Don't Forget the Selah!

Don't Forget the Selah! Psalm 89

In over half a century that I have been attending church services I have listened to a variety of people read from the Scriptures. These people have read aloud the passages that bring life to our souls using a range of vocal inflection from loud and excited to soft and mono tonal. One habit, of many of those loved saints, is to read the word 'Selah' whenever it appears in the text.

Now, if this is your particular practice, I want you to know that my purpose is not to embarrass or discredit you in any way. I won't even ask for a show of hands to display how many of us do read the word Selah aloud. What I do want to do is to have you better informed as to why the word 'Selah' is represented in the text and how to respond to it whenever it appears while you are reading. You can make up your own minds later as to whether you wish to continue to read the word 'Selah' aloud or not. I just want you to know how the writers of the Psalms intended it to be viewed.

Websters Dictionary says this about the word 'Selah':

A word occurring frequently in the Psalms supposedly

to be a liturgical or musical direction, probably to the

leader, to raise the voice, or perhaps indicating a pause.

It really doesn't matter to me if the word 'Selah' means to pause and reflect or to raise our voice, yet when I read these passages I sense something in my spirit wanting to do a little of both. I, on one hand, want to stop and think about what has just been read. The Word of God is filled wit such profound statements. We often glide over like eggs and bacon sliding out of a frying pan that has been properly prepared so that nothing will stick to it. Well, there are times when we are just like those well prepared frying pans and we are so greased up with our own thoughts that nothing of the Word of God sticks to us.

Think of what might occur in our lives if we would raise our voices in honor to the Lord.

Think of what might happen if we would really stop t think about what we read in the Scriptures.

The word 'Selah' is found seventy one times in the Psalms and three times in Habakkuk.

In each of these places where it is found, the statements made before and after are word to be taken to heart.

Psalm 89

1 I will sing of the mercies of the LORD forever;
With my mouth will I make known Your faithfulness to all generations.
2 For I have said, “Mercy shall be built up forever;
Your faithfulness You shall establish in the very heavens.”
3 “I have made a covenant with My chosen,
I have sworn to My servant David:
4 ‘Your seed I will establish forever,
And build up your throne to all generations.’” Selah

There is a song I sing to help me remember this part of this psalm. It also reminds me of the promises that are provided here and in the other psalms.

I will sing of the mercies of the Lord forever, I will sing, I will sing,

I will sing of the mercies of the Lord forever, I will sing of the mercies of the Lord.

With my mouth will I make known Your faithfulness, Your faithfulness

With my mouth will I make known your faithfulness to all generations.

When i sing this or read these words of this psalm, it reminds me that I should not only raise my voice and pause and reflect, but I should also do what it says.

Now, reflect on what is said in the next lines of this psalm.
5 And the heavens will praise Your wonders, O LORD; If the heavens do, shouldn't we too?
Your faithfulness also in the assembly of the saints. Am I declaring His faithfulness?
6 For who in the heavens can be compared to the LORD?
Who among the sons of the mighty can be likened to the LORD?
7 God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of the saints,
And to be held in reverence by all those around Him.
8 O LORD God of hosts,
Who is mighty like You, O LORD?
Your faithfulness also surrounds You.
9 You rule the raging of the sea;
When its waves rise, You still them. I recall Jesus in the calming the storm.
10 You have broken Rahab in pieces, as one who is slain;
You have scattered Your enemies with Your mighty arm. He has already won the battle.

11 The heavens are Yours, the earth also is Yours; The Battle Belongs to the Lord.
The world and all its fullness, You have founded them.
12 The north and the south, You have created them;
Tabor and Hermon rejoice in Your name.
13 You have a mighty arm;
Strong is Your hand, and high is Your right hand.
14 Righteousness and justice are the foundation of Your throne; God created all things
Mercy and truth go before Your face. He prepared for salvation before
15 Blessed are the people who know the joyful sound! He began creating the heavens and
They walk, O LORD, in the light of Your countenance. the earth.
16 In Your name they rejoice all day long,
And in Your righteousness they are exalted.
17 For You are the glory of their strength,
And in Your favor our horn is exalted.
18 For our shield belongs to the LORD, He has covered us with His
And our king to the Holy One of Israel. Righteousness.
19 Then You spoke in a vision to Your holy one,^[b]
And said: “I have given help to one who is mighty;
I have exalted one chosen from the people.
20 I have found My servant David;
With My holy oil I have anointed him,
21 With whom My hand shall be established;
Also My arm shall strengthen him.
22 The enemy shall not outwit him,
Nor the son of wickedness afflict him.
23 I will beat down his foes before his face,
And plague those who hate him.
24 “But My faithfulness and My mercy shall be with him,
And in My name his horn shall be exalted. His name is Jesus.
25 Also I will set his hand over the sea,
And his right hand over the rivers.
26 He shall cry to Me, ‘You are my Father,
My God, and the rock of my salvation.’
27 Also I will make him My firstborn,
The highest of the kings of the earth.
28 My mercy I will keep for him forever,
And My covenant shall stand firm with him.
29 His seed also I will make to endure forever,
And his throne as the days of heaven.
30 “If his sons forsake My law
And do not walk in My judgments,
31 If they break My statutes
And do not keep My commandments,
32 Then I will punish their transgression with the rod,
And their iniquity with stripes.
33 Nevertheless My lovingkindness I will not utterly take from him,
Nor allow My faithfulness to fail.
34 My covenant I will not break,
Nor alter the word that has gone out of My lips.
35 Once I have sworn by My holiness;
I will not lie to David:
36 His seed shall endure forever,
And his throne as the sun before Me;
37 It shall be established forever like the moon,
Even like the faithful witness in the sky.” Selah God has established the throne of Christ In the heavens forever.
38 But You have cast off and abhorred, the heavens.
You have been furious with Your anointed.
39 You have renounced the covenant of Your servant;
You have profaned his crown by casting it to the ground.
40 You have broken down all his hedges;
You have brought his strongholds to ruin.
41 All who pass by the way plunder him;
He is a reproach to his neighbors.
42 You have exalted the right hand of his adversaries;
You have made all his enemies rejoice.
43 You have also turned back the edge of his sword,
And have not sustained him in the battle.
44 You have made his glory cease,
And cast his throne down to the ground.
45 The days of his youth You have shortened;
You have covered him with shame. Selah There are very few places you will get a better
46 How long, LORD? picture of what happened on the cross of
Will You hide Yourself forever? Calvary.
Will Your wrath burn like fire?
47 Remember how short my time is;
For what futility have You created all the children of men?
48 What man can live and not see death?
Can he deliver his life from the power of the grave? Selah It seemed so hopeless while
49 Lord, where are Your former lovingkindnesses, Jesus was suffering, and it might seem
Which You swore to David in Your truth? hopeless at times while we go
50 Remember, Lord, the reproach of Your servants— through the storms of life.
How I bear in my bosom the reproach of all the many peoples,
51 With which Your enemies have reproached, O LORD,
With which they have reproached the footsteps of Your anointed.
52 Blessed be the LORD forevermore!
Amen and Amen.

It all reminds me of the message Tony Campolo tells about his pastor giving on one Good Friday service. “It's Friday, But Sundays 'A Comin'.

Pause and reflect wen you read the Scriptures.

Raise your voice in praise of the marvelous salvation that God has provided in Jesus Christ and the shedding of His precious blood.

Be a participator in the sharing of that salvation.