shortlived. It cannot last in the long run. That is why there is no Assyrian empire today, no Babylonian, no Hittite, no Sumerian, no Persian, no Phoenician, no Egyptian despite millennia of history. For it is when these nations touch the apple of God’s eye, the remnant, that they sign their of fatal destiny and fatal it will be even if it takes time.

David knew this very well. Unfortunately the Greek Septuagint did not accept David as author but added Zechariah as one can see in a copy that was made in haste by Constantine’s order around 350 A.D. of which Codex Alexandrinus is one of these “50 copies copied in haste” that Eusebius is talking about. Do not believe the current Septuagint on display for us all over the world and online. The original is lost and these are degenerative copies. Trust the Original Hebrew, it is more stable a text.

David’s status quo was built on the Rock Jesus Christ the Messiah to come, and the Trinity. “I will give You (singular) thanks in my whole heart [not partly, not reservedly, not scratching for change in a purse] before God I shall sing praises” (138:1). Judaism understood it to be not “before God [Elohim]” here but “judges” (Targum) and “angels” (Greek Septuagint as well as Middle Ages Rabbi Rashi). There is no need to understand it different than David’s Trinity God that he is singing to.

David says he will bow down “to Your Holy Temple” (138:2). Temple? There is no Temple until David died in 970 BCE. So David cannot speak of the Tabernacle as a Temple otherwise he would not see the need to build one. This temple is God’s domain in heavenly Zion or the Sanctuary in Heaven called “Your Holy Temple”. David knew that God has a dwelling in heaven but his dream was to build a place of worship for humans on earth. The Tabernacle was not good enough for that. He felt uncomfortable with that disparity that his house is so beautiful with marble and cederwood from the Lebanon but the Lord has a makeshift structure, a hangover from Moses’ time.

From the temple comes “Your mercy”; “Your truth”; “Your Word” (138:2).

Why is David saying thanks, then sing and then bow down?

When he bow or kneel down he gave thanks again. Why?

Reason: “For You have magnified Your Word above all Your name” (138:2c).

The Revelation of God is a reality capsule of God in time(s) given to humanity. David tapped into what was available to him in his days. He knew God by reading and by having a living relationship with Him.

The status quo was one of happiness because God transformed his life as he kept believing and having faith in God’s promises of security, help, rescue, further transformational acts. This is no human engineering as Vygotsky and Anna Stetsenko anticipates in their model of transformational theories. God does it Himself since He benefits everyone of faith not just a selected few. If only few have a proper relationship of course He benefits only a few with a widespread zone of kindness to bless all those in the environment of these believers as well. “Bonus” you may call it.

Frank Hasel is citing from Ellen White in his Holy Spirit Sabbath School quarterly online at March 6, 2017 “The Lord is not glorified by the tame supplications which show that nothing is expected” (Ellen White, Signs of the Times, August 7, 1901). David knew it well.

“In the day that I called, You did answer me. You encouraged me in my soul with strength” (138:3). Positivism? No. Some Psychologists are pointing out that Christians are happy people because they are always positive in their minds. No. Happy clappy and laughing jokingly are not going to give lasting effects. Some of the greatest comedians in the world committed suicide although audiences fold at their humorous presentations or parodies. A real divine directed transformation is needed not a humanistic propped-up one.

The time will come that all the kings of the earth shall give thanks to the Lord. When is this? Simple. Joel 3:5 or 2:32 (English or Hebrew) says that there will be a final call by God: “And among the survivors whom the Lord keep calling” (qoreh = keep calling). This participle is a continuous action without limits, without stopping (pastors, see Gesenius and Kautzsch, Hebrew Grammar §116b on the particple). It is not just a call of five seconds. It is a call until the divine schedule does not allow Him any loner to call. God’s divine plan is from Eden to Eden. The second principle is that Joel 3:1 or Hebrew 2:28 says that the Spirit at the Latter Rain miracle [soon to come in my opinion] the Lord shall be poured out upon “all flesh” [al kal basar]. Unless there was prior preparation with the Spirit, the relationship with the Spirit will not be a lasting one with all and fading and drop will take place. This moment, all kings of the earth will give thanks to the Lord. Their destiny is to remain in the Spirit and not to drop out in this final call. All levels of society will receive the Spirit (Joel 3:2 and 2:29). Kings too.

