From God comes my help

I'm following This plan takes you through the bible in two years. Todays' reading is: Gn 34-35 Ps 21.

Gn 34-35
You know... I never quite know what to think with passages like the one in Genesis 34. Hamor did wrong in raping Dinah, Jacob's sons did wrong in lying to Hamor about what they would do, Hamor's father and all the men were killed (persuaded as they were by the promise of gold and livestock) which well...isn't right either, and Jacob was concerned about the trouble they would get into now that all those men were killed. What do I do with a passage that has some much WRONG in it? Where do I find Christ in this passage?

in Genesis 35 we learn God's response.
He called Jacob out to come and worship him. Jacob did that, building an altar to God, and he called the place El-bethel. There God changed Jacob's name to Israel and there God reminded Israel of his plans for him.

"I am God Almighty: be fruitful and multiply. A nation and a company of nations shall come from you, and kings shall come from your own body. ¹² The land that I gave to Abraham and Isaac I will give to you, and I will give the land to your offspring after you."

He eased the concern of retribution from the mind of Israel.

It did not mean that sadness didn't come to Israel because soon thereafter Rebecca went into labour, and in giving birth to Benjamin she died.

Ps 21
A Psalm of David to the choirmaster. David is King and he praising God for all that he has done for him. But primarily he is praising God for God's strength and the salvation that comes through him.

¹O LORD, in your strength the king rejoices,
and in your salvation how greatly he exults!

But oh how he is delighted with all God has done for him. God has given him rich blessings, a crown of gold, life, long days, he is blessed, he is joyful to sit in God's presence and he is able to just trust God.

Wow...think about that for a minute here.

⁶For you make him most blessed forever;
you make him glad with the joy of your presence.
⁷For the king trusts in the LORD,
and through the steadfast love of the Most High he shall not be moved.

It is GOD from whom our salvation comes. It is God who makes us glad to be with him. It is God who enables us to trust him by virtue of his steadfast love. Think about that for a minute. It's not all my doing...it's all GOD'S doing, God's enabling, God's strength, God's faithfulness, God's steadfastness. It's that a comfort? It is to me...it's like oh...it's not all up to me...all that is up to me is my living in response to what God gives me and he gives me all that I need, he really does. Neat. :)

With David I can say:

¹³Be exalted, O LORD, in your strength!
We will sing and praise your power.