The Israelites were unique among ancient cultures. While other nations had different gods for different aspects of life, the God of Israel was One God, and He was Lord of every aspect of their lives. He was God of agriculture and God of the hunt. He directed military campaigns and commercial endeavors. He regulated public and private conduct.
One psalm reads, Your wife shall be like a fruitful vine in the very heart of your house: your children like olive plants all around your your table. (Ps. 128:3 NKJV) Another psalm reads, In my distress I cried unto the Lord, and He heard me. Deliver my soul, O Lord, from lying lips, and from a deceitful tongue. (Ps. 120:1,2)
Central to their belief in an all-pervasive God was their belief in a God who cared about them—a God who provided for them and protected them: Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion, which cannot be moved, but abides forever. As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the Lord surrounds His people, from this time forth and forever. (Ps. 125:1,2)
Originally published May 22, 1992.
Picture: Lindenwood Park, Fargo, 2009. Photo by Solveig.
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