When God promised better days for His remnant during the Time of Jabob’s Trouble at the End of Time in Isaiah 49:7c He said: “kings shall see and princes shall rise” and “shall bow down”. This restoration shall happen because of who God is (Isaiah 49:7d). It is because of God’s identity that David has confidence here.

The Latter Rain will bring the Word of God globally as the Fourth Elijah miracle of preaching with influx to the Truth by the millions in a short time. “They have heard the Words of Your mouth” (138:4). When the remnant are asked to leave the cities “Come out of her My people so that you do not get her plaques” that is why the cities will be desolate “cities forsaken” (Isaiah 32:14). Eternity is close or the Second Coming of Christ since it says that hill and watchtower have become caves “unto eternity” (Isaiah 32:14b). It is so close to the Second Coming of Christ or the Messiah that no change of situation is in sight here. Until the Latter Rain: “until the Spirit is poured out upon us from on high” (Isaiah 32:15). These deserted conditions lasted until the Latter Rain event. On all flesh and then the remnant numbers swell. The remnant who was hiding in the Wilderness away from the cities is now a different scene: “Justice will dwell in the wilderness” (Isaiah 32:16a). About the Word of God coming to all globally, Isaiah pointed out “My righteousness is near [His Second Coming but also the enactment of the Latter Rain event in progress] My salvation has gone forth [The Latter Rain completed in the prophetic charts of the Lord] (Isaiah 51:5a)” and the result is now “the coastlands [outside physical Israel] will wait for Me and My arm will wait expectantly” (Isaiah 51L5c-d). It is the eschatological “harvest” that Joel knew following the Latter Rain (see Joel 3:12-17).

Singing? These final call respondents to the Latter Rain will sing (138:5) of the ways of the Lord for great is the glory of the Lord.

“For though the Lord be high” (138:6a). Wait a minute. Where is this theory of the Lord dwelling in physical Jerusalem on a Mount that is no higher than 40 meter at the most? This is not high? There are people around the globe living higher than that? David is talking about the Lord in heaven that dwells on high and thus in His Holy Temple (138:2a) the heavenly Sanctuary. Let no says that David did not believe in a heavenly sanctuary as dwelling place for God.

Even though He is high in His sanctuary in heaven, David says, He has a space for everyone here below. Willing one’s though. He is not Charlie Chaplin’s Dictator that makes machines of people. Charlie knew that difference too. David also.

God will know [future tense or imperfect form of Hebrew] the arrogant from afar (138:6b).

David is back to himself. Just like Psalm 23 with God close to him he says “though I walk in the midst of trouble, You will be keep me alive [future tense imperfect form of the verb]” (138:7a). The wrath of enemies are breathing in his neck but the Lord “stretch forth Your hand” (138:7b). From God’s perspective, nations are but a speck of dust in a container. That was the might Roman Empire and what happened, in 538 A.D. it finally imploded with the last handover to be succeeded by Christian theological-politics of the Catholic Church. Amid migrationism of large proportions did this implosion happen. No culture, no ideology has enduring or lasting attributes unless it is positively adapting to follow the ethics in line with divine requirements, not prescribed by this church or that church but by the pure Word of God plainly understandable by anyone in all languages and cultures.

“Your right hand saved me” (138:7c). David was right-handed maybe and Obama left-handed. Most soldiers would fight with the sword in the right hand. Left-handedness is an exception not the rule.

Then David declared a concept that also Paul mentioned in Philippians 1:6 “He who begins a work of grace will finish it” but David’s version of it is similarly “The Lord will complete in my finality” (be-adi). It is a combination of two prepositions, “in = be” and “unto = adi” the last which is found in that profound time period of the 2300 days=years prophecy in Daniel 8:14 “Unto = ad” talking about terminus or terminal date, terminus ad quem date.

The mercy of God is forever (138:8b).

David asked the Lord not to forsake the work of changing humans in sanctification preparing them for salvation, of His own hands (138:8c). Sanctification is a lifetime and about fitness for heaven.