Pots to Preening

“Though ye have lien among the pots, yet shall ye be as the wings of a dove covered with silver, and her feathers with yellow gold.” (Ps 68:13 AV)

This verse is somewhat obscure and there is some dispute over what these pots might be.  The best explanation which I find comes from the Hebrew meaning of the word which indicates it might be hooks upon which pots for cooking or vessels for preparing kiln work were hung.  This area would have been full of rank odor, soot, and extremely uncomfortable.  Not unlike a kitchen, but much worse.  This psalm is easily understood as a reflection of Israel’s bondage in Egypt and her subsequent exodus from it.  Therefore, the verse above is a statement of promise made to Israel as they suffered in Egypt that has horrible and filthy their condition was at the time, the LORD would rescue them, clean them up, and set them free.

Let’s face it.  As long as we are in this world, we lay among the pots.  Its filthiness is all around us.  It is hard to keep oneself inoculated from it and stay separated and clean.  One cannot go anywhere outside of one’s house without some of the filth of the world clinging to our soul.  We are renovating our house.  Part of the renovation means sanding the hardwood floors.  I cannot believe the places this dust can get.  It is worse than the dust from carpentry work, drywall work, and even paint spraying.  This dust travels between floors.  This dust was getting into our closet which was up one flight of stairs and through a closed door.  It gets everywhere.  And, that is without forced air heat.  This is under no additional air movement.  That is what the world does to the believer.  Sin is everywhere.  It doesn’t have to be forced into circulation.  It is part of our environment.  It clings to the soul and drags the soul down from the presence of a holy God.

Like a dove who is cleansed from the soot of a chimney, the LORD will cleanse His people from the filth of sin.  We may have to live in this cesspool of a world for a time, but if we have trusted in Christ, we will be set free.  Not just set free, but cleansed of the very filth we have come to abhor.  The filth and the stench of our sin and the sin of our environment will be washed by the divine hand of compassion and holiness.  Filth that will be consumed when this world is consumed by the fire of and almighty God.  There will be a time, which will last for eternity, when the beauty of God’s holiness will be our garments and the filth of this world will be forever gone!