seekeroftruth
Well-Known Member
Psalm 116:1 I love the Lord, for he heard my voice;
he heard my cry for mercy.
2 Because he turned his ear to me,
I will call on him as long as I live.
he heard my cry for mercy.
2 Because he turned his ear to me,
I will call on him as long as I live.
3 The cords of death entangled me,
the anguish of the grave came over me;
I was overcome by distress and sorrow.
4 Then I called on the name of the Lord:
“Lord, save me!”
the anguish of the grave came over me;
I was overcome by distress and sorrow.
4 Then I called on the name of the Lord:
“Lord, save me!”
5 The Lord is gracious and righteous;
our God is full of compassion.
6 The Lord protects the unwary;
when I was brought low, he saved me.
our God is full of compassion.
6 The Lord protects the unwary;
when I was brought low, he saved me.
7 Return to your rest, my soul,
for the Lord has been good to you.
for the Lord has been good to you.
8 For you, Lord, have delivered me from death,
my eyes from tears,
my feet from stumbling,
9 that I may walk before the Lord
in the land of the living.
my eyes from tears,
my feet from stumbling,
9 that I may walk before the Lord
in the land of the living.
10 I trusted in the Lord when I said,
“I am greatly afflicted”;
11 in my alarm I said,
“Everyone is a liar.”
“I am greatly afflicted”;
11 in my alarm I said,
“Everyone is a liar.”
12 What shall I return to the Lord
for all his goodness to me?
for all his goodness to me?
13 I will lift up the cup of salvation
and call on the name of the Lord.
14 I will fulfill my vows to the Lord
in the presence of all his people.
and call on the name of the Lord.
14 I will fulfill my vows to the Lord
in the presence of all his people.
15 Precious in the sight of the Lord
is the death of his faithful servants.
16 Truly I am your servant, Lord;
I serve you just as my mother did;
you have freed me from my chains.
is the death of his faithful servants.
16 Truly I am your servant, Lord;
I serve you just as my mother did;
you have freed me from my chains.
17 I will sacrifice a thank offering to you
and call on the name of the Lord.
18 I will fulfill my vows to the Lord
in the presence of all his people,
19 in the courts of the house of the Lord—
in your midst, Jerusalem.
and call on the name of the Lord.
18 I will fulfill my vows to the Lord
in the presence of all his people,
19 in the courts of the house of the Lord—
in your midst, Jerusalem.
Praise the Lord.[a]
a. Psalm 116:19 Hebrew Hallelu Yah
There's no such thing as a free lunch..... right? Everything has a price.... right? Everyone has a price.... right?
Back when this was written.... everyone had to make sacrifices to God. They would go to the temple and offer the right thing and the sin was covered. The priest did all the heavy lifting but the people had to bring it to the priest.
This got complicated when people had to travel great distances to the temple.... bringing their oxen and sheep made them easy prey for the bandits along the road. So.... they stopped bringing animals and started bringing cash.... that way they could buy their oxen or sheep in town so they could get their sins covered without the walking billboard that enticed the bandits. Soon the bandits got wise and the bandits would try to take the cash people carried.
It wasn't easy getting to the Temple with a proper sacrifice. It wasn't safe in some instances. So.... for "convenience'' merchants "kindly" sold animals for sacrifice right there in the temple.... need an ox.... I have it for you..... and then the merchants started raising the prices.... after all ..... the people have to sacrifice so they need the inventory.... "we're the only show in town" so the people were stuck.... and then the merchants started getting their little cut of every price of every sin..... convenient..... why bother chasing the people down on the side of the road to rob from them, when the bandit could just sit in the Temple and the people would come to them..... convenient.
That really got Jesus worked up..... that's why Jesus overturned the tables of the money changers...... they were thieves.... stealing from those who wanted to worship God as written in the Books of Law passed down through Moses.
So I bet someone will tell me that Salvation is free..... no it isn't..... Salvation is not free..... Jesus paid for it and now He can gift it to anyone He so chooses.
