Psalm 31:13
13 For I have heard [shama`] the slander [dibbah] of
many [rab]: fear [magowr] was on every side [cabiyb]:
while they took counsel [yacad] together [yachad] against me, they devised [zamam] to take away [laqach] my
life [nephesh].
KJV-Interlinear
13 For
I have heard the slander of many, Terror is on every side; While they took
counsel together against me, They schemed to take away my life. NASB
Will you know the answer
to the question at the end of this study? This verse gives us the third of three
troubles that have been mentioned in this passage. The first was the ostracism from friends and
family which is a reference to the world.
The second is being forgotten, as the world has a short memory and the
typical impact that any given person has on life, is virtually nil.
Jesus Christ, of course,
is the one and only exception.
And now the third source
of trouble is the gossip or slander of the world, especially against
Christians, but then the world plays no favorites to speak of, and eventually
turns on everyone, even those that the world favors for a time.
Fear on every side is a
reference to the complete lack of trust that can be placed in the world. No one and northing can be trusted, for when
the chips are down, the friends fade quickly away. And even when life is prosperous and rosy,
those who draw near, have ulterior agendas to themselves, and certainly not
you.
As they say, when the
food and beverage runs out, the party is over and everyone leaves.
Counsel against the
believer, is the collective conspiracy of the world against truth and therefore
against God and Christ and all that they stand for. A conspiracy is an evil, unlawful, secretive
plan that has been formulated by two or more persons. And Satan’s plan of evil, when adopted by
people who reject truth, and willingly even if unknowingly, becomes the
greatest conspiracy in all of history.
Its impact affects all of human history and certainly the lives of
unknown endless numbers, of people.
Satan’s ultimate purpose
is to defeat God, and thereby destroy us all.
Look at the world all
around. We are ostracized from life by
evil. We are forgotten as though we have no worth or value. We are slandered and despised with
impunity. The world simply does not care
for you or anyone. As far as Satan is concerned,
he got along fine before man was created and will get along fine after man is long
gone and forgotten.
So, through evil, which
is what you choose by default, if you ignore the instruction of Gods word, then
you will gain nothing and for certain, will lose everything. Your life will have no meaning or purpose,
ever.
With Christ, you can certainly
gain everything and more beyond your imagination.
Which is the best choice?
