The Most High Over All The Earth

Psalm 97:7-12

7Those who worship idols are disgraced—

all who brag about their worthless gods—

for every god must bow to him.

8Jerusalem has heard and rejoiced,

and all the cities of Judah are glad

because of your justice, LORD!

9For you, O LORD, are most high over all the earth;

you are exalted far above all gods.

10You who love the LORD, hate evil!

He protects the lives of his godly people

and rescues them from the power of the wicked.

11Light shines on the godly,

and joy on those who do right.

12May all who are godly be happy in the LORD

and praise his holy name!

The town of Antioch on the Mediterranean Sea was an early center of Christian ministry. This was the church that pioneered outreach to the Gentiles, sending Paul and Barnabas on their first missionary journey.

During the persecution in the third century, the beloved bishop of Antioch, Babylas, was martyred. His body was buried in a grove by the Orontes River. His burial place was the former site of a shrine to Apollo. The persecution of Christians died away, but then in the fourth century, the emperor Julian came to power.

As was mentioned in the devotional for August 5, Julian was trying to steer the empire back to the pagan gods. Part of his strategy involved sprucing up pagan worship centers—like the one on the banks of the Orontes River. For that to happen, the bishop’s body had to be moved. Julian ordered the exhumation of the bishop’s body.

What could the poor Christians in Antioch do? Well, they decided to make a worship service out of it. They carried the bishop’s body in a sacred procession to another burial site. As they proceeded, they sang Psalm 97.

“You can have your Apollo,” they seemed to be saying. “We have a God who rules over all the earth. You can make us move our bishop’s body, but we know where his soul is. You can make life difficult for us, but we have a source of light and joy you know nothing about. The Lord protects us, and so we are happy in him.”

My God, how wonderful thou art,

Thy majesty how bright,

How beautiful thy mercy seat

In depths of burning light!

FREDERICK W. FABER

Bible Networking

Each of us needs to exercise our happiness and joy in the Lord (verses 11-12). Read Habakkuk 3:17-18.

Notable Quotable

“Each act of self-denial is a seed-germ of the harvest of gladness.”

F. B. MEYER