May the praise of God be in their mouths and a double-edged sword in their hands (Psalm 149:6).

This is a psalm of praise to God, bookended by the phrase, "Praise the Lord." The opening half is delightful, a wondrous call to God's people to get up and bodily worship him. But in our verse, there is a dramatic shift that endures to the end of the psalm. What are we to make of this turn to violent warfare imagery? This is where The Lord's Prayer is helpful. It's about the battle between God's kingdom and all the dominions that seek to thwart his purposes.

Psalm 149 addresses this cosmic struggle between good and evil, between God and Satan. Christians understand ourselves as living within that struggle. If we are followers of Christ, then we are soldiers in His army.

The psalm is often paired with Ephesians 6:10-20 in which Paul reminds us of our part in the battle. "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms" (12). The sword that we carry does not cut flesh, for it is the Word of God (Hebrews 4:12). It penetrates to the spiritual heart bringing either judgement or life.

The two phrases of our text describe each other. Thus, "May the praise of God be in their mouths like a double-edged sword in their hands." Praising God is like wielding a sword. Our faithfulness to God and the proclamation of his sovereignty furthers His reign in this world.

This psalm invites us to look beyond the troubles that fill our news feeds. Not ignoring the pressing issues of the day but remembering that we are involved in a spiritual struggle. It calls us to live and pray with confidence, remembering that we are on the winning side. There is no fear that we will lose. We pray in the assurance that through His resurrection Christ has won the war.

And therefore, we use divine strategies, not human ones. In a hymn, we sing that the battle for God's kingdom and justice is fought "not with swords' loud clashing or roll of stirring drums. With deeds of love and mercy the heavenly kingdom comes."

In Our World Belongs to God, we read, "Our hope for a new creation is not tied to what humans can do, for we believe that one day every challenge to God's rule will be crushed. His kingdom will fully come, and the Lord will rule…We live confidently, anticipating his coming, offering him our daily lives-our acts of kindness, our loyalty, and our love-knowing that he will weave even our sins and sorrows into his sovereign purpose. Come, Lord Jesus, come (55, 57).

That's the confidence inspired by Psalm 149.

As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:

"May God himself, the God who makes everything holy and whole, make you holy and whole, put you together—spirit, soul, and body—and keep you fit for the coming of our Master, Jesus Christ. The One who called you is completely dependable. If he said it, he'll do it" (1 Thessalonians 5:23).

Remember that you were slaves in Egypt and that the LORD your God brought you out of there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm. Therefore, the LORD your God has commanded you to observe the Sabbath day (Deuteronomy 5:15).

Many of us have heard the 10 Commandments often but have rarely paused to consider the impact these commands were meant to have on God's newly freed people. This command regarding Sabbath, which we have already considered several times, was much more than a command to stop working. It was God's way of shaping the economy that Israel would initiate once they took possession of the promised land.

One way to understand the impact of this commandment is to consider Israel's new allegiance. We don't know how long the Israelites were enslaved in Egypt. Let us say that it was half the time they spent in that land: 200 years. Further, if the normal childbearing age was at 20 years, then we have roughly 10 generations of slaves. The memory of freedom was long gone. The only master these Israelites knew was Pharaoh, who had one law: work or die.

This was an economy of scarcity. Egypt's hunger was never satisfied. And complaining was counter productive. If they had energy to complain the Israelites were accused of being lazy causing their workload to increase. Pharaoh was not known for providing sufficiently for his slaves.

Now Israel has a new master who has set her free from this brutal economy. Yet it was the only economy they knew. They may have been free from it physically, but it was an economy in their hearts and bones and habits.

Sabbath was God's way of rewriting their neuropathways. Keeping Sabbath offered habits helping them to walk in God's economy of abundance. Their new master, the Lord God, would provide for his people, no longer slaves, but freed. They were invited to choose either to keep killing themselves in the brutal economy of Egypt or to walk into the abundance of their God.

Pharaoh had his taskmasters to keep the Israelites working without rest. When the Israelites became landowners in their new home and acquired servants and slaves to work their fields, they were not to treat them as Pharaoh had treated them. They were to value the humanity of their workers and offer them a dignified way of life.

There is ample evidence that our economy is more like Egypt than like that of Sabbath keeping Israel. God calls us to resist the Egyptian tendrils that have burrowed their way into our society. We need to know him as the God of abundance who provides. That is why the apostles regularly include such questions as, "If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person?" (1 John 3:17).

As we live out this week, let us pay attention to our own hearts. Let us pay attention to the tendrils of Egyptian economy that have made themselves at home in us. What habits can we practice that help us embrace the economy of God?

As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:

Wherever God takes you today (this week), may He fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit and that you may live carefully—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity.

A Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings! The text is Galatians 5:24-26. Dive In discussion questions are below for further reflection!

To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it here on YouTube. Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca

Dive In

1. What was the sermon exploring?
2. How does belonging to Jesus encourage us on the Christian Road?
3. What does it mean to crucify the flesh? How long does it take for the flesh to die? Is it just about the things we do?
4. What does it mean to walk in step with the Spirit? What's the difference between "being led by the Spirit" and "walking in step with the Spirit"?
5. Where is the evidence that the Holy Spirit is making progress with us? How does the gospel change are self-perception?